Everyone talks about the Champions League, the Premier League, and to a lesser extent the Europa league, but what if I told you there was a competition just as famous but without the glamour of Europe’s elite. This is where the EFL championship comes in.
How Does It Work?
So what is the EFL Playoffs? Well, every year the teams who finished third, fourth, fifth, and sixth in the championship, which is the division just below the premier league, will battle it out to see who gets promoted to the Premier League. The teams finishing first and second are automatically promoted. The four teams will compete in a mini competition with two-legged semi-finals, and whoever wins those will play each other in a final to see who joins first and second in the Premier League the following season.
Iconic Moments From The EFL Playoffs
There have been many iconic moments in the championship playoffs, including Troy Deeney scoring a last-minute goal against Leicester to send Watford to the final in 2013. Charlie Adam scored an amazing free-kick to help Blackpool get back to the top of English football. And Bobby Zamora scored against Derby to send QPR back to the Prem.
Who Will Be In The EFL Playoffs This Year?
As with any season, the EFL Championship is going down to the final day, with a handful of teams possible to clinch their place. Currently, Nottingham Forrest, Luton Town, Huddersfield Town, and Sheffield United are in the driving seat for a playoff spot. With only three points separating the teams in the playoff spots and the two teams who are not, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers, this season will have an amazing end and go down to the final day as they usually do.
As with any competition the EFL championship playoffs bring emotion, heartbreak, joy, and every emotion you can attach to football. Who will be in the playoffs this year? We shall find out this weekend but one thing is for certain, whatever teams do go into the playoffs will have a long way to go if they want the golden ticket to a place in the Premier League next season.