Pivotal Leeds United fixture changed to day of King's coronation due to opponents' European commitments, but game will still be televised
Leeds’s trip to Premier League champions and title-chasers Manchester City has been moved to Saturday May 6 – the day of the coronation of King Charles III – at 3pm, but will still be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The fixture, originally scheduled for Sunday May 7, has been brought forward a day because of City’s first-leg Champions League semi-final clash against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday May 9.
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Hide AdThe clash was scheduled to be shown on Sky Sports and that remains the case despite it now being in the Saturday afternoon blackout period.
That blocks the broadcast of games at any level in England between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday in order to protect match attendances and participation at grassroots level.
However, the Premier League said in a statement: “The match will remain live on Sky Sports in the UK, subject to further consultation with relevant stakeholders.”
The league added that a lunchtime broadcast slot has been avoided “so as not to clash with the King’s Coronation”, while an evening kick-off is not possible because of a “lack of police resourcing”.
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Hide AdPep Guardiola’s City, who face Sheffield United in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday, remain in contention to complete the treble.
They are five points behind Arsenal with two matches in hand, and host Mikel Arteta’s side at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
City have also had their outstanding fixture at Brighton scheduled for Wednesday May 24, with the Premier League campaign ending on Sunday May 28.
Leeds are battling for Premier League survival and lost 2-1 at Fulham on Saturday.