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LONDON. — FA Cup quarter-final replays will be scrapped from next season, the Football Association announced on Thursday. The last-eight stage of the cup competition will revert to a sudden-death format over one weekend in a bid to ease English football’s congested fixture list.

“The Emirates FA Cup remains at the heart of English football and this change adds to the excitement of the competition and will benefit the wider game in general,” FA chief executive Martin Glenn said.

“In a demanding calendar and with increased pressures on fans, it is important we move with the times and consider new innovations.

“While fully respecting tradition and history, this new development will help the cup retain its status as a much-loved and world-renowned competition.”

As it stands, replays will continue to take place in the earlier rounds of the competition. — AFP