premier league 2 Premier League 2, formerly the U21 Premier League, is the highest-division youth league in English football. It was established in 2012 and is run by the Premier League and exclusively features Category One Academies as per the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). Initially, Premier League 2 had two divisions, dividing Category One Academies into Division 1 and Division 2. Teams played a double round-robin format, facing each other at home and away. The bottom two teams in Division 1 were relegated at the end of each season, getting replaced by the Division 2 champions and the winner of a playoff between teams ranked second to fifth. However, starting in the 2023-24 season, the Premier League 2 restructured to a single competition comprising all Category One Academies. The double round-robin format was replaced with a "Swiss-style" system featuring a 20-game regular season. Teams are divided into five pots based on their performances over the past three seasons. Fixtures are determined through a draw, with each club playing all sides in its pot and an additional three to five from the other pots. At the end of the regular season, the top 12 teams qualify for the Premier League International Cup, while the top 16 advance to the playoffs. The playoffs follow a single-elimination format, with matchups determined by league position: first facing 16th, second against 15th, third locking horns with 14th, and so on. The higher-seeded team enjoys home advantage from the Round of 16 to the final. The Premier League 2 season begins in August or September and concludes with the final in April or May. As a Category One Academy-exclusive competition, Premier League 2 no longer features promotion and relegation. Manchester United and Middlesbrough won the inaugural Division 1 and Division 2 titles in 2012-13 and 2014-15, respectively. Division 1 was largely dominated by Premier League academies, with Manchester United being the first to win back-to-back campaigns in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Manchester City was the first to win three consecutive titles from 2020 to 2023. Tottenham was crowned the first Premier League 2 champion following the league's revamp in 2023.. premier league 2019 Premier League 2 bắt đầu từ năm 2016, thay thế giải U21 Premier League trước đó để thích ứng với chiến lược đào tạo mới. bảng xếp hạng premier league 2024 For the elimination playoffs, teams are drawn against each other based on their league positions. For example, the team finishing first will face the team that finished 16th. The playoffs consist of a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final, all of which will be standalone fixtures.
