Thursday June 24th 2021
Update
Already from the 2021/22 season
UEFA abolishes away goal rule
It has been discussed for a long time, now UEFA is serious: From next season, the away goals rule will no longer apply. The Champions League, Europa League and Conference League could now face more extra time and penalty shootouts.
The away goal rule in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League has been abolished: The association announced this on Twitter. The rule had existed since 1965. The decision was taken by the UEFA Executive Committee on the recommendation of the UEFA Club Competitions Committee and the UEFA Women’s Football Committee. The new rule already applies from qualification for the competitions 2021/22.
The away goal rule was used to determine the winner of a knockout game if both teams had scored the same number of goals together in the first and second leg. In such cases, the team that scored the most goals away from home was considered the winner. The rule change could now provide more overtime and penalty shootouts.
“The away goals rule has been an integral part of UEFA competitions since it was introduced in 1965,” said association president Aleksander Čeferin: “However, the question of its abolition has been discussed at various UEFA meetings in recent years many coaches, fans and other football players questioned their fairness and spoke out in favor of abolishing the rule. “
Since away goals are no longer additionally weighted, they are no longer a criterion for determining who will move from the group stage to the knockout round if two or more teams are tied.
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