UEFA To Discuss Scrapping Away Goals Rule: Report

European football’s governing body UEFA will discuss getting rid
of the away goals rule in its competitions.

The rule has been in place in European competitions for 56
years, and means that the team who has scored the most goals away
from home over a two-legged fixture win the tie should it be level
on aggregate after extra time in the second leg.

However, The Times report that the organisation will consider
scrapping it when Uefa’s club competitions committee meet on Friday
and the process to make the change will begin should there be
enough support.

It’s believed that the use of neutral venues for certain
fixtures due to the coronavirus pandemic made the rule seem
particularly unnecessary, while in general home advantage in
two-legged ties is not as great as it once was.

The rule has been a crucial part of European competition and has
had a significant impact, leading for calls to scrap it for many
years.

During Tottenham’s run to the Champions League final in the
2018/19 season, the away goals rule ensured they progressed past
both Manchester City and Ajax, while in the same season Manchester
United beat PSG in the last 16 thanks to their three goals in
Paris.

This season, Juventus crashed out on away goals after Porto
scored in the 115th minute of the second leg to send them on their
way to a famous two-legged victory.

Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side benefitted from the rule to beat
Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, after the tie had finished 3-3
on aggregate.

Arsene Wenger throughout his time as Arsenal manager was an
outspoken critic, and once again called for the rule to be binned
after the Gunners and Chelsea were both knocked out of the
Champions League on away goals in 2015.

Wenger said: ‘Two teams have gone out on away goals, which I
think should be questioned because it’s a rule that is outdated now
and has to be changed. I’ve fought for that for a long time.

‘It should count maybe after extra time because this [current]
rule was created in the sixties to encourage teams to attack away
from home. Since then football has changed. The weight of the away
goal is too big today.

‘I think maybe you can count [away goals] after extra-time like
in the League Cup in England.’

Three years ago, UEFA’s deputy secretary-general Giorgio
Marchetti said the organisation would review the situation after
many of the game’s top coaches insisted the rule favoured the away
side too much.

‘The coaches think that scoring goals away is not as difficult
as it was in the past,’ Marchetti said.

‘They think the rule should be reviewed and that’s what we will
do.’

While similar discussions will take place this Friday, they will
take place without the likes of Manchester United’s Ed Woodward or
Manchester City’s Ferran Soriano, who resigned from the committee
last month as part of the failed European Super League plans.

European football’s governing body UEFA will discuss getting rid
of the away goals rule in its competitions.

The rule has been in place in European competitions for 56
years, and means that the team who has scored the most goals away
from home over a two-legged fixture win the tie should it be level
on aggregate after extra time in the second leg.

However, The Times report that the organisation will consider
scrapping it when Uefa’s club competitions committee meet on Friday
and the process to make the change will begin should there be
enough support.

It’s believed that the use of neutral venues for certain
fixtures due to the coronavirus pandemic made the rule seem
particularly unnecessary, while in general home advantage in
two-legged ties is not as great as it once was.

The rule has been a crucial part of European competition and has
had a significant impact, leading for calls to scrap it for many
years.

During Tottenham’s run to the Champions League final in the
2018/19 season, the away goals rule ensured they progressed past
both Manchester City and Ajax, while in the same season Manchester
United beat PSG in the last 16 thanks to their three goals in
Paris.

This season, Juventus crashed out on away goals after Porto
scored in the 115th minute of the second leg to send them on their
way to a famous two-legged victory.

Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side benefitted from the rule to beat
Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, after the tie had finished 3-3
on aggregate.

Arsene Wenger throughout his time as Arsenal manager was an
outspoken critic, and once again called for the rule to be binned
after the Gunners and Chelsea were both knocked out of the
Champions League on away goals in 2015.

Wenger said: ‘Two teams have gone out on away goals, which I
think should be questioned because it’s a rule that is outdated now
and has to be changed. I’ve fought for that for a long time.

‘It should count maybe after extra time because this [current]
rule was created in the sixties to encourage teams to attack away
from home. Since then football has changed. The weight of the away
goal is too big today.

‘I think maybe you can count [away goals] after extra-time like
in the League Cup in England.’

Three years ago, UEFA’s deputy secretary-general Giorgio
Marchetti said the organisation would review the situation after
many of the game’s top coaches insisted the rule favoured the away
side too much.

‘The coaches think that scoring goals away is not as difficult
as it was in the past,’ Marchetti said.

‘They think the rule should be reviewed and that’s what we will
do.’

While similar discussions will take place this Friday, they will
take place without the likes of Manchester United’s Ed Woodward or
Manchester City’s Ferran Soriano, who resigned from the committee
last month as part of the failed European Super League plans.