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regular-article-logo Sunday, 12 May 2024

Uefa abolishes away-goals rule in club competitions

Games now tied on aggregate score after the regulation 90 minutes in the second leg will go direct to extra time and then to a penalty shootout

Agencies Published 25.06.21, 03:17 AM
Aleksander Ceferin

Aleksander Ceferin Shutterstock

Uefa said on Thursday it had approved a proposal to remove the away goals rule from all its club competitions involving men’s, women’s and youth teams, beginning with the qualifying phase of the 2021-22 campaign.

The away goals rule, introduced by European football’s governing body in 1965-66, has been applied when the score of a two-legged tie is level on aggregate after 180 minutes, with the team scoring more goals away from their home venue declared winners.

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But it came under scrutiny last season with some matches being held at neutral venues.

Instead, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played at the end of the second leg, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the teams are still tied.

It means games in the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and Women’s Champions League will no longer use the rule.

PSG and Porto both benefited from the ruling during the 2020-21 Champions League campaign. Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the 2019 final after beating Manchester City on away goals in the quarters and then Ajax in the semis.

Explaining the decision, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as, in fact, it now dissuades home teams, especially in first legs, from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage.”

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