Gary Lineker is advocating for UEFA to eliminate a rule he deems ‘unfair’, in line with the comprehensive modifications set for the next Champions League season.
The upcoming 2024/25 season will witness a major overhaul of Europe’s premier club competition, as the conventional group stage is replaced by a single league featuring all 36 teams.
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Each club will face eight different opponents, an increase from the current six, determined by a computerized draw.
The top eight teams will secure direct entry into the knockout phase. The teams ranked ninth to 24th will engage in play-offs to decide the remaining slots for the last 16.
This represents the most significant transformation of the tournament since it was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, although UEFA has implemented several smaller changes over the years.
One such recent change was the abolition of the ‘away goals’ rule. Now, any knockout match that is tied after both legs will proceed to extra time.
Upcoming second-leg matches like Real Madrid vs. Manchester City and Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich will go into extra time if the aggregate scores remain level.
However, Lineker contends that the extra time rule should be discarded from the quarter-final stage onwards in the Champions League, citing the home advantage that one team gains during this period as the basis for his argument.
Speaking on ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast, the England legend argued: “I think you shouldn’t have extra time if the scores are level after two games. I think you should go to penalties.
“At the moment, that gives the home side in the second leg an extra half hour at home, which is an advantage, and no team should have an advantage. Certainly in the quarter-final stages of the Champions League.
“The last 16 [is fine], because they earn that place playing the second game at home because of where you finish in the group. But in the quarter-finals, that is not the case.
“For example, if Arsenal go to the Allianz Arena next week and draw, then it goes to extra time and Bayern Munich get an extra half hour at home. It doesn’t seem fair to me.
“I think it’s time to get rid of extra time. With the exception, possibly, of a final.
“But even then I wouldn’t, because once it gets to extra time, everyone just wants it to go to penalties anyway, don’t they? Everyone loves a penalty shootout.”
