UEFA has now elected to scrap the away-goals rule in the Champions League and Europa League, according to the Times.
The rule has been in place in European competition for 56 years, but there had been reports for some time that it was to be abolished.
And at a meeting on Friday, UEFA has now taken the decision to scrap the away goals rule – although, it is still subject to executive committee approval.
The rule has led to some dramatic moments in European football through the years, the most recent high-profile instance was Bayern Munich being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain at the quarter-final stage of this campaign’s Champions League.
But, it has been felt for some time that away goals do not carry much weight like when the rule was brought in – with the Times quoting a source which said: “The view is that it is much easier to score an away goal now than it was in the Seventies and Eighties, when football was lower-scoring and stadiums were more hostile.
“There was less visibility surrounding a match in terms of refereeing, quality of the pitch and organisation, so home advantage is not so significant [now].”
This huge decision is sure to divide opinion in the world of football, with former Liverpool central defender and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher totally against the move.
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Taking to Twitter, Carragher wrote: “The away goals rule in Europe makes the games so much more exciting, please read this thread @UEFAcom for the reasons why you are making a big mistake.”
Despite the opposition voices, it appears UEFA will abolish the away-goals rule to the history books.
