UEFA Champions League may change new rules, Arsenal push for reforms

The UEFA Champions League (UEFA Champions League) is one of the most important football competitions in Europe, featuring many of the world’s top clubs. Recently, European soccer’s governing body, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), has been considering changing some of the rules of the Champions League, and it is England’s famous Arsenal club that is pushing for this change.

Why change the rules?

According to reports in the English media, Arsenal, while participating in this season’s Champions League, found that some of the rules were not very fair to the better performing teams. So they made suggestions to UEFA. UEFA also found the suggestions valid and is seriously considering whether or not to make adjustments. The main purpose of these changes is to make the game fairer and more enjoyable for the fans.

The first change is expected to be the order of home matches in the knockout rounds.

The current rules of the Champions League are as follows: the eight best teams in the group stage have the opportunity to play the second leg at home in the knockout rounds of the 16th UEFA Champions League. The so-called “second leg” is the second match between the two teams. Since the knockout rounds are decided in two games, many consider it a considerable advantage to play the second leg at home.

But here’s the rub: starting with the quarterfinals, this rule no longer applies. This means that no matter how well you do in the group stage, you won’t necessarily have home advantage in the second leg when you get to the latter stages of the competition.

Arsenal are upset about this. They did very well in the group stage, finishing on more points than both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. But when it came to the quarterfinals and semifinals, they had to play Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain on the road in the second round. Arsenal felt this was unfair, as they had worked harder and more successfully in the group stage, but had no advantage.

As a result, UEFA is now considering changing the rule so that as long as you finish high in the group stage, you can play at home in the second leg of every subsequent knockout round.

Second change: Extra time may be abolished.

In the knockout rounds of the Champions League, if two teams are tied on aggregate after two games, they go into extra time, which is another 30 minutes of play. If the teams are still tied after extra time, they go to penalty kicks.

However, such matches are too long and the players are very tired, especially with the intense schedule. To ease the burden on the players, UEFA is considering a new option: eliminating extra time. If the scores are level after two games, the matches would go straight to penalty kicks rather than 30 minutes.

While the idea would speed up the game, it is also somewhat controversial. Supporters thought it would reduce injuries and keep players healthier; opponents felt that less overtime would take some of the excitement and suspense out of the game. However, UEFA said it would seriously consider the views of players and clubs.

Change 3: Restrictions on teams from the same country meeting early.

In the previous UEFA Champions League there was a rule that teams from the same country could not meet early in the knockout rounds and could not meet until after the quarter-finals. This was done to add more variety to the competition and allow viewers to see more teams of different styles playing against each other.

However, this rule has been eliminated in recent years. This has led to a number of “home games” this season: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Brest in France, Bayern Munich vs. Leverkusen in Germany, and Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid in Spain.

While such matches are watched by fans in their home countries, the matches as a whole are less internationalized. Many fans and broadcasters feel that such matches lack freshness and spectacle.

As a result, UEFA is considering reverting to the old rule that clubs from the same country cannot meet in the Round of 16 or the Quarter Finals, but must wait until after the Quarter Finals to play each other.

When will the changes be decided?

These rule changes will not take effect immediately. According to German media outlet Bild, UEFA’s Club Competitions Committee will meet in Munich on May 30 to discuss the new proposals. Coincidentally, this meeting will take place just one day before this season’s Champions League final, which will also be held at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

If the proposals are approved at the meeting, the UEFA Champions League will be played under the new rules from next season. This would be a major change for all participating teams and would affect the landscape of the competition for years to come.

Summary.

The proposal made by Arsenal this time around could push the entire Champions League system to change. If the new rules are implemented, the competition will be fairer and more reasonable, and the strength of the teams will be better reflected. At the same time, the health of the players will be better protected.

For the fans, it is of course a good thing to see a fair system, intense matches and healthy players. The next step is to see what UEFA decides at their meeting at the end of May.