The away goals rule will be removed from all UEFA club competitions from the start of the 2021/22 season, the UEFA governing body has confirmed in a statement released on Thursday.
The change will apply across the men’s and women’s Champions League, the Europa League, and the Europa Conference League. The rule has been part of the UEFA competitions since 1965.
The rule was applied to determine the winner of a two-legged knockout tie in cases where the two teams had scored the same number of goals on aggregate over the two matches. If one team had scored more away goals, they would qualify for the next round.
UEFA’s statement
UEFA mentioned the statistics since the mid-1970s which showed how the gap between home and away wins had reduced (from 61%/19% to 47%/30%).
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “The away goals rule has been an intrinsic part of UEFA competitions since it was introduced in 1965. However, the question of its abolition has been debated at various UEFA meetings over the last few years. Although there was no unanimity of views, many coaches, fans, and other football stakeholders have questioned its fairness and have expressed a preference for the rule to be abolished.”
With the move applying to all UEFA men’s, women’s and youth competitions, Ceferin said the change could lead to more attack-minded ties.
Mr. Čeferin added: “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. There is also criticism of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored.”
“It is fair to say that home advantage is nowadays no longer as significant as it once was,” the UEFA President concluded.
