UEFA Are Considering Removing Extra-Time From The Champions League Knockout Stages

UEFA now is considering removing extra time from the Champions league knockouts as they look to go straight to penalties after a draw in the both legs aggregate. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that UEFA is thinking about these changes and we might be able to see it from the next season or in the near future.

Football

By Ayush Singh Rawat On Apr 24, 2025

UEFA Are Considering Removing Extra-Time From The Champions League Knockout Stages, Credits- UEFA

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UEFA Champions league nights are magical and football enthusiasts

UEFA Champions league nights are magical and football enthusiasts know what these nights are capable of producing. Numerous comebacks, thrillers, players going at it, Adrenaline on peak: this is just a short summary of what Champions league is made of. The midweek matches always bring joy to fans across the world.

But the midweek matches also cause the already hectic calendar of a footballer to become more condensed. The weekend matches of their respective league titles, the different cups during the year and the champions league matches in the midweek and now the club world cups and international tournaments during the so called breaks after every title football year.

Rodri and Dani Carvajal, both Spanish teammates are suffering from ACLs

This has caused many footballers to call out the footballing organizations to take care of the players as their injuries have become more prevalent among them. Rodri and Dani Carvajal, both Spanish teammates are suffering from ACLs after a full season with their respective clubs and after that winning the Euros with Spain.

Such cases have become common as proper rest is just a myth now in football and footballers are expected to play a match every 2-3 days.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that UEFA is thinking about these changes and we might be able to see it from the next season or in the near future.

UEFA now is considering removing extra time from the Champions league knockouts as they look to go straight to penalties after a draw in the both legs aggregate. This can be a small step towards a big initiative, going 30 minutes extra when you have to play 3 matches in a week is a big ask from the footballers which usually go unappreciated.

This benefit only applies to the Round of 16

Another suggestion is to reward clubs that finish in the top eight of the league phase with home advantage for the return leg in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Currently, this benefit only applies to the Round of 16, where clubs finishing higher in the league phase play the return leg at home.

This proposal follows criticism from Arsenal, who had to play the return leg of their quarterfinal tie against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite finishing third in the league phase, eight places ahead of the defending champions.

A third proposed change is to reinstate the “country protection” rule

A third proposed change is to reinstate the “country protection” rule, which would prevent clubs from the same country from meeting in the knockout stages before the quarterfinals.

This was a feature of the old format, but under the new system, teams from the same country have already faced each other in the playoffs and Round of 16, as was the case with PSG vs. Brest, Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid. UEFA hopes that this change would make early-stage matchups more attractive for fans and TV broadcasters.