 |
Arsenal have had to play away matches repeatedly despite their good results since the beginning of the season. Photo: Reuters . |
Under the new 36-team Champions League format, only the top eight teams after the qualifying round are guaranteed a home leg in the round of 16. From the quarter-finals onwards, the right to play the home leg is not based on performance, but is decided entirely by random draw.
This arrangement forced Arsenal - the team that finished 3rd in the qualifying round - to play the second leg of the quarter-finals at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium, even though the Spanish Royal team was ranked 11th.
Last season, the Gunners were also eliminated bitterly when they lost to Bayern Munich in the second leg of the quarter-finals on away field. Although they currently have a big advantage with a 3-0 win in the first leg, coach Arteta still faces a similar prospect if he goes through. At that time, they will play the second leg of the semi-finals away, against the winner of the Aston Villa - PSG match.
As more and more teams feel unfairly excluded from playing the second leg at home, the pressure is growing on UEFA to change the rules. UEFA has taken note of the comments and, according to Mail Sport , will discuss the issue at upcoming meetings to consider changing the format for the 2025/26 season.
In addition, UEFA also rejected the proposal to eliminate extra time in knockout matches, in order to reduce the workload for players amid a tight schedule. UEFA is concerned that if extra time is eliminated, many weaker teams may actively delay the penalty shootout, making the matches less attractive and less competitive.
According to statistics, nearly 60% of Champions League matches that went into extra time, after the away goals rule was abolished, were decided in 30 minutes of extra time, instead of having to resort to penalty shootouts.
Source: https://znews.vn/uefa-can-nhac-sua-luat-khi-arsenal-chiu-thiet-truoc-real-post1545949.html
Comment (0)