UEFA to change Champions League rules next season after Arsenal make complaint
UEFA to change Champions League rules next season after Arsenal make complaint
UEFA is set to make a change to the knockout rounds of the Champions League next season after Arsenal were left fuming over their last-four draw this term
Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal
(Image: Lars Baron - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images )
UEFA is poised to make a slight adjustment to the Champions League format next season, following the introduction of a completely new structure just a year ago. The Champions League concluded in Munich on Saturday night with Paris Saint-Germain deservedly securing their maiden trophy in the competition by trouncing Inter Milan.
This match marked the end of the first season under the new league table format, which seemed to be a triumph for UEFA. Despite the final being rather one-sided, the European football organisers successfully merged the expanded 36-team format with numerous thrilling matches.
However, it appears they are not entirely satisfied with their innovation, where 36 teams battle in a league table phase to determine who progresses to the knockout stages.
Under the current system, a team's position in the league phase dictates their seeding for the play-off round. This means the top eight teams receive a bye to the round of 16, where they face a play-off winner and have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Nonetheless, from the round of 16 onwards, home advantage is determined by a random draw due to UEFA's preference for an 'open draw'.
Consequently, teams that performed well in the group stage could find themselves obliged to play the home leg first in the quarter-final or semi-final stage, reports the Mirror.
This season, Arsenal found themselves in this exact predicament.
The Gunners put on a stellar performance during the league phase, securing third place and outperforming Real Madrid in 11th and PSG in 15th.
However, they were still dealt away draws for both the quarter-final and semi-final second legs.
Despite trouncing Real with a 5-1 aggregate score, Mikel Arteta's team reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, feeling that their consistent league phase performance wasn't adequately rewarded in the knockout stages.
Their grievances haven't gone unnoticed. German newspaper Bild reports that UEFA is almost certain to alter the way knockout ties are drawn.
The UEFA Club Competitions Committee convened on Friday and reportedly agreed on the proposed change ahead of the Champions League final – final approval is now 'considered a formality'.
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Other potential changes were also discussed, such as moving directly to penalty shoot-outs instead of extra time and preventing two clubs from the same nation from clashing until the later stages of the competition.
However, no agreement was reached on these proposals.
Arsenal weren't the only club disadvantaged by the 'open' draw system: Barcelona hosted the first leg of their quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund, despite finishing second in the league phase.
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