• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Gary Lineker calls on UEFA to scrap 'unfair' Champions League rule for next season

Home> Football> Football News> Champions League

Published 16:21 12 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Gary Lineker calls on UEFA to scrap 'unfair' Champions League rule for next season

Lineker wants a major change to be made to the Champions League.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Gary Lineker wants UEFA to scrap an 'unfair' rule as part of sweeping changes to the Champions League for next season.

Europe's biggest continental club competition will be getting a revamp for the 2024/25 campaign, with the traditional group stage replaced by a singular group containing all 36 clubs.

Clubs will be assigned their eight opponents - up from the six games each team plays currently - via a computer-assisted draw.

Advert

Eight teams will qualify automatically for the knockout stages. Play-off matches will then be contested between the ninth and 24th-placed teams to determine the remaining eight teams in the last 16 stage.

It is the biggest change to the competition since its initial rebrand to the Champions League in 1992, with UEFA having made a number of more minor adjustments in recent years.

The most recent of those was to scrap the 'away goals' rule, meaning that any knockout tie that is level after 90 minutes in both legs will go to extra time.

Advert

Real Madrid versus Manchester City, and Arsenal versus Bayern Munich, will both need to be settled in additional time if the scores don't change, with the two ties level heading into the second leg.

But Lineker believes that, because there is a home advantage involved for one team in any additional time period, extra time should be scrapped entirely for Champions League matches from the quarter-finals onwards.

Speaking on 'The Rest is Football' podcast, the England legend argued: "I think you shouldn't have extra time if the scores are level after two games. I think you should go to penalties.

"At the moment, that gives the home side in the second leg an extra half hour at home, which is an advantage, and no team should have an advantage. Certainly in the quarter-final stages of the Champions League.

Advert

"The last 16 [is fine], because they earn that place playing the second game at home because of where you finish in the group. But in the quarter-finals, that is not the case.

"For example, if Arsenal go to the Allianz Arena next week and draw, then it goes to extra time and Bayern Munich get an extra half hour at home. It doesn't seem fair to me.

"I think it's time to get rid of extra time. With the exception, possibly, of a final.

"But even then I wouldn't, because once it gets to extra time, everyone just wants it to go to penalties anyway, don't they? Everyone loves a penalty shootout."

Featured Image Credit: Getty / The Rest is Football

Topics: Gary Lineker, UEFA, Champions League, Football, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

22 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 22 mins ago

    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia makes Messi vs Ronaldo choice and fans are in agreement

    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's comments on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate sparked a lot of thoughts from fans on social media.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Every Liverpool game Mo Salah could miss at AFCON as Premier League fixtures confirmed

    The 25/26 Premier League fixtures have been released.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Premier League 2025/26 fixtures released as furious fans of Big Six club claim it's been 'rigged' against them

    The full list of 380 Premier League fixtures have been released for the 2025/26 campaign.

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Club pull out of the race to sign Bryan Mbeumo as deal for the Brentford star takes shock twist

    Bryan Mbeumo has been linked with a move away from Brentford.

    Football
  • Michael Olise facing UEFA punishment for breaking strict IFAB rule in Champions League
  • Gary Lineker calls for TWO rule changes after Man Utd's win over Arsenal as he demands 'unfair' law is changed
  • UEFA impose little-known rule for Champions League final that means Allianz Arena will have a different name for PSG vs Inter
  • Fans spot PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's reaction to controversial Champions League draw