Away goals rule to be scrapped for European competitions

AWAY goals in European knockout ties will no longer be worth more after Uefa scrapped the longstanding rule, writes Jordan Blackwell.

Leicester City are preparing for a second successive season in the Europa League.

But if they reach the knockout stages again, the complexion of the matches will change with ties finishing level on aggregate over two legs no longer favouring the side that scores more away from home. Instead, matches will go to extra time.

The removal of the rule, which has been in place since 1965, was proposed in May and has now been approved by Uefa’s executive committee.

The governing body’s president

Aleksander Ceferin explained that it no longer had the effect it was originally introduced for.

“It is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight,” he said.

“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.”

City did not score in their away knockout game last season, drawing 0-0 with Slavia Prague before the Czech champions won 2-0 in Leicester.

The club’s last away goal in a European knockout tie was Jamie Vardy’s finish at Sevilla in the Champions League round of 16 in 2017, a strike that set up the turnaround in the second leg.