You watch a match for 90-plus minutes, no goals, everyone calculating and waiting for the opponent’s mistake… And then, the same thing for another half an hour! Why on earth don’t they just go straight to penalties if they have no intention of attacking?! No one wants to watch boring football… Extra time in knockout-stage matches in European football has largely become an unnecessary and frustrating aspect for viewers—and UEFA is starting to realize it.🚨 UEFA are considering REMOVING ‘Extra-Time’ for the knock-out stages of the Champions League.(Source: @guardian_sport) pic.twitter.com/oBUQkBFxf9— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) February 6, 2025 According to the latest reports from The Guardian, UEFA is seriously considering scrapping extra time in knockout rounds of European competitions. The idea is that if there is no winner after 90 minutes, the match will go straight to a penalty shootout. For now, it’s just an idea, as changes cannot be implemented before 2027 due to sponsorship agreements and TV rights. However, in two years, extra time could become a thing of the past. It doesn’t benefit viewers, it disrupts TV schedules, and even the players’ unions have long opposed it, arguing that extra time is unnecessary in an already overloaded calendar.The best defence in history of England? The answer may surprise youWith the Champions League expansion leading to more knockout matches and potentially more extra-time scenarios, scrapping it would not only reduce player fatigue but also favor underdogs. Smaller teams often manage to hold out for 90 minutes against stronger opponents but struggle in extra time due to fatigue and a lack of depth on the bench. Without extra time, their chances of reaching penalties would increase.##NAJAVA_MECA_8684717##The English FA Cup has already removed extra time, going straight to penalties, and other European tournaments have adopted the same practice. The final decision will rest with UEFA’s Executive Committee, which last made a major ruling in 2021 when it abolished the away goals rule.
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