By Seyi Babalola
UEFA is considering eliminating extra time from the Champions League knockout rounds.
This is in a bid to reduce the number of minutes played by top clubs.
According to reports, ties could now go straight to penalties.
However, a change midway through the current TV rights cycle, which runs until 2027, is doubtful.
Extra time has long been a source of disagreement among European football stakeholders, with some arguing that players’ wellbeing must be taken into account.
This season, UEFA introduced the Champions League’s extended group stage, with each team required to play at least eight games.
Last season just three Champions League fixtures from the last 16 onwards went into extra time, while none at all required an additional period in 2022-23.
Four ties in the 2023-24 Europa League went the distance, down from six the season before.