Champions League referees told to reject Premier League approach to stoppage time
The Champions League will not adopt the same stoppage time policy as the Premier League and Fifa World Cups, says European governing body Uefa.
Premier League games now routinely exceed 100 minutes after it followed the same guidelines implemented by global chiefs Fifa at the last men’s and women’s World Cups.
But Uefa says it will instead ask referees in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League to use other approaches to curb time-wasting.
“It’s absolutely absurd. Regarding player welfare, it’s some kind of big tragedy because [they] are adding almost 12, 13, 14 minutes,” said Uefa’s chief of football, former Croatia captain Zvonimir Boban.
“When you play 60, 65 minutes – I can speak from my experience, especially as a midfielder – when you get tired, it’s the last 30 minutes of the game. And then somebody comes and adds another 15 minutes.
“How often we have spoken critically about the calendar and too many games? We are not listening to players and coaches. It’s crazy. It’s too much, so we will not do this. Our guidelines are different.”
Boban’s comments come ahead of the last Champions League campaign before Uefa adopts a new “Swiss model” format that will increase the number of games from 125 to 225.
Uefa referees’ chief Roberto Rosetti said officials would be asked to “speed up the restart of play instead of focusing on stoppage time”.
“There is something more important than the accuracy of additional time,” Rosetti added. “Why do people like the Champions League so much? Because it’s intensive, it’s fantastic, the players never stop.”
English clubs Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United will learn their European opposition today when the Champions League group stage draw is held in Monaco at 5pm UK time.
The Europa League and Europa Conference League draws are due to take place tomorrow.