Who wants away-goal rule scrapped?

“Two teams have gone out on away goals, which I think should be questioned because it’s a rule that is outdated now and has to be changed. I’ve fought for that for a long time. It should count maybe after extra time because this [current] rule was created in the sixties to encourage teams to attack away from home. Since then football has changed. The weight of the away goal is too big today.I think maybe you can count [away goals] after extra-time like in the League Cup in England.”

THOSE where the words of Arsenal manager Arsene in the immediate after-math of his team’s ouster from the Champions League on goals aggregate to AS Monaco last Tuesday. His team won 2-0 on the night but were eliminated on the away goals rule following a 3-1 home loss in the first leg. Both clubs finished 3-3 on aggregate but Arsenal got booted out because they scored only two goals away to AS Monaco’s three at the Emirates.

It could be heart-wrenching to be eliminated in that fashion and I concede that Wenger has a million and one reasons to be gutted by such an outcome. As a matter of fact, to be fair to Wenger, he’s been advocating for the abolition of the away-goal rule so we have to put it in context that this was not just an unnecessary belly-aching from a frustrated manager.Maybe, for clarity, we should look at the origin of the away-goal rule. From my research,  the away-goals rule was introduced in European competition 60 years ago. Glentoran were the first British team to fall victims when the Northern Irish champions held Benfica to a goalless draw in Portugal in the second leg of their European Cup tie but were sent packing because Eusébio had scored an 86th-minute equaliser at The Oval the week before.

Those who are against the away-goals rule argue that it might have seemed fair and necessary in the 1960s, when travelling teams suffered considerable difficulties, but that the money and resources involved in the modern game has reduced the burden on away teams.They argue further that these days the rule only leads to defensive football, as Wenger noted as far back as 2008. On that occasion, he had said: “I believe the tactical weight of the away goal has become too important. Teams get a 0-0 draw at home and they’re happy. Instead of having a positive effect it has been pushed too far tactically in the modern game. It has the opposite effect than it was supposed to have at the start. It favours defending well when you play at home.”

On the other side of the divide, those who want the rule retained advocate that it rewards attacking football and, more importantly, encourages teams to be daring and offensive away from home. The fact that you play the second and decisive leg at home does not confer any advantage on you, same as it is sure that a team will not be disadvantaged simply because it was going away. Simply put, if you do your homework well, you are guaranteed to go through regardless of where you played. The key is to be the better team over two legs or, if you would lose one leg, make sure you win the other leg convincingly.

The two sides give compelling reasons for and against the away-goals rule. Should it be scrapped? Should we leave it as it is? If you think it is not good enough, by what other means do you think we should separate two teams who are locked in battle after two legs? Through penalties?By drawing lots? By count-back of throw-ins, corner-kicks, free-kicks, fouls?

Or, like me, you think we should leave the away-goals rule as it is and let ALL teams have equal chances of going through if they are better over two legs? Just what is your opinion on this? HAVE YOUR SAY, guys.

March 25, 2015