An abstract from Benitez's column in The Independent today.
[article=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-rafael-benitez-column-theres-no-need-for-pessimism--english-kids-are-often-better-than-foreign-ones-8813084.html]Should we scrap the away goal rule?
There was an interesting few days for me at the Uefa headquarters in Nyon, since I last wrote, at the elite club coaches forum, where there were many ideas being talked about. There was statistical data to analyse what brings success in the Champions League, in which my Napoli team receive Borussia Dortmund next week. There has been a rise in goals scored from cutbacks from the goal line which shows the value of wide players. The percentage of teams who win ties after scoring first is very high, so teams are good in possession when they go ahead. And there has been a rise in goals scored in Europe. Maybe the defenders are earning less money! But the debate included the idea of changing the away goals rule for European games – perhaps to make it apply only if a tie is level after normal time of the two legs.
The argument is that there is no need for it, because teams are not so negative away. But we would need to think very hard before making that change. Changing the away goals rule would alter the whole complexion of the Champions League. New rules are good only if – like three points for a win all those years ago – they improve the game.[/article]
[article=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-rafael-benitez-column-theres-no-need-for-pessimism--english-kids-are-often-better-than-foreign-ones-8813084.html]Should we scrap the away goal rule?
There was an interesting few days for me at the Uefa headquarters in Nyon, since I last wrote, at the elite club coaches forum, where there were many ideas being talked about. There was statistical data to analyse what brings success in the Champions League, in which my Napoli team receive Borussia Dortmund next week. There has been a rise in goals scored from cutbacks from the goal line which shows the value of wide players. The percentage of teams who win ties after scoring first is very high, so teams are good in possession when they go ahead. And there has been a rise in goals scored in Europe. Maybe the defenders are earning less money! But the debate included the idea of changing the away goals rule for European games – perhaps to make it apply only if a tie is level after normal time of the two legs.
The argument is that there is no need for it, because teams are not so negative away. But we would need to think very hard before making that change. Changing the away goals rule would alter the whole complexion of the Champions League. New rules are good only if – like three points for a win all those years ago – they improve the game.[/article]
