UEFA introduces ‘Silver Goal’

Next month’s Champions League and UEFA Cup Finals could be decided a ‘silver goal’ after UEFA scrapped the ‘golden goal’ rule in extra time.

Under the ‘golden goal’ rule, a match level at 90 minutes immediately ended when a goal was scored in extra time. Under the new ‘silver goal’ rule, play will continue until the end of the half in which an extra-time goal was scored,whereupon the scorers of the silver goal are declared winners.

If the match remains deadlocked after 120 minutes, it will be decided by a penalty shoot-out. The new rule will also be used by UEFA at next summer’s European Championship finals in Portugal.

UEFA spokesman Mike Lee said: “It will be an innovation at this year’s finals, first at the UEFA Cup Final in Seville, then in Manchester for the Champions League final.

“After that, we will use it to decide all our matches where it’s needed in all our competitions.

“At the moment there are many models in use throughout the world to decide finals, but we think this gives the best sporting chance to both sides and we hope that in time this innovation could be used throughout the world as the standard way of deciding matches.”