The Europa League and the Conference League also see their use expanded
MADRID, 10 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
UEFA has announced that VAR will be used in all the previous rounds of the Champions League and that its use will be extended in the Europa League and the Conference League in the 2023-24 season, allowing it to be used in 239 more matches. than last year.
This year’s ‘Champions’ will see the implementation of VAR extended to the entire qualifying phase of the competition for the first time in its history, with the inclusion of video refereeing technology in the preliminary round and the first and second qualifying rounds.
Last season, VAR was introduced from the third qualifying round, so this year it will cover 63 more games. The technology was already used in the recent preliminary round that took place in Iceland.
In addition, the qualifying rounds of the other two continental competitions will have VAR in the qualifying rounds for the first time, being introduced from the third qualifying round of the Europa League -affecting 36 more games- and the ‘Playoffs’ of the Conference League -140 more games-.
In the 2024-25 season, VAR will continue to be used in all rounds of the ‘Champions’ and will begin to be used from the first qualifying round of the Europa League. Subject “to a feasibility study due to the high number of matches”, VAR could also be introduced before the Conference League Playoffs.