FIFA preparing to introduce loan changes 

Changes concerning loans and the offside line will be introduced for next season, while the host city of the 2022 UEFA Europa League final was picked.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV! 

Major changes concerning loans are set to be introduced for the 2020/2021 season. In late February, FIFA proposed making serious amendments with regard to transfers, introducing a maximum amount of eight loan deals per season - both in and out of the club - for all teams. Moreover, when the 2022/2023 campaign begins, that figure will be reduced to six.

FIFA stated that the rule change has been designed in order to ensure that loans will assist the development of young players.

At first, the new regulation will only concern international loans that involve players aged 22 or over. It is worth noting that the rules have yet to be validated by the FIFA Council. 

It has also been proposed that two clubs will only be able to conclude three mutual loans.

The majority of Greek clubs, in particular AEK, Olympiacos, and PAOK, will be affected heavily by this rule. For example, Ognjen Vranjes, Damian Szymanski, and Sergio Araujo are all currently representing AEK as loanees, while the Kitrinomavri have a further ten players playing on loan elsewhere.

THICKER OFFSIDE LINES TO BE INTRODUCED

Recently, when speaking to Sky Sports News in England, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin revealed that a thicker offside line will be used for the 2020/2021 campaign: “One centimetre is not offside, that is not the meaning of the rule. In order for the video assistant referee to intervene, it has to be an obvious mistake. Thicker lines are required because the line is drawn subjectively. You can ruin the season of one club with the wrong decision. The handball issue is also a problematic one. We are discussing a lot with our officials.”

The new offside line will be used in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Since the start of the 2019/2020 campaign, the video assistant referee (VAR) system has been used in European competitions and lots of domestic leagues, however, the technology subsequently received a barrage of criticism for disallowing goals far too easily. VAR was initially only supposed to be used for obvious mistakes.

BUDAPEST TO HOST 2022 UEL FINAL

In early March, the host city of the 2021/2022 Europa League final was picked by the UEFA Executive Committee, with Budapest emerging victorious.

UEFA released this following statement:

“Budapest will stage its first major European men’s final after the UEFA Executive Committee decided that the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League decider will take place at the Puskás Aréna.

“The newly-built stadium officially opened in November 2019, with a crowd of over 65,000 watching Hungary lose 2-1 in a friendly game against Uruguay. Named in honour of former Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskás, the venue is one of the 12 stadiums which will be used at UEFA EURO 2020, staging three group stage games and a round of 16 match.

“The Puskás Aréna stands on the site of the old Nepstadion (People’s Stadium) which had been home to Hungary’s national team since 1953, the venue for a famous 7-1 defeat of England in 1954 in addition to concerts by Queen, U2, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson.

“The 2018/19 UEFA Women’s Champions League final – in which Lyon beat Barcelona 4-1 – was also staged in Budapest, at Ferencváros Stadion, but the 2022 UEFA Europa League final will be the first major men’s decider in the city.”

This year, the Europa League final is scheduled to be played in Gdansk, Poland, before the 2020/2021 showpiece game is staged in Seville, Spain.

Image Source: to10.gr

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!