Extra-time in Champions League and Europa League matches "could be scrapped following a meeting of Europe’s top managers," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The likes of former ManU Manager Alex Ferguson, Bayern Munich Manager Carlo Ancelotti and Newcastle United Manager Rafael Benítez "discussed the merits of knockout-round ties level at the end of normal time going straight to penalties." Ferguson, UEFA's coaching ambassador, said that he did not like to see players "walking" around the pitch "exhausted and that extra-time rarely succeeded in producing a winner." UEFA Chief Technical Officer Ioan Lupescu said, "Some coaches said it could be direct to penalties, others thought that could be an advantage for the smaller teams who could defend more." Ferguson said that it was important to consider the "protection" of the game. He said, "I don’t think we like to see players exhausted in extra-time and when the whistle goes at the end of 90 minutes, I’ve always the feeling it’s going to go to penalty kicks." South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, "does not use extra-time in drawn matches" (TELEGRAPH, 9/1).
