Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed that there is a possibility of VAR being used in the Champions League later this season.
Ceferin initially rejected claims that VAR could feature from the Champions League quarter-finals, but the UEFA chief told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I won’t exclude it being used later this season, but for now it doesn’t look like it will.
Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed that there is a possibility of VAR being used in the Champions League later this season.
Ceferin initially rejected claims that VAR could feature from the Champions League quarter-finals, but the UEFA chief told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I won’t exclude it being used later this season, but for now it doesn’t look like it will.
“Nothing’s set in stone yet, but the plan is to start using VAR in the next year’s [European] Super Cup and then the Champions League playoffs, before the group stage.
“Something needs to improve, but at the World Cup it worked quite well. VAR isn’t completely clear right now, but we also know there is no way back.
“It’s much more problematic than it looks. It has huge territory to cover. The plan is to use it next season, but we’ll see what happens. I don’t want to make any pledges right now.”
Ceferin then discussed possible changes to the format of the Champions League, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence at the group-stage draw on Friday.
“Something needs to change and we’re talking to the clubs,” added the Slovene.
“The big teams want to play with each other and the smaller ones dream of qualifying. It’ll never be a competition for only the big clubs: it would be boring and wouldn’t help football.
“The Champions League at weekends and League football on Wednesday? I’ll only say that we need Leagues and cups, we can’t only have cups.
“Why didn’t Ronaldo come? Only Ronaldo knows, you should ask him. We expected him to come but then, a couple of hours before, Juve told us he wouldn’t.
“l’ll only say this: there was a vote by 55 journalists and 80 Coaches, so they decided the winner and therefore the result must be accepted.
“However, I don’t know about Ronaldo and perhaps there were other reasons behind his absence. It’s better to be optimistic…”