ZURICH (AP) FIFA President Sepp Blatter has called for a rethink of the away goals rule.
The system in some two-leg games since the 1960s sees the team which has scored the most goals on the road triumph if the aggregate score is level.
''It is time to rethink the system,'' Blatter writes in the latest edition of the ''FIFA Weekly'' publication. ''Football has progressed since the 1960s, so the away goals rule may now be questioned. Does the away goals rule still make sense?
''The idea dates back to a time when away games were often an adventure, involving journeys that could be long and arduous - and the playing conditions would vary considerably.''
Blatter believes the rule favors the team that plays the second leg on the road.
''Where the scores are tied, that team has 30 minutes more than their opponent to score a valuable away goal,'' Blatter said. ''After all, in the first leg there is no extra time. Such an imbalance has already been disposed of in various competitions. The away goals rule is no longer used in the semifinals of the promotion playoffs in English football.''
