The away goals rule will be scrapped from all UEFA club competitions from the start of the 2021-22 season, the governing body has confirmed.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin explained the rule now "runs counter to its original purpose" and stated his belief that it dissuades teams from playing attacking football.

What is the away goals rule?

The rule, which means any goals scored in the away leg of a knockout tie are worth extra in the event of a tie, was close to being scrapped in 2018 but is back on the chopping block again this year.

The rule was initially designed to get rid of the need of a third game, or play-off, when teams finished level and is meant to encourage attacking play from away teams.

Recent use case of the rule

This season the rule, which also included extra time, saw Porto beat Juventus in the last 16, when they had 30 minutes to get an extra goal.

Porto won the first leg 2-1 at home, with Federico Chiesa getting a late goal for Juve. The second leg in Turin was also 2-1 in the normal 90 minutes, leading to extra time.

Sergio Oliveira's extra time free kick meant the Old Lady needed two goals in the final five minutes of the half an hour and Adrien Rabiot's goal only meant Porto won on away goals.

What UEFA president is saying

Ceferin expressed his opinion that attacking football has been discouraged due to the away goals rule. 

He said: "The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as, in fact, it now dissuades home teams - especially in first legs - from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage.

"There is also criticism of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored. It is fair to say that home advantage is nowadays no longer as significant as it once was.

"Taking into consideration the consistency across Europe in terms of styles of play, and many different factors which have led to a decline in home advantage, the UEFA Executive Committee has taken the correct decision in adopting the view that it is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight than one scored at home."