UEFA Secretary General Giorgio Marchetti has updated on potential changes to the format, VAR, and offside law in the Champions League.

Marchetti spoke to Italian broadcaster Radio Anch’Io Lo Spot, via FCInterNews.

This season marked a major change to the format of the Champions League.

The group stage has been scrapped by UEFA. In its place, European football’s governing body has introduced a new “league phase.”

In previous season, there had been eight groups of four teams. So 32 teams in total in the group stage.

Of these, sixteen would make it to the round of sixteen.

This time around, however, there were 36 teams in the “league phase.”

Eight teams qualified directly for the knockout rounds. Inter Milan were among them.

Then, there were sixteen more that qualified for a playoff round to try and get access to the knockouts.

UEFA Chief Marchetti On Champions League Format + Offside & VAR Changes

There were positives and negatives to this change in format.

In terms of positives, teams were able to face a larger variety of opposition in the initial stage of the Champions League. That was a boost in terms of entertainment value.

Then, the drama of qualification for the knockouts increased. Key matches went all the way into January and February.

However, the obvious negative for the teams involved was that there were more matches.

In an already crowded fixture calendar, this entailed all the more wear and tear on players physically.

UEFA Secretary General Marchetti proclaimed that the governing body are “very satisfied” with how the changes went.”

“We wanted to make the format more exciting and unpredictable.”

Marchetti then added that “it was a very interesting group stage, with practically no uninteresting matches.”

“Then, incredible clashes in the knockouts, such as Inter against Barcelona.”

Marchetti made clear that “the format is not temporary.”

“It was designed not to be a limited thing. It will become the format of the future.”

The UEFA chief added that “the format has added unpredictability, but we’ll discuss some changes to small details with the clubs.”

Then, Marchetti commented that “VAR is fundamental.”

“But it has to be handled with extreme care. To avoid transforming the game into something the fans don’t want to see.”

Marchetti noted that “we’ve gotten to the point where there are offisdes of millimetres with technology.”

He revealed that “IFAB and FIFA are testing a possible change so that offside is no longer based on any part of the body.”

“A goal being disallowed by three centimetres is annoying for the spirit of the game. So let’s see if in the future it changes to go by a more significant part of the game.”