UEFA has confirmed that a new regulation would be applied across all of its club tournaments, including the Champions League and Europa League, beginning next week.
UEFA has announced that a new regulation would be adopted in all UEFA club competitions beginning next week. This rule, which was first implemented during Euro 2024, permits only national team captains to contact with referees during matches.
The decision was intended to improve communication on the pitch about referee decisions and promote mutual trust between players and officials. The favorable response to this adjustment has encouraged UEFA to extend the rule’s application to all of its competitions, just in time for some of them to begin next week.
As a result, the new regulation will be in effect when Liverpool competes in the Champions League next season. It will have the greatest impact on captain Virgil van Dijk, who will be responsible for speaking with officials if he keeps the club captaincy under new manager Arne Slot.
According to UEFA, ‘fair play and respect are ideals that football… must express to our cultures’. Captains will shoulder the majority of the duty for speaking with officials, as seen during the Euros. Referees will continue to engage in open communication with those wearing the armband to clarify crucial decisions, including those employing VAR.
UEFA has emphasized that team captains are the only players who can speak to the referee and request explanation in a courteous manner. Captains will also be responsible for managing their teams.
They will be responsible for ‘telling them to respect the referee, keep their distance, and not surround the match officials’.
During England’s group stage clash with Denmark, it appeared that the new regulation had been forgotten. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was caught interacting with referee Artur Soares Dias despite not wearing the Danish armband. With Kasper Schmeichel captaining Denmark and his position as goalkeeper making regular communication with the referee difficult, UEFA has developed preparations for such situations.
It clarifies: “Where the captain is the goalkeeper, therefore not close to the action in the majority of cases, the teams are requested to nominate a single outfield player authorized to speak with the referees, to receive their explanations.”
Any player who fails to follow this amended guideline will receive a yellow card, especially if they demonstrate disagreement or contempt. UEFA’s chief refereeing officer, Roberto Rosetti, stated that teams had welcomed the upgrade ahead of the event. “They are pleased with this,” he remarked.
“We are doing this not for the officials or the UEFA officials Committee, but for football, the sport’s reputation, and the future generation. These team meetings were really productive.
“All of the players reacted in a positive manner; they wanted to know how we planned to implement this open discussion with the captains, and they were completely delighted. I am confident it will set a great example for the future era of football.”
