March 28 – Champions League players who move in the January transfer window will be allowed to compete for their new club in the competition during the same season under new rules announced by UEFA .
It means that a player who has been fielded by one club in the group stage of the Champions League, and is transferred during the January window, can play for his new club in the knockout stages.
The same applies to the Europa League.
The present ruling prevents Barcelona from fielding Philippe Coutinho in the Champions League this season as he has already played for Liverpool.
The new rules state that “that a club may register three new eligible players without any restrictions.”
UEFA said the new ruling brought it into line with domestic leagues which “do not impose restrictions on the eligibility for competitions of players registered for a new club during the winter transfer window.”
Meanwhile, the head of the European Club Association says mandatory rest periods should be inserted into the international calendar to give players more time to recover from games.
“It is paramount to preserve and respect the main actors who are the players,” said Andrea Agnelli, who added that the ECA would press for “an overall reduction of games including mandatory rest periods”, for the next international calendar, starting in 2024.
“Preserving the game can only lead to enlarging the audience with the benefits this would bring for everyone,” added Agnelli, who is president of Serie A champions Juventus.
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