Soccer-UEFA to continue with five substitutions this season

UEFA will continue to allow teams to make up to five substitutions each per match, instead of three, for the rest of this season, the head of the European soccer governing body Aleksander Ceferin said Thursday.

UEFA will continue to allow teams to make up to five substitutions each per match, instead of three, for the rest of this season, the head of the European soccer governing body Aleksander Ceferin said Thursday. Ceferin told a news conference that the rule would apply to the Champions League and Europa League plus the Nations League and the playoff ties for Euro 2020.

The increase in substitutions was introduced last season to alleviate the burden of players as fixtures built up following the stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ceferin added that the finals of the 2020-21 Nations League would be played in October next year. Italy, the Netherlands and Poland had declared their interest in hosting the matches. (Writing by Brian Homewood Editing by Christian Radnedge)