Champions League to use VAR from knockout stages

Video assistant referees will be used in the Champions League knockout stages this season.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the measure is aiming to avoid errors from the officials in the fierce competition.

"To be very straightforward with you, we discussed with our colleagues that are experts, Roberto will tell you more. If we can do it before, why wait, because it's hard to afford any mistakes if there's a possibility to do it earlier,"Ceferin noted.

VAR refereeing Project Leader Roberto Rosetti, left, demonstrates a video operation room (VOR), a facility of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system which will be rolled out for the first time during theWorld Cup, at the 2018 World Cup International Broadcast Centre in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 9, 2018. [Photo: AP]

UEFA also agreed to roll out the technology in this season's Europa League final and next June's finals of UEFA's Nations League competition.

The European football governing body initially opted against using VAR this season, despite the technology being employed by major European leagues in Spain, Italy and Germany, and the World Cup in Russia this year.