Video assistant referees (VAR) will be used in the Champions League as of the 2019/2020 season,
The decision was made by the UEFA executive committee at a meeting in Nyon, Switzerland on Thursday morning.
VAR, used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, will make its Europa League debut in 2020 and will also be used at the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, Euro 2020 and the UEFA Nations League finals in 2021.
VAR is currently used in most of Europe’s top leagues, including La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
The English Premier League has resisted in favour of further testing but is expected to approve its use from next season.
#UEFAExCo exclusive: The video assistant referee (VAR system) will be used in the UEFA @ChampionsLeague from next season (2019/20)
It will also be used in:
?#SuperCup 2019
?@UEFAEURO 2020 final tournament
?@EuropaLeague 2020/21
?#NationsLeague Finals 2021More to follow pic.twitter.com/C4jmNPNZ8Z
— UEFA (@UEFA) September 27, 2018
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: “We are confident that introducing video assistant referees in August 2019 will give us enough time to put in place a robust system and to train match officials to ensure an efficient and successful implementation of VAR in the UEFA Champions League, the world’s flagship club competition.”