ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger does not believe English football is suffering a European crisis with no teams in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but called yesterday for the “outdated” away goals rule to be changed.

Manchester City followed the Gunners and Chelsea out of the elite club competition when beaten by Barcelona on Wednesday night.

It is the second time in three seasons that there will be no English team through to the Champions League quarter-finals, when there had been finalists in seven of the eight years from 2005.

Wenger — whose side reached the 2006 final, but have not been past the last 16 for five campaigns in a row after their defeat to Monaco — sees no reason to hold an inquest.

However, the Arsenal manager is certain the advantage given to away-goals weighting in the knock-out stages needs addressing — a rule which accounted for both Chelsea and his own team, who conceded a fatal third in stoppage time as they lost the first leg 3-1 at Ashburton Grove before winning 2-0 in Monaco.

“I don’t think that you can draw a general conclusion (about the state of English football in Europe),” said Wenger.

“In a direct knockout, it is important that you are very efficient and a bit lucky as well.

“None of the teams, apart from Barcelona, look to be superior in Europe today.

“Two teams (Chelsea and Arsenal) have gone out on away goals, which I think should be questioned because it is a rule that is outdated now and that has to be changed, and I have fought for that for a long time.”

Wenger continued: “It should count maybe after extra-time because this rule has been created in the 1960s to encourage the teams to attack away from home.

“But since that football has changed. The weight of the away goal is too big today.

“I still think maybe you can count (away goals) after extra-time, like in the League Cup in England.”

by Our Sports Desk