Horray for common sense...
There are multiple things that JOE would like to change about football but one of our biggest pet peeves is the fact that yellow cards in the Champions League/Europa League were always carried forward from each game.
This caused Real Madrid maestro and JOE's man crush Xabi Alonso to miss last season's showpiece in Lisbon after he picked up a third yellow card of the campaign in their semi-final win against Bayern Munich. In fairness, it was a pretty rocks for brains tackle.
JOE is glad to say that UEFA have finally changed this yellow card rule although we imagine that Roy Keane and Paul Scholes right now are uttering the words "Yeah, it's about 15 years too late though" after they missed Manchester United's dramatic Champions League final win in '99.
It was a miracle that there was even a final in 2012 between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires, Raul Meireles, David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luis Gustavo were all suspended for the game.
Thank God then, that Europe's governing body has announced that all yellow cards will be wiped clear after the quarter-finals.
The official statement reads: "Following a recommendation by the UEFA Club Competitions Committee – in order to implement in UEFA club competitions a rule which is already in force in the UEFA European Football Championship – the Emergency Panel decided that, as of this season, all yellow cards from the beginning of the group stage will expire on completion of the quarter-finals.Bookings will therefore not be carried forward to the semi-finals.
If you haven't seen this interview before with Branislav Ivanovic, where he realises for the first time that he is suspended for the final, then you are in for a treat. It's heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTo54DX4oGM
Clip via - Michael Humphrey
