By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German head of the European Club Association, admits he is disappointed by the decision to reject goalline technology in his country’s top two divisions.
Last month, 24 out of the 36 German clubs voted against copying the English Premier League and introducing technology in order to determine whether a ball had crossed the goal-line.
The proposal required a two-thirds majority in each championship but strangely, nine of those who voted against were from the lucrative top division.
“Democratically, we have to accept it,” said Rummenigge who is also chairman of European champions Bayern Munich. “We regret the decision at Bayern.”
Mainz boss Mainz boss Thomas Tuchel went further, stating that he was utterly baffled by the outcome of the vote. “For me, it is incomprehensible that it has been rejected,” he lamented. “I can’t understand it.”
Goal-line technology will be available to officials at this year’s World Cup in Brazil and the chairman of the German Football Association’s (DFB) referee commission, Herbert Fandel, hinted that he too was disappointed by the decision at home. “We referees have always said that we would welcome the introduction of goal-line technology,” he stated.
“It supports the referees in the most important decision of football and also takes away a little of the criticism. The fact that the professional clubs have now spoken mostly on the other hand, we accept of course.”
Had it passed, the Bundesliga would have become the third major league in Europe to introduce the additional technology, after England and the Netherlands which uses it for high-profile games only.
The Bundesliga has had a number of refereeing controversies this season, notably Stefan Kiessling’s ‘ghost goal’ for Leverkusen against Hoffenheim in October which was missed by the referee.
“If ever there was one example to be in favor of goal-line technology, then this is the match,” said Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Völler.
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