July 2 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter says UEFA will be tempted to perform a u-turn and introduce goal-line technology for the 2016 European Championship finals even though UEFA boss Michel Platini has long stated his objection to the innovation and prefers his system of two additional referee’s assistants.
Blatter says implementing technology has been a resounding success thus far at the World Cup and will surely have converted Platini.
In an interview on FIFA’s website, Blatter said: “It works well which is why we need this goal-line technology not only in the World Cup but in other competitions, in other leagues.
“It helps the referee and gives the public information that something has changed and there is no more discussion on a goal scored or not scored.
“This is important because scoring goals is the objective of football. . . I am sure that professional leagues will follow. I spoke with UEFA’s president, Michel Platini, who said he will introduce the goal-line technology for the next European Championship in 2016 in France.”
A Uefa spokesman said that a final decision had not yet been made.
“The president has said on the record that UEFA will look at introducing GLT at Euro 2016,” UEFA spokesman Pedro Pinto was quoted as saying in an emailed statement. “It is not a case of snapping his fingers and making it happen. It will be discussed at the referees committee and then still has to be approved by the executive committee.”
Blatter also welcomed the introduction of vanishing spray at freekicks on the edge of the penalty box, widely used in South American club football. “This is very good because it gives the attacking team the chance to take the free kick from a real distance and not the distance where the wall is always moving.”
The next innovation Blatter wants is for each team manager to be allowed two challenges in each half, tennis-style, for disputed refereeing decisions. He proposed the idea at the FIFA Congress on the eve of the World Cup. Writing in FIFA’s Weekly publication, he said the idea of video challenges was only “intended to initiate a discussion” but added it was a genuine attempt to improve the game “because transparency and credibility matter more than anything else in football.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734832295labto1734832295ofdlr1734832295owedi1734832295sni@w1734832295ahsra1734832295w.wer1734832295dna1734832295