October 20 – UEFA president Michel Platini, not averse to coming up with fresh ideas for enhancing the game – some of which have their critics as well as their supporters – has thrown out another proposal: white cards to mean sinbins for players who harass referees to protest decisions.
Platini believes there is a case for refs to send off players for 10 minutes for dissent and suggests the move in his new book Parlons Football, which translates as Let’s Talk Football.
He also suggests teams should be allowed to make five substitutions in games, rather than the current limit of three.
Platini proposes “the creation of a white card” which “would be followed by a temporary expulsion – a rest – of 10 minutes on the bench”.
Such a measure would combat “this mania of challenging the referee” which, he said at the recent launch of the book, “is spreading like a true epidemic in football”.
Platini’s substitution idea would give coaches greater flexibility and “be able to operate two changes at half-time, keeping the possibility of three changes during the course of the game”.
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