By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 31 – UEFA President Michel Platini today reiterated that European football’s governing body would never embrace goal-line technology – and denounced FIFA boss Sepp Blatter for unilaterally supporting its implementation at the next World Cup.
In a forthright and no-holds-barred defence of the UEFA policy of using two additional assistant referees (AAR) to help with controversial incidents in and around the penalty area, Platini said he didn’t care if the rest of the world wanted goal-line technology (pictured top) – UEFA would not budge.
The system of having an extra official next to each goal has already been introduced into Italy’s Serie A and will continue in the Champions League and Europa League this season.
Stressing to reporters that UEFA had successfully employed AARs (pictured below) in over 1,000 matches, Platini warned that countries which are against the five-man system could be left behind when it came to choosing officials for UEFA competitions.
“The additional assistant referee is the solution we want at UEFA,” stressed Platini.
“We are trying to show the national associations that it’s a good idea – some associations will take longer than others and some can’t afford it.”
“But if they want to have referees in big European competitions we will give priority to those coming from associations which are implementing the system so that there is [clear] understanding among the team of five referees.”
Platini insisted he was not threatening national associations and understood that some of the smaller ones could not afford to introduce the system.
He added: “It is not a threat but we can give advice.
“The world over has increased the number of referees.
“Only football remains…which is no longer a solution.”
Although the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game’s lawmakers comprising world governing body FIFA and the four British home associations, have condoned both AARs and goal-line technology, Platini accused Blatter of taking sole responsibility for suggesting the latter could be introduced in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“When you talk about technology FIFA didn’t decide on goal-line technology, the President did,” said Platini.
“No-one in the Executive Committee was consulted, nor was anyone in any other FIFA committees invited to give their views – it was just the FIFA President along with IFAB; he’s in charge and it’s up to him.”
Platini later extended his criticism of Blatter – with whom he once worked closely and whom he is expected to succeed in 2015 – to the 76-year-old Swiss’ domination of the IFAB.
FIFA has four IFAB votes and the four British associations one each but Platini said Blatter had far too much sway over the procedure.
“I think the four votes for the British are okay, it’s the four votes for FIFA I don’t understand,” said Platini.
“The President has the four votes and he decides what he wants, he never speaks about the IFAB in the Executive Committee.
“The four votes of Blatter are not correct.”
In a detailed video presentation to reporters, UEFA head of refereeing Pierlugi Collina said there was no doubt the extra officials made a series of crucial correct decisions at the 2012 European Championship and acted as a deterrent to foul play at set-pieces.
In the videos, England’s World Cup referee, Howard Webb (pictured above), supported the use of AARs.
“They are giving me judgement on important situations in and around the penalty area from angles I could never hope to get,” Webb said.
Platini said Blatter, who changed his mind about goal-line technology during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, didn’t speak for everyone in football’s hierarchy.
“We haven’t even seen any results of tests – we don’t know how it works,” said Platini.
“Besides, goal-line technology won’t be possible in every match, it would be too expensive – it’s absolutely impossible.”
Platini’s opinion is not shared by everyone in Europe, notably in England where the Premier League is keen to implement goal-line technology as soon as possible.
“Fine, let England do it as a trial and see if it works,” said Platini.
“It’s good that we have two systems – I don’t have a problem with that.
“But in UEFA competitions we will never have technology.”
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