April 25 – A host of football legends and stellar names in management and coaching came together for the newly created UEFA Football Board on Monday, set up to discuss the sport’s most pressing topics.
Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Gareth Bale were among those who attended the meeting at UEFA’s new headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, either in person or remotely.
Other attendees included Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Luis Figo, Patrick Vieira, Gareth Southgate, Rio Ferdinand and Ronald Koeman.
The meeting was chaired by Zvonimir Boban (pictured), UEFA’s technical director and chief of football.
Topics debated included VAR, handball and unsporting behaviour.
In their guidelines for next season, the Board recommended that UEFA clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal. On the same subject, the Board recommended that not every handball should automatically lead to a caution after every shot at goal, as per current guidelines.
The Board also called on UEFA to work with the game’s lawmakers, the International FA Board, when it comes to Law 12 of the game. This dictates that a player should be sent off for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence.
The Board felt players should be sent off only if they deliberately and intentionally touch the ball with their hand/arm. In case of other handball offences, players should only be cautioned.
Those present also encouraged referees to crack down harder in cautioning players who feign injury.
“I am confident that we have found reasonable solutions to overcome a few stumbling blocks that negatively impact what happens on the field of play.,” said Boban. “The handball rule, for example, will always be disputed, but we can make it more consistent and aligned with the game’s true nature.”
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