By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – In a move that seems bound to be strongly opposed by the game’s authorities, the Dutch football federation (KNVB) wants to introduce video technology from next season. For the past year the Dutch have been experimenting with an unofficial pilot scheme but will need the permission of the game’s lawmakers, the International FA Board, to make it permanent.
Like the English Premier League, top-flight Dutch clubs have already implemented goalline technology which has been now approved by FIFA and will be used for the World Cup. But expanding this to include further video aids seems likely to be considered a step too far. UEFA president Michel Platini, for one, is fiercely opposed and has ruled out any sort of technological aid in UEFA competitions.
Nevertheless project manager Gijs de Jong said: “The KNVB is of the opinion that the video referee is the future of football. That is why we would like to further develop this system and officially use the video referee in the next season.
“We are very happy with the first year. In 24 (games) we have used the video referee, 22 of the games being in the top division, and there was an average of two to three situations in which resolution by the video referee would have been of benefit.
“If our proposals are accepted, it would represent a revolutionary step in football: We would then be the world’s only country working in football with a video referee.”
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