December 5 – Having backed away from goal-line technology because of the costs involved, Germany’s Bundesliga has decided the time is right to implement its introduction to settle contentious decisions over whether the ball has crossed the line.
Last March, the 36 clubs which made up the top two divisions of German football at the time failed to provide a two-thirds majority, with only half of the 18 top-tier clubs voting in favour.
This time, with the issue back on the table, only the top division voted and went 15-3 in favour following a proposal by Bayern Munich. From next season the league will adopt the Hawk-Eye system used in the English Premier League and in other sports.
“I believe that this is a step forward for German football,” said Reinhard Rauball, president of the German Football League.
Harald Strutz, the president of Mainz 05, one of those who voted in favour, added : “The clubs have recognised that we can no longer ignore this technology development.”
As well as in the Premier League, goal-line technology was used at the World Cup in Brazil but has been short on the uptake elsewhere.
But the issue has become a strong talking point in Germany over the course of the last year, following Stefan Kiessling’s controversial “phantom goal” and the German cup final in May when Mats Hummels’s header for Borussia Dortmund appeared to cross the line before Bayern Munich scored and went on to win.
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