Platini rules out goal-line technology

By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon

January 13 – UEFA President Michel Platini insists goal-line technology will never be introduced – even though football’s lawmakers are giving it further examination.

When the World Cup in South Africa threw up a number of highly questionable refereeing decisions, FIFA President Sepp Blatter – who had previously backed a blanket ban on goal-line technology – changed his mind and pledged the International FA Board would look again at arguably the most contentious issue in world football.

Companies testing goal-line technology were given the green light to come up with a virtually foolproof system, with a decision due to be made in March at the annual meeting of the IFAB, which comprises FIFA and the four British associations.

Blatter’s apparent U-turn suggested IFAB may at last pacify millions of fans worldwide by allowing some kind of refereeing aid, provided the system can confirm within one second whether the ball has crossed the line.

But Platini, a powerful voice within FIFA as boss of European football, says his alternative method of an additional assistant behind each goal — trialled in the Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2012 qualifiers – is far more practical.

Platini, three-time European footballer of the year in his playing days, has long portrayed himself as a man of the people but stands firm in his view that goal-line technology will serve as a dangerous precedent.

“Dream on,” says Platini defiantly.

“With additional referees you don’t need goal-line technology.

“If you want to put goal-line technology in place, it will be for maybe one or two cases every five years.

“I want more justice but I want human justice, using human eyes.”

Platini entirely misses the point that many referees themselves are in favour of technology provided it doesn’t extend to other areas of the game, such as offsides and penalty decisions.

Yet he insists: “With goal-line technology, you will end up having the referee up in the video camera room rather than on the pitch.

“If we go down this road, we will end up with artificial turf – is this the future of football?”

Platini is widely believed to have been the main driving force behind the continual refusal of IFAB to finally give goal-line technology a chance.

Companies like Hawk-Eye, whose system is employed in cricket and tennis, have spent fortunes trying to convince the game’s lawmakers that it could be applied to football.

But Platini will have none of it.

“It’s the duty of IFAB to allow the referee to make decisions,” he says.

He does, however, favour the practice of officials explaining controversial game-changing decisions after matches.

“Maybe some of the older ones do not want to do this but I think it’s a good idea – why not?”

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