By Andrew Warshaw
August 15 – Britain’s FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has replaced Spain’s Angel Maria Villar as head of FIFA’s referees committee in a political-style reshuffle that will be viewed in some quarters as weakening Villar’s influence within the corridors of power.
The Spaniard, a FIFA veteran touted as a possible successor to Sepp Blatter, is a strong opponent of goalline technology, now an established part of FIFA policy though whether that in any way played a part in him being replaced as referees boss is open to question.
FIFA say the reshuffle is designed to make sure its executive committee members have no more than one standing committee to lead. Villar, who like Boyce is a FIFA vice-president, is understood to have “agreed with a FIFA proposal” that he continue to lead the legal committee.
Boyce previously chaired the organising panel of the Under-20 World Cup, recently played in Turkey, and will now have the important role of selecting match officials for World Cup duty in Brazil though not thereafter since he steps down in 2015.
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