Sepp Blatter Apologises to England And Mexico With FIFA to Relook Into Goal-line Technology
By Ann on Tuesday, 29th June 2010
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has conveyed his apologies and regret over two major refereeing errors at the 2010 World Cup finals to the English and Mexican Football Associations, saying that personally he “deplores” what had happened. The long serving official of the sport’s governing body also claimed that FIFA “will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and will have the first opportunity to discuss this in July at the business meeting of the International FA Board”. (In the meantime, the Portuguese have been unfairly eliminated.)
FIFA thought that they had closed the debate over the use of technology – primarily video replays and goal-line technology – in football before the tournament in South Africa, with Blatter insisting that human errors were part and parcel of the drama that made the game more interesting and loved by all.
However, England’s disallowed goal against Germany – with the ball clearly crossing the goal-line by more than a metre – and Argentina’s opening goal against Mexico that was clearly offside have reopened the controversy over the issue with widespread condemnation of FIFA’s inability to catch up with the times and allowing the sport to descend into farce.
Blatter held a press conference in Johannesburg earlier today and said: “It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July.
“Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it’s not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen. The only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations (England and Mexico) directly concerned by referees mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.
“We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting.
“It happened in 1966 and then 44 years later – though it was not quite the same. I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said ‘thank you and accepted that you can win and you lose, and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it.”
However, Blatter was quick to point out that only the use of goal-line technology would be open for discussion, claiming that in future, incidents like Argentina’s offside goal should be allowed to happen: “The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology.
“Football is a game that never stops and the moment there was a discussion if the ball was in or out, or there was a goal-scoring opportunity, do we give a possibility to a team to call for replays once or twice like in tennis?
“For situations like the Mexico game you don’t need technology.” (Not even glasses, Tevez was offside by a mile and a half.)
Blatter also implied that the standard of refereeing had to be improved by announcing that FIFA would be having a new drive to do just that sometime this year: “We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high level referees,” he added. “We will start with a new concept of how to improve match control. I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed.”
However, Blatter was quick to point out that only the use of goal-line technology would be open for discussion, claiming that in future, incidents like Argentina’s offside goal should be allowed to happen: “The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology.
I wouldn't even say only 'retrograde'... I'd say also IRRESPONSIBLE. Why they keep choosing unprepared referees to the biggest Football/Soccer tournament of the world? Their mistakes start right there.
The one they chose from Brazil, for example, has made DISASTROUS mistakes over the last couple of years here in Brazil.
Not loved by the losing teams and their fans though.
