UEFA president Michel Platini still railing against technology

Published on 01/07/2012 00:00

UEFA president Michel Platini has launched another attack on the use of technology to help referees.

After much wrangling, it is expected FIFA will give the green light to the use of goal-line technology when their International Board meets in Switzerland on Thursday.

For FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the final straw came in Donetsk, when it was not spotted by the officials that a shot from Ukraine forward Marko Devic had crossed the line before it was hooked away by John Terry. Yet Platini uses that incident to underline why he does not want technology in the game.

Replays have established Devic had been offside earlier in the move, and that had not been spotted either.

“The goal between England and Ukraine: it was a goal. It was a mistake from the referee,” said Platini. “But there was an offside before then. If the officials had given offside there wouldn’t have been a goal. So why don’t we have technology for offside decisions as well? Where does it stop?”

There is some validity to Platini’s argument. In virtually every other sport that uses technology to make decisions, its scope has widened far beyond what was originally intended.

“It’s not goal-line technology in itself,” said Platini. “I am against technology coming into force to actually make decisions. It invades every single area. If tomorrow someone handballs it on the line and the referee doesn’t see it, what then?

“We can’t just have goal-line technology. We also need sensors to see if someone has handballed it. We need cameras to see if it should be a goal or not.”

In addition, whilst Blatter has been convinced by the technology that has been used, Platini is less certain of its worth.

“Are you sure that it works?” he said.

“No one has seen the trials, no one has seen anything. I read an article from a journalist saying ‘We are not 100 per cent sure but we think it will help the referee. We don’t know any more than that’.”

There is even the possibility that Platini might look to prevent technology being used in UEFA’s flagship tournaments even if FIFA decide to pursue the venture.

“We are going to see if this is suggested and proposed to all federations,” he said.

“The national federations will have then have the chance to decide whether they want goal-line technology.

“Mr Blatter knows what I think of this and I know his thoughts on the issue.”