FIFA’s Blatter Apologizes for Refereeing Errors at World Cup (original) (raw)

FIFA President Apologizes for Errors

June 29, 2010

JOHANNESBURG England’s and Mexico’s misfortunes prompted a previously recalcitrant Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, to apologize on Tuesday for refereeing errors and to announce that he would reopen the discussion about the use of goal-line technology in soccer.

“I deplore when you see the evident referees’ mistakes,” Blatter told reporters. “It has not been a five-star game for referees. I’m distressed by the evident referees’ mistakes.”

The teams from England and Mexico paid the price for FIFA’s resistance to improve its officiating at this World Cup when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 after obvious mistakes by the referees.

England was denied a clear score against Germany when Frank Lampard’s shot rattled off the underside of the crossbar and bounced well beyond the goal line. Television cameras showed clearly what the referee and his assistant were not in position to spot. Later that day, Argentina was erroneously awarded a goal against Mexico when forward Carlos Tévez’s score was allowed to stand even though Tévez was clearly offside.

It was announced Tuesday that Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay, who missed the Lampard goal, and Roberto Rosetti of Italy, the referee in the match between Argentina and Mexico, would not be used again in this World Cup. Referees who make bad calls in early rounds of tournaments are often not called back for later games.

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Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer eyeing the ball shot by England’s Frank Lampard before the goal was disallowed during their game on Sunday.Credit...Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A replay of Tévez’s goal was shown on the video screens at Soccer City stadium, prompting outraged Mexican players to confront Rosetti and his assistant. The stadium video operators are under instructions from FIFA not to replay controversial calls, but they have done so several times.

“I apologized to England and Mexico,” Blatter said. “The English said thank you and accepted that you can win and you lose, and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it.”

He also said he would renew discussions about technology to determine if a goal was scored, as was the case in the England-Germany game, but not video replay that would have ruled out the Argentina goal against Mexico.

“The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology,” Blatter said. “For situations like the Mexico game, you don’t need technology.”

Later on Tuesday, the body that runs Italy’s top professional leagues came out in favor of goal-line technology.

“We support technology that would reduce errors and help everyone,” said Maurizio Beretta, the president of the body, Lega Calcio. “We need an updated system to ensure we do everything possible to reduce errors to a minimum.”

The issue will be taken up in July, in Cardiff, Wales, when the International Football Association Board meets to discuss rule changes. Last December, the board decided against changes for this World Cup.

Blatter’s statement on Tuesday marked a departure from the decision last year and a shift from the statement on Sunday by Jérôme Valcke, the general secretary of FIFA, that the use of video “is definitely not on the table.”

Before this tournament started, Blatter reiterated his position against video replay and other forms of in-game technology.

“We want to keep football as a game of the people with a human face, so we don’t want technology on the field of play because we want to maintain the spontaneity of football played, administered and controlled by human beings,” Blatter said.

But numerous mistakes by those human beings that have cost teams goals in crucial games have forced Blatter into reconsidering.

“It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup,” Blatter said, “it would be nonsense not to reopen the file on goal-line technology.”

Jeff Z. Klein contributed reporting.

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