Blatter: Goalline technology a must

DONETSK, UKRAINE - JUNE 19: John Terry of England clears an effort from Marko Devic of Ukraine off the line during the UEFA EURO 2012 group D match between England and Ukraine at Donbass Arena on June 19, 2012 in Donetsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

DONETSK, UKRAINE - JUNE 19: John Terry of England clears an effort from Marko Devic of Ukraine off the line during the UEFA EURO 2012 group D match between England and Ukraine at Donbass Arena on June 19, 2012 in Donetsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Published Jun 21, 2012

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Football’s most powerful man, Sepp Blatter, has demanded that goal-line technology is introduced after Ukraine’s heartache against England.

The co-hosts were denied an equaliser in Tuesday’s crunch Group D decider that ultimately saw them crash out of Euro 2012.

John Terry hooked clear a shot from Marko Devic in the 62nd minute, but replays showed the ball was clearly over the line.

Fifa president Blatter said: “After Tuesday night’s match, goal-line technology (GLT) is no longer an alternative but a necessity.”

Blatter hopes to convince the game’s rule-makers - the International Football Association Board (IFAB) - to give technology the green light.

Blatter became a convert to goal-line technology after Frank Lampard was denied a legitimate goal in England’s 2010 World Cup defeat to Germany. It failed to convince Uefa president Michel Platini - the favourite to succeed Blatter as the most powerful man in world football - who remained wedded to his belief that additional assistant referees behind each goal was the best way forward.

Tuesday’s debacle left Platini red-faced after he made bold claims on the eve of the game about the effectiveness of five officials.

He said: “With five officials they see everything. They don’t take decisions without being fully aware. There’s also a uniformity of refereeing.

“Goal-line technology isn’t a problem,” he added. “The problem is the arrival of technology because, afterwards, you’ll need technology for deciding handballs and then for offside decisions and so on. It’ll be like that forever and ever. It’ll never stop. That’s the problem I have.”

However, the introduction of some form of goal-line technology is now virtually inevitable. IFAB is expected to approve at least one of two systems that have been subject to in-depth testing when they meet in Kiev the day after the July 1 Euro 2012 final.

Hawk-Eye, the camera-based system made famous after being successfully introduced to tennis, and GoalRef, which relies on a chip in the ball, were both selected for further tests at IFAB’s meeting in March. - Daily Mail

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