Platini snipes at autocratic FIFA boss Blatter
Reuters - Friday 31 August 2012, 17:40
UEFA President Michel Platini
criticised FIFA President Sepp Blatter's autocratic style on
Friday saying that important decisions regarding football's future
had not been discussed by FIFA's executive committee.
The 57-year-old Frenchman is against the use of goal-line
technology which was approved by FIFA in July, following a
change of heart by Blatter two years ago.
"When you talk about technology, FIFA didn't decide on
goalline technology, President Blatter did," Platini told
reporters at an informal gathering in Monte Carlo.
"No one in the executive committee was consulted, nor was
anyone in any other FIFA committees invited to give their views.
It was just the FIFA president along with IFAB [the body that
determines the laws of the game]. He's in charge and it's up to
him."
Blatter made no secret of his dislike of technology until an
incident in a 2010 World Cup match between England and Germany
when a Frank Lampard shot clearly crossed the goal-line but was
unsighted by officials.
Earlier that year Blatter had said the matter was off the
agenda, but then began to embrace technology, saying if it could
prove to be 100 percent reliable he would fully support it.
Platini said the decision by the law-making International
Football Association Board (IFAB) this July to sanction goalline
technology was purely down to Blatter.
IFAB comprises the four British associations, who have four
votes and FIFA, who also have four votes and proposals need a
majority of six to become law.
Platini, a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, said the
issue was never discussed by him or other members of the
committee.
Platini is against goalline technology and instead prefers
the additional assistant referees (AAR) system which UEFA has
adopted.
AAR involves having two additional assistant referees behind
the goalline to assist the man in the middle.
"I respect the tradition and the fact that the four British
associations for 125 years have always taken a traditional
decision and I respect that.
"I think the four votes for the British are OK, it's the
four votes for FIFA I don't understand.
"The president has the four votes and he decides what he
wants, he never speaks about the IFAB in the executive committee
(ExCo). The four votes of Blatter are not correct.
"Many people are against the four votes of the British, they
say Wales and Northern Ireland are not very important, but I
don't agree with them.
"If the ExCo or the Congress decided on the technology I
will accept that more because it's a democratic decision. He
never discussed it with the executive committee. Blatter has
four votes and he decides."
No one from FIFA was available to make a statement on
Platini's comments.
TOO EXPENSIVE
In reiterating his objection to goalline technology he
added: "I am 57 years old, I am not going to change my mind now,
you will never convince me. We haven't even seen any results of
tests, we don't know how it works, and besides, it won't be
possible in every match, it would be too expensive. It's
absolutely impossible."
Platini's opinion is not shared by everyone, with the English
Premier League keen to introduce goalline technology as soon as
is practical.
"Fine, let England do it as a trial and see if it works,"
said Platini.
"It's good that we have two systems. I don't have a problem
with that. But in UEFA competitions we will never have
technology."
He also said that referees who come from countries who adopt
the five-man officiating system in their domestic leagues would
be given priority at European competitions in the future.
Platini said that UEFA had successfully employed AARs in
over 1,000 matches, adding: "The additional assistant referee is
the solution we want at UEFA.
"We are trying to show the national associations that it's a
good idea. Some associations will take longer than others and
some can't afford it.
"But if they want to have referees in big European
competitions we will give priority to those coming from
associations who are implementing the system so that there is
understanding among the team of five referees."