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Perhaps the referee gaffe in Sunday’s England-Germany group game was a good thing.
That miscue, among others during the 2010 World Cup, has prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to reconsider his organization’s stance on the use of video technology in tournament play. Blatter issued apologies to both England and Mexico on Tuesday, for the respective calls that played a role in their elimination from competition in South Africa.
“Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees’ mistakes,” Blatter told the AP.
Blatter went one step further, vowing that the controversial calls in this year’s tournament have been significant enough to “take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed.”
But not so fast. ESPN’s Andrew Warshaw cautions that soccer enthusiasts not take Blatter’s remarks too seriously, especially considering his historical opinions toward video replay.
“Announcing that FIFA will have another look at technology may have appeased fans across the world but all it does for the moment is give Blatter precious breathing space,” Warshaw wrote.
Which side do you lean toward on Blatter’s remarks?