UEFA president Michel Platini claims the implementation of technology in to the game would be bad for football, believing the use of additional referees is enough in the bid to rid the sport of high-profile officiating mistakes.
“In my opinion, technology isn’t good for football,” he told Spanish newspaper Marca.
“Nobody (at UEFA) wants to bring it into our sport – and nor does (FIFA president Sepp) Blatter.”
Platini believes the two additional referees recently introduced behind the goal-line in the European club competitions would have spotted another infamous World Cup mistake, Diego Maradona’s goal against England in the 1986 quarter-finals.
“The two additional referees in each area are a great help,” he said. “They would have seen Maradona’s hand.
“Football was managed by just one man for 100 years and it was impossible to appreciate everything that happened on the pitch, so sometimes he would make decisions without having seen what went on.
“Now if a referee doesn’t see something it’s because he’s not very good.”
The Frenchman also claimed that in the most recent Champions League tournament, the extra referees behind the goals had shown their usefulness and the why there is no need for technology.
“In the last edition of the Champions League there were three of four decisions that the referees corrected on seeing that the ball had not entered the area,” he said.
“There is no more simulation in the area because there is a referee who sees it. We are happy and we don’t need more technology.”
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