Five officials better than technology, says Platini

UEFA president Michel Platini insists national football associations prefer the use of five officials to goal-line technology in football.

The system of using an additional match official near each net is in place in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and has been championed by Platini ahead of proposed goal-line technology.

In contrast to UEFA’s position, and after dropping their initial opposition, world governing body FIFA has moved to embrace goal-line technology, testing different systems at the Club World Cup in readiness for use at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Platini, an outspoken critic of technological intervention in football, has now said UEFA will allocate resources to help national associations fund additional referees.

“A lot of national associations told us they would like to use the system of refereeing with five officials,” he told a UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Sofia on Thursday.

“They (national associations) just don’t have the money for this project (additional assistants). When we have five referees, nothing is negative. There are four eyes more and they’ll see better than before. So, nothing is negative.

“It’s a system that has been put in place around the Champions League, I’m very ,very happy with what’s happening. There are almost no mistakes. There are still decisions to be made but referees see everything on the ground. Then, if they take a good or a bad decision, that’s their problem. If they have glasses or not, that’s their problem. But at least, they see all.

“So, a lot of national associations would like this but they don’t have the money. The executive committee and financial commission have decided to give them some money if they want to use additional referees.”