Serie A ratify vanishing spray

Italy’s professional leagues became the latest to adopt vanishing spray for the coming season on Friday.

Lega Serie A – the governing body of Italy’s professional football leagues – confirmed referees will use vanishing spray or foam in Serie A and Serie B in the 2014/15 season.

Vanishing spray gained huge popularity at Brazil 2014 – the first time it had been used at a World Cup – and is set to be utilised in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and France’s Ligue 1, Ligue 2 and Coupe de la Ligue in the coming season.

The white spray, which disappears after about a minute, is used to mark where a free-kick should be taken and ensure opposition players do not stand closer than 10 yards from the ball.

Lega Serie A president Maurizio Beretta announced on Friday that although the final details have not been worked out, vanishing spray will be used in Italy’s top two divisions.

“It was ratified, so we will begin adopting this new technology,” Beretta said in a statement on the Lega Serie A website.

“We discussed some logistical aspects, because it’s obvious these cans can’t be carried by referees like hand luggage.

“Now we need to ensure they are available in the stadiums, at the least working on provisions and logistics, but these are problems that can be easily dealt with.”