UEFA President Michel Platini is no stranger to ruffling a few feathers with his views on the game. He has avidly objected to goal-line technology at every stage and has now suggested that the cash would be better spent on grass roots football.
He suggests that the costs of implementing goal-line technology around the world do not justify the one or two poor decisions which crop up over the course of the season. However, this figure is grossly underestimated.
Goal-line technology would be used to ensure the fairness and accuracy of all goals. It’s a simple process where the referee will be electronically told the ball has crossed the line every time there is a goal.
There are only one or two incidents which are magnified when a poor decision is made. The actual number of incorrect goals given and not given is likely to be much higher and masked by the focus on particular incidents.
Correct decisions will stop bad feeling from managers and players after a game when a goal has been incorrectly given or not given. There are so many examples where clear goals have not been given because football’s governing bodies will not use TV cameras to help.
Platini has also questioned the price of goal-line technology and how leagues will be able to pay for its maintenance. The figure is estimated at around £10 million per year for a high profile league like the Premier League.
Considering the current magnitude of sponsorship and TV deals the Premier League along should be able to foot the bill and it shouldn’t be a problem if any league asked clubs to pay towards the goal-line technology if it is proved to be rock solid.
What you have to bear in mind with Platini’s comments is that he has never supported the use of goal-line technology from day one and even said he would vote against it.
There has even been a debate in some sections of English football suggesting that the Premier League and Football League should break away and use the technology regardless of permission.
Therefore, the leagues in England shouldn’t have any problem being asked to pay the bill.
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