FIFA president wins back respect over technology u-turn - 13/07/2010..

By Julian Lewis

When a controversial decision proves indefensible, a little humility goes a long way. While few of us will be caught out under the scrutiny of a global audience of tens of millions, the principle of acknowledging mistakes and moving the debate on applies to all leaders.



Long criticised for his autocratic style and regular media gaffes, the Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, played a great game in handling the controversy. With untypical modesty and directness, he won back the initiative on an issue threatening to darken FIFA’s most important event.

Only in March the International Football Association Board rejected the use of technology. Blatter chaired the meeting and said afterwards that goal-line technologies would be a slippery slope: “Every decision in every area of the pitch would soon be questioned.” To proponents, the technology is a common-sense support to referees’ decisions in one of the most high-stakes areas of the game. To FIFA’s it threatens the game’s ‘universality’ due to its cost.

Fast forward to June. In the latest instalment of a keen sporting rivalry, Germany are playing England in the first knock-out round of the football World Cup in South Africa. After quickly falling behind 2-0 England battle back.

A headed goal gives new impetus to the English and minutes later an apparent equaliser follows as a snap shot from the edge of the penalty area thuds down off the crossbar and into the goal, 80cm behind the goal-line. The referee and linesmen fail to signal the goal.

Blatter was not responsible for the refereeing mistake, of course. Indeed, he was quick to aim a boot at the game officials’ performance. But he also wrong-footed, including many seasoned journalists, by quickly acknowledging the injustice of the goal’s denial. “After the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be a nonsense not to reopen the file on goal-line technology.”

He even spelled out that IFAB’s July meeting would provide an opportunity to re-examine the decision – though later postponed the discussion to the following meeting in October. FIFA’s general secretary, Jerome Valcke, has reinforced the message in interviews, saying said use of goal-line technology or assistants on each goal-line will be debated the meeting.

Without such an open and immediate response FIFA would have been dragged into an unsightly row with hundreds of media outlets who were able to feed off proponents from legendry ex-players to the companies making goal line technology. Blatter has, for once, enhanced FIFA’s reputation rather than sullied it further.