UEFA consider goal line cameras and cap on foreign players

UEFA yesterday launched the first move towards using video technology to judge if a ball has crossed the goalline.

European football’s governing body will set up an investigation to see whether technology should be brought in to help referees.

If they are convinced it can be done without disrupting matches, they will put pressure on FIFA to change the laws of the game.

The decision follows a plea from Italian FA president Franco Carraro who has urged UEFA to consider introducing the measure.

Meanwhile, following pressure from clubs, UEFA’s executive committee yesterday postponed a decision on proposals designed to limit the influence of foreign players on domestic football.

The decision on goalline cameras is equally controversial, and the investigation will re-open the debate on whether technology should be used to aid match officials.

UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson said at a news conference in Nyon: “There have been discussions several times in the past and we want to open a new investigation in terms of whether technology is applicable.

“We must make sure that it helps rather than hinders any decision by the referee and that we do not have any breaks in the game.

“We can only do this in conjunction with FIFA otherwise it won’t work”, he said.

On the local development of players, UEFA will not now announce formal proposals until February 3.

Their preferred plan would see clubs limited to 25 players of which four players would have had to come up through their own ranks, with a further four trained for three years within the same national association. The players involved could be of any nationality.

Olsson said: “There is still some opposition and we need more consultation with the leagues and the clubs so that we can finalise this in January and a final decision will be made on February 3 for ratification at the UEFA Congress in April.

“We need to decide the exact number of home-grown players. Our negotiations with the European Union is the sticking point, and what exactly constitutes home-grown players.

“We also need to decide whether it should be brought in step-by-step from next season or does it make sense to give the clubs longer to adjust and then bring in the whole lot from 2006/07. We have to preserve the recruitment of local talent. It must be beneficial to clubs to invest in local youth talent rather than keep buying in foreign players.”

Olsson added that unless a consensus was reached clubs might take the matter to the law courts. “Some clubs don’t want to have any intervention at all but we think this will have an effect for the future.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a legal challenge which is exactly why it is important to have a consensus.”