Blatter apologises as FIFA to re-examine goal-line technology

FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday attempted to defuse the crisis over refereeing by apologising to England over Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal and performing an abrupt U-turn on goal-line technology.

Blatter woke yesterday to the headline in a Johannesburg newspaper trumpeting ‘Sepp Blunder’ over FIFA’s refusal to consider technology.

The result: apologies to England – and to Mexico over Carlos Tevez’s blatantly offside goal – and the announcement that goal-line technology will be considered again by the International FA Board, with the issue to be raised at the law-making body’s preliminary meeting in Cardiff next month. FIFA had ruled this out as recently as Saturday – the day before the controversy erupted with Lampard’s disallowed goal during England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany – but Blatter admitted there was little option but to make a U-turn.

The FIFA president told a media briefing in Johannesburg: “It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July.

“Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it’s not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.”

The FIFA president added that the IFAB would not consider video replays of all incidents.

Blatter said: “The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology.

“Football is a game that never stops. For situations like the Mexico game you don’t need technology.”

Blatter revealed that FIFA would launch a new drive to improve refereeing standards at the top level later this year.

“We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high-level referees,” he added.

Blatter also warned French president Nicolas Sarkozy that France risks suspension from football if he interferes in the running of the game in that country.

Sarkozy has promised to personally head an investigation into France’s fiasco at the World Cup where the players boycotted training and failed to win a match.

FIFA rules forbid government interference in the running of national associations and Blatter said: “Political interference in the national associations will be dealt with by FIFA no matter the size of the country.”

* The referees at the centre of controversy in the Germany versus England and Argentina versus Mexico second-round matches have not been retained for the remainder of the tournament, FIFA confirmed yesterday.

The Uruguayan official Jorge Larrionda, who refused to award a clear England goal by Lampard against Germany, and the Italian Roberto Rosetti, who allowed an offside Argentina goal to stand against Mexico, were the two most high-profile names to leave the tournament at this stage.

England went on to lose 4-1 but at the time of Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal were just 2-1 down.

Mexico were drawing 0-0 on Sunday evening before Carlos Tevez’s offside header was given despite Mexican protests.