Video ref trial in Japan positive – Fifa boss

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino rates the trial of new video referee technology at the Club World Cup a positive step towards its intended use at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“We’ve learnt a lot, as there’s nothing better than a competition to conduct testing,” the president of football’s ruling body said yesterday. Infantino’s backing for the video assistant referee (VAR) system came despite criticism from Colombia’s Atletico Nacional after the very first penalty awarded under the technology helped knock them out of this month’s event in Japan.

Real Madrid were also lukewarm after confusion around a Cristiano Ronaldo goal in another game.

Speaking before the final in Yokohama, Infantino said he hoped “at the next World Cup the test results will be positive enough to be able to implement it”.

He again defended the technology, saying it helped avoid an event like the World Cup being decided by a serious error by the referee.

He cited the case of the spotkick awarded to Kashima Antlers against Atletico Nacional, which the referee only awarded after being alerted by the video assistant.

And faulty communication was the root cause of the chaos which followed Ronaldo’s late goal in a 2-0 victory over Club America, when it appeared video technology could have ruled out the effort.

Ronaldo’s celebrations were briefly cut short before the goal was confirmed.

Infantino blamed the confusion on the video assistant pressing the intercom, confusing the match referee.

“We have to improve the way of communicating decisions to the fans in the stadium and to viewers at home,” he said. – AFP