It is not because the Blues are qualified for the next Euro in Germany after beating (almost) all the teams in their qualifying group that we must accept the unacceptable. Come on, we’re exaggerating a bit but what do you want, it’s in our Frenchman genes. Why such anger so early in the morning? Because the Blues may have missed out on a historic grand slam (eight victories in eight qualifying matches) and a place as world number 1 to end the year warm, on the roof of the world, in front of Leo Messi’s Argentina. Yes but no.
By refusing a possibly valid goal from Kingsley Coman, after a strike blocked by a Greek defender and a double post, Tuesday evening, during the last qualifying match in Athens, the Blues remain stuck at seven victories and see their Argentinian tormentors in Qatar move ahead of them in the photo finish in the FIFA rankings. Admit that there is reason to be bad. It remains to be seen why this damn goal-line technology was not present at the stadium on Tuesday evening for a Euro 2024 qualifying match.
The Greek Federation did not request the installation of goal-line technology
According to our colleagues at RMC, this is possibly due to the stinginess of our Greek friends, who would not have seen fit to ask UEFA to install the famous technology on the goal line, as the regulations require before each international match. Indeed, while Didier Deschamps and Antoine Griezmann spoke of the stinginess of the European body, it is not at fault. What does article 38.06 of the competition regulations say?
That “if the organizing association of a match in the qualifying phase has a certified TLB (goal line technology) system in the stadium and wishes to use it for the match, it must obtain agreement of the visiting team and the approval of UEFA through the official TLB approval procedure communicated by UEFA,” explains article 38.06. However, the AEK Athens stadium does have this system since the local team plays its Europa League matches there and goal-line technology is mandatory.
Deschamps says he is surprised
“The host association then signs a contract directly with the approved TLB provider and assumes all costs arising therefrom,” the UEFA regulations continue. We can therefore assume without risk of being mistaken that it is a story of economy at the end of the candle which did not allow us to see if Coman’s ball had indeed crossed the line and which perhaps deprived the Blues of ‘a nice big, sweet cherry on his cake.
Questioned at a press conference, Didier Deschamps was just as surprised as us. “I think it’s surprising to say the least,” said the French coach. We are at a very, very high level with qualifying phases, with, of course, no qualification at stake, but if we had had to play our qualification here, there would not have been more goal-line than there was. There was some today. » Scandal atmosphere.