football
FIFA boss against time penalty: “Red card for blue card”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is against the introduction of a blue card. photo
© Ding Ting/Xinhua/dpa
The idea of the blue card is practically off the table before the rules of world football have even discussed it. A word of power from FIFA boss Infantino provides surprising clarity.
Shortly before the meeting of the world football regulators FIFA President Gianni Infantino rejected the introduction of a blue card and the associated time penalty. “There will be no blue card at the top level. The issue does not exist for us,” Infantino told reporters in Glasgow.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) will meet there at 10 a.m. for its annual general meeting. One of the items on the agenda is the proposal to introduce the new map in a test phase in order to discuss its suitability for professional football.
FIFA has four out of eight votes in the Ifab and therefore has the option to block all proposed rules. The other members are a representative each of the football associations from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Infantino said he had no knowledge of the issue before it was discussed publicly in media reports in recent weeks. “If you want a headline, it’s ‘Red card for blue card’,” said the Swiss.
The idea of the Blue Card had already attracted critical voices. For example, Liverpool’s German coach Jürgen Klopp had expressed massive doubts and feared new referee debates after controversial decisions. In amateur football, time penalties are also common in Germany.