Sepp Blatter apologises to FA over Frank Lampard 'goal'
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I'm sorry! Sepp Blatter apologises to England over Frank Lampard's 'ghost goal' and opens door to goal-line technology
Backtracking? Could FIFA president Sepp Blatter (front) and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini be heading for an about turn?
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has apologised to England over Frank Lampard's disallowed 'goal' and revealed they will again look at goal-line technology.
Lampard's effort during England's 4-1 defeat to Germany was ruled out even though the ball clearly crossed the line and has led to renewed calls for the introduction of technology.
Blatter 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 only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations [England and Mexico] directly concerned by referees mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.
'We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting.'
No debate: Germany keeper Mannuel Neuer sprawls as Frank Lampard's deft chip hits the bar - and goes over the goal-line
Sunday night's match between Argentina and Mexico had also thrown up a controversial incident, with Carlos Tevez scoring the opening goal from a blatantly offside position.
FIFA had blocked any further experiments with technology at a meeting of the International FA Board, the game's rule-making body, in March.
Blatter added: 'It happened in 1966 and then 44 years later - though it was not quite the same.
'I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said 'thank you and accepted that you can win [some] and you lose [some], and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it.'
Mexicans rave: Carlos Tevez puts Argentina ahead from an offside position
Arrest over England intruder
South African police have arrested a British journalist for helping a fan gain access to the England dressing room after a World Cup soccer match.
Sunday Mirror reporter Simon Wright was arrested in Cape Town on Monday after closed circuit television footage indicated
he helped Pavlos Joseph get into the dressing room after their draw with Algeria.'The police have reason to believe this incident was orchestrated,' said , national police commissioner Bheki Cele. 'The police believe the motive was to put the World Cup security in a bad light and possibly to profit from it.'
The FIFA president added that the IFAB would only look again at goal-line technology and not video replays.
Blatter said: 'The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology.
'Football is a game that never stops and the moment there was a discussion if the ball was in or out, or there was a goal-scoring opportunity, do we give a possibility to a team to call for replays once or twice like in tennis?
'For situations like the Mexico game you don't need technology.'
Blatter added 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. 'We will start with a new concept of how to improve match control. I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed.'
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consider is
blatter going.. "hmmmmmmmm... let's see.... hmmmmmm.....no"
