FIFA president is confident of positive goal-line technology vote

Sepp Blatter, the reigning FIFA president is confident the International Football Association Board will finally recognise the need to implement goal-line technology. Blatter added his support to desperate calls for video technology after a yet another controversial incident happened in a major tournament, in England's 1-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2012. During the match Marko Devic's shot crossed the line in the game in Donetsk but was not given. And this is just the last one of a long line of controversies. In 1966 Geoff Hurst's shot in England's 4-2 World Cup final win over West Germany is still in debate, in 2005 Tottenham's Pedro Mendes' shot clearly crossed the line against Manchester United but the referee didn't see it, in 2005 Jose Mourinho still insists that Liverpool's Luis Garcia's goal that knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League semi-final never crossed the line and, last but not least, in 2010, Frank Lampard's shot clearly crossed the line but was not given in England's 4-1 World Cup defeat by Germany. Goal-line technology could finally be approved by the International Football Association Board on 5 July. "I am confident they will realise that the time has come," Sepp Blatter tweeted. A day earlier he expressed the same view, also on Twitter: "After last night's match ‪#GLT‬ is no longer an alternative but a necessity." UEFA president Michel Platini doesn't fully agree as he prefers the system of five match officials, but he stated on Monday that he expects the IFAB meeting in Zurich to give one of two goal-line systems currently being tested the green light. If that is will happen, each individual association will have the liberty to decide whether to use the technology in their competitions. The Premier League has already stated its willingness to make the change.