WCup ref Collina welcomes video trials
Former World Cup final referee Pierluigi Collina has welcomed the introduction of video technology trials to assist officials and said it will end years of frustration for the men in the middle.
Collina, the most distinctive and famous referee of modern times, also said the revised laws of the game were a major development in bringing all interested parties in the game together.
The decisions to allow a two-year experiment with video technology and change a number of the game’s laws were announced on Saturday by football’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), after a meeting in Cardiff.
The laws, extensively rewritten for the first time since they were formulated in the 19th century, have been edited from 22,000 to 12,000 words by former Premier League referee David Elleray with some input from, among others, Collina, who took charge of the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.
The 56-year-old Italian, who is now UEFA’s head of refereeing, said that he welcomed the changes, which have been made following years of debate.
“Being a referee and being assessed, not based on what we can see but by TV camera images, leaves many referees...