Stefano Carnevale – AIPS Media
ZURICH, January 3, 2022 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino talked about possible innovations that the football world is considering introducing in the game. Speeches and discussions about these topics are still going, while the football world is facing up changes and novelties during last years, from the introduction of the VAR to a major use of technology in support of the game.
From World Cup and EURO Cup editions played every two years to the introduction of game-time defined during matches, FIFA President touched on various topics in his interview with the Italian media.
WORLD CUP EDITION EVERY TWO YEARS – “I would like to clarify one thing: it is not a proposal by me, nor of FIFA: the FIFA Congress, composed of 166 countries in the world, has been asked to carry out a feasibility study about this scenario.” Infantino said.
“The assumptions must be clear: 88 per cent, including European countries, voted to carry out a feasibility study. For FIFA, thinking about something such as the opportunity to play the World Cup every two years is a key thing. We have attended a serious study, which shows on a sporting level would work: there would be fewer national matches, but of greater impact, which create the excitement of the world championship. The economic impact would also be positive, for everyone, from those who have more to those who have less.”
A WORLDWIDE FOOTBALL – “Our main objective is the development of football into a worldwide dimension. Today there is an imbalance in football: in some countries, such as Italy, Spain, England and most of Europe, there is a World Cup settlement and organization, thanks to championships played in these countries. But we have to keep in mind that it does not work in the same way everywhere. Even the EURO Cup could be played every two years, providing to the fans a more projected football to the future.”
GAME-TIME DEFINED IN MATCHES – Infantino, during his intervention, also talked about the possibility to see in football the introduction of game-time defined, revolutionizing the way matches are played and approached: “I think a solution like this needs to be studied. I am traditional, but modern at the same time, in my approach of studying and having no taboos for new solutions.
Today one of the best problems of football is that, as soon as there is a small foul, especially if his team wins, the player goes to the ground and no longer moves as if he had been electrocuted. Which, for the record, does not exist in women’s football. It can be reduced by considering the actual time: matches can’t last 48-49 minutes.
I do not know if the timekeeper could be a solution: I was personally against the VAR at the beginning, but then we studied it and we saw that it had benefited. Anything that can help football is welcome, even the offside rule, for example, to give some advantage to the attackers. It is something we are studying.”
