UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin of Slovenia told the Football Talks conference on Monday that stopping the match clock to increase time “would mean that football would no longer be football”.
Through videoconference, the leader of the body that governs European football opened the forum for reflection on sport, organized by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), at the Cidade do Futebol, in Oeiras, in which he addressed various topics, such as the concern with playing time, at a time when some defend, for example, reducing a game from 90 to 60 minutes, stopping time when the ball goes out.
“That would be a step in the wrong direction. For example, a European basketball game lasts 40 minutes, but it takes three hours. Football is different, you have to play at 40ºC or -5ºC and it takes five hours. “Don’t think about it, but the referees should punish more when time is lost. Stopping time would mean that football would stop being football,” he said, in the inaugural session of Football Talks.
Aleksander Ceferin also admitted that technology in football “can be very useful”, but that it should not, at all, “replace the human factor”, since there are refereeing decisions that vary from person to person.
“The referee on the field must always have the last word, because football is alive and every situation is different. There are still problems with the hands, it is still not clear. In a conference with the main European coaches, we saw such a situation. and half said yes and the other half said no. It’s still a bit complicated. Technology should never replace the human factor, but it can be very helpful,” he said.
Ceferin recalled that, at first, he “also doubted” the video referee (VAR), which, “with some changes and improvements, proved to be a very good tool”, and now points to the introduction of the semi-automatic Offside, already tested in matches .
“There are many things that can improve the football experience. It is simplistic to say that the new generation does not follow football anymore. It is not true. There is nothing comparable to a live match in the stadium. Our televisions do more, but football it is football and it should not be replaced by technology”, reinforced the coach, in charge since 2016.
At the beginning of the conversation, Ceferin also took the opportunity to thank the FPF and Fernando Gomes, president of the federative body, who “have always been part” of the UEFA team, especially in the pandemic period, organizing two consecutive Champions Leagues. finals, in Lisbon and Porto, also extending thanks to the Government.
The Football Talks forum takes place between today and Tuesday, at Cidade do Futebol, with an extensive program based on topics related to the five strategic pillars identified in the FPF’s 2030 Football Plan: Childhood and Growth, Football for All and All, Quality of Games, Commitment and Sustainability of the Ecosystem.
Source: TSF
