1 December 2009
Johannesburg — FIFA will consider having extra officials on the field to help referees at next year' s Soccer World Cup, says Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
Blatter said yesterday that Thierry Henry's handball, which led to the goal that sent France to the World Cup at the expense of Ireland, showed referees needed more help .
The Fifa executive committee will hold an emergency meeting in Cape Town tomorrow, two days ahead of the draw for the World Cup, to discuss whether to recommend extra match officials. If they agree, the proposal will go before football's rule-making International Board in Zurich in March for a decision.
"There is a lack of discipline and respect in the game by the players because they are cheating," Blatter said the opening of the Soccerex conference in Johannesburg.
"(These are) human beings trying to get an advantage and this is not good and we have to fight against that. We have only one man on the field of play who shall intervene in this matter. He has two assistants for the time being, perhaps more in the future. He has only two eyes, so match control is now on the agenda. How shall we avoid such situations as we have seen in this very specific match?"
Henry's clear handball, first with his arm and then with his left hand, stopped the ball from going out of play before he crossed to team-mate William Gallas to score an equaliser for a 1-1 draw with Ireland .
That remained the score and France, which had won 1-0 in Dublin, qualified 2-1 on aggregate.
Blatter said the Irish were unhappy to go out of the competition in that way and had written to Fifa to be allowed into the competition as a 33rd team. That will also be discussed at the executive committee meeting tomorrow.
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