‘Ghost goal’ victim Lampard pleased to see goal-line technology approved
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard voices his approval at Fifa's decision to approve goal-line technology in football
Frank Lampard has voiced his approval at Fifa’s decision to give goal-line technology the green light following its introduction at the Club World Cup.
The sport’s governing body had previously been against the use of systems to aid referees but the England midfielder’s ‘ghost goal’ against Germany at the 2010 World Cup threw the issue back into the spotlight, with the International Football Association Board approving two systems for use worldwide in the summer.
England were 2-1 down to Germany when Lampard’s long-range effort bounced down off the crossbar and clearly crossed the line before rebounding out of the goal – and the 34-year-old believes the strike would have changed the game had it stood, with Joachim Loew’s side eventually running out 4-1 winners.
“I have been in favour for a while now, particularly when it was clear it would be a quick and simple measure, and wouldn’t take much time from the game,” Lampard told Chelsea TV.
“As long as it’s around specific goal chances, then I think I’ve always been for it, and my one has brought it more to the fore.
“It certainly would have changed the game [against Germany]. People brush over it when they talk about that game now because it ended up so emphatic, but we were pushing to get back into the game and afterwards 2-2 would have had us on the front foot, so when it’s of that importance, and there are others along the way, it is just too important.
“Anything we can do to help referees, who have a very tough time trying to have their eye across everything, then we have to try and help them. If it doesn’t break the game up, and it could add the excitement factor as it has in cricket, then why not?”
Two systems, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, have been approved after months of testing at Fifa’s Zurich headquarters.
