Johannesburg, June 29
FIFA president Sepp Blatter promised today to re-open the file on goalline technology, while warning the French government not to meddle with the running of the country’s football federation.

The head of soccer’s governing body apologised for the mistakes that have blighted the World Cup and said it would be “nonsense” not to re-consider using technology.

However, he made clear that only technology to determine goalline decisions and not video replays to determine offsides and other match rulings would be discussed.

His tone was much sterner when discussing France, as he warned the federation would face sanctions that could include suspension — and a consequent international competition ban for its national and club teams — if the government treated soccer as a state issue.

Blatter apologised directly to the English and Mexican football federations after television replays showed they were victims of blatantly incorrect decisions in their defeats on Sunday in last 16 matches against Germany and Argentina.

“It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be a nonsense not to re-open the file on goalline technology,” Blatter said at a briefing with selected media.

“We cannot change anything with 10 games to go in the World Cup, but we will look again at technology, goalline technology, at the business meeting of the (law-making) International Football Association Board in Cardiff, Wales in July.”

FIFA, earlier this year, had ruled out using such technology in the foreseeable future, leaving it isolated among major sports. Blatter also repeated a FIFA warning to the French government not to interfere in soccer after their team’s disgrace in the World Cup. The federation head, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, announced his resignation yesterday.

“In France they have made an ‘affaire d’Etat’ with football, but football remains in the hands of the federation,” Blatter said. “French football can rely on FIFA in case of political interference even if it is at presidential level, it is a clear message. 

“We will help the national association and if cannot be solved by consultation then the only thing we have is to suspend the federation.” If FIFA took that ultimate sanction, the French team would be barred from taking part in European Championship later this year and subsequent World Cup qualifying and their clubs would also be banned from the Champions League and other continential competitions.

Most observers think such extreme measures are unlikely against a nation of France’s stature within the sport although FIFA has applied them elsewhere. Meanwhile, South African police said on Tuesday they had arrested a British tabloid journalist for helping a fan gain access to the England dressing room. Sunday Mirror reporter Simon Wright was arrested in Cape Town after closed circuit television footage indicated he helped Pavlos Joseph get into the England locker room. — Reuters