LONDON: Angel Maria Villar, the president of the Spanish football federation, says that he is categorically against the idea of goal-line technology writes CHRISTIAN RADNEDGE.

The FIFA and UEFA vice-president was speaking at the Leaders in Football conference in London on Wednesday. He also refused to be drawn on whether he would consider running for UEFA president if the post were to fall vacant.

However his emphatic rejection of GLT in which he repeatedly shook his head and said “no, no, no” to the audience of delegates and reporters at Stamford Bridge will endear him to those in the European federation who still remain sceptical on the notion of GLT.

They, of course, include UEFA president Platini.

Villar was far more cautious when asked whether he would consider a bid to become UEFA president if Platini were to move to Zurich and FIFA in succession to Sepp Blatter in 2015.

“I don’t think too much about the future,” he said. “I just think about the here and now. The future is created by working hard in the here and now, and right now I am only thinking about my time here in England.”

Villar also added that he had no regrets about his country’s joint bid with Portugal to host the World Cup in 2018 saying he had “learned from the experience”.

The 2018 finals were awarded by FIFA to Russia after a highly controversial campaign in which allegations of vote-bargaining were levelled against Villar and Spain in connection with the 2022 hosting award to Qatar.

 

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