KEIR RADNEDGE in SAO PAULO: Either Hawk-Eye or GoalRef will be the system used at the Confederations Cup in Brazil next June . . . but not both.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter indicated here today that next month’s Club World Cup in Japan will be not only a competition to crown the world’s leading club but a competition between the two goal-line technology systems.

Clearly, whichever comes most impressively through the Japanese experiment will be in pole position to capitalise on the potential commercial bonanza generated from utilisation at both the Confederations Cup and – assuming all goes well – at the 2014 World Cup.

Blatter made his comments about the contest after a meeting of the organising committee of next year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, the draw for which takes place tomorrow here in Sao Paolo.

He strayed into the area of goal-line technology after talking about refereeing at the Confed Cup.

Blatter said: “There will always be errors from referees because they are human beings but we are doing the best we can to prepare the referees.

“So far FIFA has already made a selection of 52 referees and 104 assistant referees for  the Confederations Cup and the World Cup and the best of them will be already selected in March next year to participate in the Confederations Cup.”

Then, he added: “Furthermore we have goal-line technology. The two systems have been not only improved but approved by the [law-making] International Football Association Board and we will start [using them] next week in Japan at the FIFA Club World Cup.

“The stadia, the one in Toyota and the other inYokohama, will use the two systems. One of them will be chosen by the organising committee and will be used in the Confederations Cup.”

Hawk-Eye is a camera-based system while GoalRef depends on a magnetic field in the goal area and a chip in the ball.

Note Blatter’s precise words. Not both . . . but “one of them.”

Suddenly the Club World Cup’s adventure with goal-line technology has taken on even greater significance.

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