ZURICH: Banned former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has urged football’s lawmakers not to approve video refereeing at the World Cup when they debate the issue today and tomorrow writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Blatter, who was the mind-changing president when the world federation adopted goal-line technology, has dropped his initial reluctance to express his opinions about the world game.

Last month he expressed, via Twitter, his support for Morocco’s bid to win host rights to the 2026 World Cup finals. Now he has taken to the social network again to caution the International Football Association Board against being rushed to approval of VAR.

His FIFA presidential successor, Gianni Infantino, has long been an advocate of VAR at the World Cup despite all the teething problems evident in major competitions in Germany, Italy and England.

Blatter tweeted: “A personal request to the IFAB, the guardians of the Laws of the Game: The World of FIFA can not be used as an experiment for such an important change: the VAR.”

The latest controversies erupted in the English FA Cup match on Wednesday between Tottenham Hotspur and Rochdale where fans were angered by a lack of information and clarification concerning decisions.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino echoed complaints by coaches in Italy and Germany that VAR risked killing emotion in the sport.

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