FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rejected any possibility of “penalty goals” being brought in following Luis Suarez’s handball that denied Ghana a place in the World Cup semi-finals (Uruguay 19/5 to beat Germany in third-place playoff).
But Blatter did say that any law changes being considered as a result of the striker’s actions would be discussed at the International FA Board in October.
Blatter also clarified that the October meeting would see the first discussion of goal-line technology rather than, as initially suggested by FIFA, later this month.
Blatter said: “That meeting in October is when we will discuss the question of goal-line technology and take on such situations as we have witnessed in this competition with Suarez in the last minute of the match between Uruguay and Ghana.”
He continued: “You have seen in this competition and in others that it’s so difficult to say if a ball is in or out.
“But if it is not in then no referee can declare it is a goal, this is definite.”
Blatter back-tracked on goal-line technology following Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal against Germany.
“The international board will reopen the discussion on the goal-line technology but this is not just to satisfy problems that have come up during this competition,” he said.
“We have already received from different parties new approaches to how such technology could be installed and the easiest way [to do so].
“We will have a meeting on July 20 in Cardiff and this meeting will not deal with goal-line technology but will put it on the agenda for the normal business meeting in October.”
Meanwhile, some Germans are calling for a public roasting of the oracle octopus who correctly picked the winner of all six of their national soccer team’s World Cup matches – including a bitter defeat to Spain on Wednesday.
Paul, a two-year-old octopus in a German aquarium, turned into a global celebrity for his ability to predict the winner of all Germany’s games.
“Nothing beats grilled octopus,” said Dolores Lusch, a Germany fan who works on a Berlin fish stall. “Cut him up in thin slices and grill him on all sides with a dash of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic on it. Delicious!”
The country was shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to win after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia.
German newspapers and websites were filled with suggestions of what to do with Paul.
“Throw him in the frying pan,” wrote the Berliner Kurier newspaper in a popular sentiment echoed by Die Welt, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the Hamburger Abendblatt and other newspapers.
The octopus, considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates, gets the choice of picking food from two different transparent containers lowered into his tank – one with a German flag on it and one with the opponent’s flag.
The container Paul opens first is regarded as his pick.
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