Gerard Houllier – FIFA should use Video Technology

France FA technical director Gerard Houllier has said FIFA should consider using limited video technology to help referees so that incidents such as what happened in the France Vs Republic of Ireland World Cup playoff match which resulted in France going through after a controversial handball by France captain and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

One of the most influential consultants in the football world, David Dein, has also added that he expected FIFA to allow two extra officials in the 2010 World Cup South Africa to deny such incidents as the Thierry Henry handball that left a dent in the games reputation.

Gerard Houllier, the former France and Liverpool manager, told delegates at the Soccerex business convention: “I am very much in favour of goal line technology but I have mixed feelings about video technology in general.

“You do have a lot of problems in the penalty area and it would help if there were two extra men behind the goal to help the referee. FIFA should consider this.

“I am very reluctant to have video technology away from the goal line because you can’t have 26 cameras at a game in the Faroe Islands (for example) and you have to leave the referee to know the game and to interpret,” added Houllier.

“But with the Thierry Henry handball as an example, the fourth official on the touchline should have a monitor. In some circumstances the referee could ask him through a microphone if there was something controversial he couldn’t see.

“I don’t think having goalline technology and five referees will reduce the uncertainty in the game but it will definitely reduce the chance of injustice.”

Gerard Houllier has said such technology could have saved Henry from such outcry by the public Ireland in particular after the controversial Handball that ultimately led to France going through to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

“It would have saved Thierry a lot of abuse, half of France thinks we should not be going to the World Cup,” said Houllier.

“We could have been spared that but the incident makes the whole of football very unpopular.”