Ferdinand is against the change in the game to try and rule out controversial decisions.
Former England and current Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has expressed the somewhat controversial opinion that goal-line technology should not be used in football.
As of this year the Premier League will become the first domestic competition in the world to use the Hawk Eye system – made famous for its use in both tennis and cricket – to decide if the ball has crossed the line or not.
However, Ferdinand is not a supporter of this new technology and believes it will take away the talking points from the sport.
“Change is a word I don’t like in football. It is such a great sport, and we are always trying to find ways to change it. Why?” the 34-year-old was quoted in the Mirror.
“It has great traditions. Even goal-line technology, I don’t agree with it.
“Incidents like that add to the game because it runs into radio phone-ins, people talk about it in the pub and in other media. Was it a goal or wasn’t it?
“People end up disappointed in those situations but it is swings and roundabouts.”
The centre-back knows about being on either end of dubious decisions when it comes to whether the ball has crossed the line or not.
At the 2010 World Cup – which admittedly Ferdinand was forced home from before a game had even been played through injury – England’s Frank Lampard had a goal ruled out against Germany, even though replays clearly showed the shot had gone in.
On the flip side of that, the Englishman saw a poor decision favour his team as United’s goalkeeper Roy Carroll let a long range shot from Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Mendes spill into the net, but again the goal was not given even though replays showed that was not the right decision.
The issue of whether technology will work in football is still clearly a controversial one, although in general Hawk Eye has been nothing but a success in other sports.
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