The idea of the blue card is practically off the table before the world’s soccer rule makers have even discussed it. A statement from FIFA boss Infantino provides surprising clarity
Shortly before the meeting of world soccer’s rule makers, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has rejected the introduction of a blue card and the associated time penalty. “There will be no blue card at the top level. The issue does not exist for us,” Infantino told reporters in Glasgow.
FIFA has a blocking option for all regulation matches
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will meet there this Saturday (10am) for its annual general meeting. One of the items on the agenda is the proposal to introduce the new card in a test phase in order to discuss its suitability for professional football
This is unlikely to happen, however, as FIFA has four out of eight votes in the IFAB and therefore has the power to block all proposed rules. The other members are one representative each from the soccer associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Infantino said that he had not been aware of the issue before it was publicly discussed in recent weeks due to media reports. “If they want a headline, it’s ‘Red card for the blue card’,” the Swiss clarified.
Klopp was also skeptical
The idea of the blue card had already attracted criticism. Liverpool’s German coach Jürgen Klopp, for example, had expressed massive doubts and feared new referee debates after controversial decisions. In amateur soccer, time penalties are also common in some regions in Germany
