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Introducing goalline technology at
soccer stadiums would prove a cheaper, as reliable aid to referees than
UEFA’s method of two additional assistants, according to manufacturers.

UEFA will expanded the use of five
referees to some Champions League matches and European Championship
qualifiers this season after a successful trial in the Europa League,
but German company Cairos Technologies feel their solution should be
used.

“You need to pay a referee each time
for each match and two more referees, that is more expensive than
having goalline technology,” Cairos sales director Mario Hanus told
Reuters on the sidelines of the Soccerex Asian forum in Singapore this
week.

UEFA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Following Frank Lampard’s disallowed
effort for England in their World Cup second round defeat by Germany in
South Africa last month there has been much talk at the forum, and in
the sport, about using technology.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter apologised
to England after the match and the Swiss said the topic of goalline
technology would be discussed by soccer law-makers the International
Football Association Board (IFAB).

However, last week IFAB, which consists
of one representative from each of the four British associations and
four from FIFA, left the topic off their agenda which Hanus said was
frustrating.

“It was a little surprising for us (the
rejection) as we have had so many voices around asking for the
technology, players referees some of the club managers etc.

“The Bundesliga, I believe,

would be ready to introduce it.
Referees all around the globe say ‘please we are the ones who are
blamed if we take the wrong decision’,” Hanus said.

Technology is working

The next
opportunity for IFAB to discuss the matter of goalline technology will
be at their business meeting in October, with law-changing unable to
happen until after their annual meeting in March.

“(A few years ago)
they (IFAB) asked us to change a few things and we did that and it
worked and then the decision was against (it) although we had done
those changes.

“We were not expecting it to be introduced worldwide in all stadia but at least in a first league or something.

“There is actually nothing we think that needs to be done but if there was, we are here, we are open to talk.”

Hanus also rejected
concerns about the chip-in-ball technology failing at key moments
perhaps due to a power outage, saying it was as reliable as any referee.

“If there is no
power in the stadium there will be no floodlights and there will be no
match so I would say that is not scaring us.

“The two additional referees can be stuck with an airplane that
cannot fly because of volcano ash, there is no 100 percent guarantee in
life,” Hanus said, referring to the Icelandic ash cloud that downed
much of Europe’s airspace in April.