Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou on Friday led a chorus of disapproval over a controversial proposal to introduce blue cards and sin bins.
It has been reported that blue cards would be shown to players, who would be sent to a “sin bin” for 10 minutes, as part of a new trial aimed at improving on-pitch behavior.
At present, players shown a red card or two yellow cards are expelled for the rest of the game.
Photo: Reuters
Sin bins have been used at grassroots level in England for dissent, but the trial could also include cynical fouls.
Reports say that soccer’s lawmakers the International Football Association Board have delayed releasing information about the proposed trial following talks with world governing body FIFA.
It is understood that the trial phase would not take place in top-level matches to avoid players being in competitions with different rules concurrently, but Klopp was among several Premier League managers to express concerns about the proposal.
“I think everything what the actual situation shows is we should keep it as simple as somehow possible, for the referees as well,” the German said on Friday.
“It’s a difficult job. I think the introduction of a blue card would just give more opportunities to fail as well,” he said. “The discussion will be: ‘It was a blue card, should it have been a yellow card? Now it’s 10 minutes off. In the good old times it would have been a red card or only a yellow.’”
“It doesn’t sound like a fantastic idea in the first moment, but actually I can’t remember the last fantastic idea [that] came from these guys, if they ever had one. I am 56 and, pah, never,” he added.
Postecoglou said the plan could be another misstep by soccer’s authorities after the controversial introduction of the widely criticized video assistant referee (VAR) system.
“I don’t think people will be surprised by my thoughts on it. I struggle to understand this urgency all of a sudden to bring in new things,” Postecoglou said. “I don’t know if there’s that much wrong with the game as I see it. My biggest issue with the game right now is that VAR has changed the experience, whether you’re a player, a manager or a supporter. Beyond that, I don’t know why a different color card is going to make any difference.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta called for the proposals to be rigorously tested before blue cards are given the green light.
“We’ve got a lot going on with decisions, with technology. I don’t know if we are ready for that yet,” Arteta said. “Who knows [if it is a good idea]. Hopefully, it’s going to be tested very well before they introduce it at this level.”
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