ZURICH — Goal-line technology providers GoalRef and Hawk-Eye have been authorized to install their systems worldwide after signing license agreements with FIFA, soccer's world governing body said Tuesday. The announcement came a year after FIFA began an exhaustive search for systems which could reliably detect whether or not a ball had crossed a goal-line. “Between October 2011 and June 2012, both companies passed a series of extensive laboratory and field tests, tests in simulated match situations, as well as tests in live matches,” said FIFA in a statement. “This milestone in the goal-line technology process, which began in 2011, means that the two companies now have official authorization to install their respective goal-line technology systems worldwide.” Football's rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), approved the use of the technology in July following a series of incidents in which referees failed to see that the ball had crossed the goal-line. The most infamous “phantom goals” were Frank Lampard's effort for England in the World Cup second round match against Germany in 2010 and Sulley Muntari's ‘goal' for AC Milan in a top-of-the-table Serie A clash against Juventus last season. The latter incident had a decisive impact on the outcome of the championship as Milan, winning the match 1-0 at the time, was eventually pegged back to 1-1 after conceding a late equalizer. Juventus went on to win the title. FIFA said both systems still had to pass tests in stadiums where they had been installed before they could be used for official matches. Goal-line technology is due to make its debut at the Club World Cup in Japan in December. FIFA plans to use the GoalRef system in one of the two stadiums used for the competition and Hawk-Eye in the other. ‘Everything on track for Euro-2016' All stadiums selected to host matches in the 2016 European Championships will be ready in time, UEFA President Michel Platini insisted Tuesday. “The federation will deliver them,” Platini said alongside fellow steering committee members, organizing committee head Jacques Lambert, French football federation head Noel Le Graet, French Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron, and Maurice Vincent, the mayor of St. Etienne acting as representative of the host cities. “Euro-2012 is finished, long live Euro-2016,” Platini said, adding: “But pay attention, people badmouthed Ukraine and Poland but in the end it was a success beyond all expectations. They set the bar very high.” The draw for the qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 will take place in Nice on March 9, 2014. The qualifying phase for the tournament will run from September 2014 to November 2015. Platini also hinted that UEFA would come down hard on Serbia if claims that several England Under-21 players were subjected to racist abuse there are proven. “Racism is a problem that affects us massively. We're fighting it, and that's what I replied to the British prime minister, who wrote to me,” he said. England under-21 defender Danny Rose complained of racial abuse during last Tuesday's match, saying that trouble had been brewing throughout the evening. He was sent off after kicking a ball into the stands after the final whistle, and gestured to the crowd that he had been racially abused. Following the match, the British government demanded strong sanctions against Serbia. And besides UEFA's disciplinary proceedings against both Serbia and England, a police probe was ordered from Belgrade after racist chanting and brawls at the match. The UEFA disciplinary committee will meet on Nov. 22 to decide what, if any, punishment needs to be meted out. — Agencies
