Former UEFA president Lennart Johansson believes goalline technology has no place in football, saying the game is for “humans and not for robots.” In an interview with the Associated Press, Johansson also backed England's bid for the 2018 World Cup, criticized the standard of play at this year's World Cup and said Wayne Rooney had failed as a role model by becoming caught up in a sex scandal. The 80-year-old Swede, who held European football's top job for 17 years, also had strong words about FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Johansson said his successor as UEFA president, Michel Platini, had made the right decision by rejecting calls for the introduction of technology to determine whether the ball crossed the goalline. Platini has chosen instead to experiment with two extra officials behind each goal in this season's Champions League matches. “I believe in the idea that Platini put forward when he said we could have two extra men on the field,” Johansson said. “Perhaps two referees, but then one behind each goal standing there watching, who could see immediately when the ball is inside the line or not.” Johansson said that human error is an inevitable part of football, and should be viewed with less fuss and more perspective. “I face facts that referees are human and humans make mistakes,” he said. “This is a game for humans and not for robots.” Johansson said he would have encouraged UEFA's executive committee to back England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup if he still held the presidency. “It's time now for England, they haven't had it since 1966,” he said. “They can for sure arrange it, they know how to do it. It would make sense if you look at the sequence of World Cups.” Also in the 2018 race are the United States, Russia and joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium. FIFA will select the winner in December. Johansson was still UEFA president when South Africa was awarded the continent's first World Cup. He said he backed its bid early on after his fears about organization and security were allayed. Blatter has praised South Africa's hosting of the tournament, but Johansson said Blatter wasn't always so supportive of taking the World Cup to Africa. “The one who was against Africa at the time was Sepp Blatter. He was strongly against it,” said Johansson, before adding that Blatter only changed his mind “because of this award he was given by the United Nations, not because he liked the idea to go to Africa.” Johansson's UEFA reign ended when Platini won the majority of the vote in 2007. He said he thinks that his successor is doing a good job, but he must be careful to not be influenced by Blatter. Following newspaper allegations that Rooney cheated repeatedly on his pregnant wife, Johansson said the England and Manchester United forward and other highly-paid stars are failing to set a good example to the youngsters.
