Video assistant referee technology (VAR) will make its debut at the World Cup in Russia this summer despite lingering opposition from within and outside football, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
"We are going to have in 2018, for the first time, a World Cup with VAR," said Infantino yesterday after a meeting of the FIFA Council which, as expected, rubber-stamped the go-ahead given by the rule-making International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Zurich two weeks ago.
"This has been approved and we are really very happy with this decision."
"The VAR is helping the referee and we are going to have a more transparent and fairer game, and that's what we want."
"I am not at all against it but we must better explain when it will be used. We will see at the World Cup."
However, Colombia coach Luis Fernando Suarez added in an interview with AFP: "It seems hurried to me. I think we should do other trials in other tournaments, analyse them well, and then put it in place."
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