Blatter hints at technology U-turn

JOHANNESBURG — FIFA president Sepp Blatter, acknowledging the fury of football fans around the world, said that he has apologized to England and Mexico for refereeing mistakes that helped eliminate their teams from the World Cup. He said FIFA will reopen the debate on high-tech methods to improve decision-making on the pitch following the mistakes in Bloemfontein and Johannesburg — when Germany and Argentina advanced. "Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees' mistakes," said Blatter, adding it would be "a nonsense" for FIFA not to look again at goal-line technology with its rule-making panel. "After having witnessed such a situation," Blatter said, referring to England's non-goal against Germany, "we have to open again this file, definitely. "Naturally, we will take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed." The refereeing system won't be changed midway through the World Cup. Blatter said the panel, known as the International Football Association Board, would begin considering changes at a July meeting in Cardiff, Wales. Uruguay's Jorge Larrionda and Italy's Roberto Rosetti, whose blunders prompted the FIFA rethink, have been left off the list of referees for the rest of the World Cup. FIFA did not announce its reasons, but referees involved in controversy rarely make it to the later rounds. – AP