Retired FIFA referee, Harris Lebotse has said that if FIFA embraces the use of technology in soccer, it should be implemented carefully so that it does not take away the excitement from the game. He said the downside of using video footage is that it will remove the human element and excitement from the game. "It should be looked at carefully so as not to take away the excitement," Lebotse said. He called for proper guidelines on how and when to use video footage to avoid problems caused by frequent stoppages during the game.
The former Botswana referees' chief said modern technology can go a long way in alleviating errors made by match officials. "Referees are human and are bound to make mistakes and I think technology will help here," he said. He stated that soccer is big business these days and clubs can lose a lot of money just because of an error by referees. Extension Gunners' coach, Daniel 'Chico' Nare holds a different view on the subject. Nare said he is against the use of video replays because it is going to kill the excitement in the game. He said decision-making should be left to referees as the errors they sometimes commit adds to the excitement of the game. He suggested a referees' panel to analyse games and mistakes made by officials so that they can improve. He said this will benefit teams as some wrong decisions, like unjustified player bookings will be reversed.
