Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Serie A reveals plan to introduce video replays ahead of Italy vs. Germany trial

The president of the Italian Referees' Association (AIA), Marcello Nicchi, believes Video Assistant Referees (VAR) could be officially introduced into Serie A within months.

Italy's international friendly with Germany at the San Siro on Tuesday has been selected by FIFA as the latest game to trial video technology, with the experiment already in Serie A.

During the game in Milan, the referee will be in contact with two video assistant referees who are on hand to review goals scored, penalties awarded, straight red cards and cases of mistaken identity. 

Nicchi says the results from the first game, when Italy faced France in September, and from what he has seen in Serie A have been positive, and he cannot see why VAR cannot be implemented fully in Italy from 2016-17.

"This is going to be a big night in which Italy is the protagonist of innovation," Nicchi told GR Parlamento radio, as reported in Gazzetta dello Sport. "We will be ready for this in Italy from next season because when we commit to something, we deliver."

Only Nicchi and a select group of AIA and federation representatives are receiving the results of the VAR trail, who evaluate data.

"There have been cases when VAR could have been if not decisive, at least supportive," he said. "There have been fewer than four cases in which the referees would have been able to fall back on video assistance, but we hope to deliver this [system] as soon as possible.

"We hope to accelerate its implementation and then, in a few years, we could open up a protocol to add other incidents [in which the VAR can be used] to the list."

Nicchi also said that referees are in favour of the move, which follows the introduction of goal-line technology in Serie A last season.

"They feel protected by this instrument, even if it will always be the referee on the field who decides," he said. "Furthermore, their feeling on the VAR is quite serene. They're curious about it, but not worried.

"It's something that we were expecting and it does not ruin anything as it just gives clarity to dubious situations."

Marco van Basten, FIFA's chief of technical development, is positive on the use of video replays.

"The sport will remain the same," he insisted. "What we have is extra pairs of eyes and it could help referees. Football will not be changed by this. I hope ... that football will become more honest [with the VAR], that is all we want to achieve. The result to be the best one, the right decision.

"I am convinced it will be good. It may take some time, players, referees will have to adapt a bit but it will be good."

FIFA is due to assess the results of the VAR trials in 2018.

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