Shortly before the meeting of world football’s regulators, Fifa President Gianni Infantino rejected the introduction of a blue card and the associated time penalty. “There will be no blue card at the top level. The issue does not exist for us,” said Infantino in Glasgow.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) met there a few hours later on Saturday (March 2, 2024) for its annual general meeting. One of the items on the agenda was the proposal to introduce the new map in a test phase in order to discuss its suitability for professional football. As the rules committee announced after its meeting, developments in youth and amateur football should first be monitored before each trial phase in higher leagues. A time frame was not given.
FIFA has four out of eight votes in the Ifab and therefore has the option to block all proposed rules – this could also result in the decision to stop the initiative. The other members are a representative each of the football associations from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Infantino said he had no knowledge of the issue before it was discussed publicly in media reports in recent weeks. “If you want a headline, it’s ‘Red Card for Blue Card’.”
Klopp is also an opponent
The idea of the Blue Card had already attracted critical voices. For example, Liverpool’s German coach Jürgen Klopp had expressed massive doubts and feared new referee debates after controversial decisions. In amateur football, time penalties are also common in Germany.