Euro 2016 Considers Goal-line Technology

14 Dec 2015 | tshego

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UEFA is considering introducing goal-line technology for Euro 2016, with prize money for next summer’s tournament also raised.

Goal-line technology is already being considered in the Champions League and Europa League next season and was on the agenda in Friday’s UEFA Executive Committee meeting.

World football’s governing body FIFA has used goal-line technology in its top competitions and UEFA has been reluctant to do so. Suspended president Michel Platini has been a strong supporter of using additional match officials to aid referees instead of new tehcnologies.

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said: “This (goal-line technology) has been on the table for some time. If it happens for Euro 2016 then it will also happen for the club competitions from next season, the Champions League and Europa League. This will be in addition to the five assistants. The final decision will be made in January but the executive committee was pretty positive in its mindset.”

In addition, an increase in revenue distributed to participating teams in Euro 2016 was approved, with the 24 national teams sharing a total of €301m, compared to €196m distributed at Euro 2012.

France’s staging of Euro 2016 will expand in size from 16 and all 24 teams will receive a participating fee of €8m. For the two teams that reach the final at the Stade de France in Paris on 10^th July, the 2016 European champions will receive €8m while there will be a reward of €5m for the runners-up.

If the winners of the title have also won all three group matches, the total prize money earned will amount to €27m, compared with €23.5m in 2012.

Security for Euro 2016 was also on the agenda following last month’s attacks in Paris. France is due to host Euro 2016 across 10 cities, with Paris the focal point of the tournament through staging games at the Stade de France and Parc des Princes.

President of the Euro 2016 organising committee, Jacques Lambert, said: “Since 13^th November we have held a number of technical meetings to learn all we can about what happened at the Stade de France and around the stadium. We have also been in contact with officials at the Ministry of the Interior, the Paris police force, security and intelligence services. Co-ordination with the state services will intensify over coming days and weeks.”