Dubai: German national football team coach Joachim Loew has backed the Fifa experiment of having five officials at each match starting with next season's Europa League.
"It is a Fifa decision and it has been taken after much discussion and deliberation," Loew told media along the sidelines of their international friendly against the UAE yesterday.
"This has not landed on us all of a sudden. It has been debated for quite a while in footballing circles," he added.
On Monday, the world governing body for football decided to experiment with five on-field match officials starting with next season's Europa League - the renamed Uefa Cup. The five officials will be the main referee, his two assistants and another two goal judges who will be entrusted with the job of monitoring the penalty boxes at either end of the field.
The experiment is meant to help referees with the tough calls close to goal as an alternative to proposals for the use of video images. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), comprising the four British associations and four Fifa representatives, which sets the rules for the world's most popular sport, has backed the experiment. The experimental matches will start at the group stage of the Europe League.
"I am sure such an experiment will help the most questionable decision of 'was it or was it not a goal'. I am sure this aspect is meant to be for the good of the game. If this decision has been taken to prevent officials from avoiding errors and wrong decisions then it is certainly a good move," Loew said.
However, Loew was still apprehensive: "I think it is too early to make a decisive statement. These are early days and only practice of the system will help prove whether we have adopted the right choice or not. Time alone will tell."
The German was also in favour of his players scanning the length and breath of the globe plying their trade in varied cultures and destinations.
Citing Chelsea FC's Michael Ballack as a prime example, Loew said that such players can only bring in added value to the national side. "It is a huge advantage to have such players in the team as they help the younger ones develop while also bringing in a new mentality.
"Ballack, for instance has seen the highest level in Germany [with Bayern Munich] and now he is one of a team of superstars at Chelsea. In doing so, he has added a new dimension to his career and to the German national squad," Loew said.
