Budapest, May 25 (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter Friday called upon German great Franz Beckenbauer, head of the Football Task Force 2014, to find an alternative to the “tragedy” of penalty shootouts.
The task force 2014 has been charged with recommending rule changes, and to come up with another way of deciding matches.
Speaking at the FIFA Congress here, Blatter said football “loses its essence” when matches are decided by spot kicks.
“Football can be a tragedy when you go to penalty kicks,”ESPN Soccernet quoted Blatter as saying. “Football should not go to one to one. When it goes to penalty kicks, football loses its essence.
“Perhaps Franz Beckenbauer with his football 2014 group can show us a solution – perhaps not today but in the future.”
The recently concluded Champions League finals between Chelsea and Bayern Munich as well as the African Nations Cup this year were decided on penalties.
“Why are the English to blame when Bayern are not able to convert their dominance? Luck was on Chelsea’s side this time and that is why they are deserved Champions League winners,” Beckenbauer said. “Nonetheless, Bayern was the better team for most parts of the game.”
In 1993 FIFA had introduced the “Golden Goal” concept, in which sudden death would apply during extra-time. The rule was abandoned after Euro 2004.
