One of the World Cup’s finer innovations, the vanishing spray at free-kicks, is set to be adopted in the Champions League.
Good news for fans of the game in Europe has emerged, with Sky Sports reporting that the vanishing spray used to mark the wall’s position for free-kicks in the World Cup will be used in UEFA competitions next season.
The can of foam, carried in a holster by referees at the tournament, has been a hit with fans this side of the Atlantic Ocean who have been used to players encroaching to absurd degrees when players are trying to take direct free-kicks.
As of yet there are no plans to adopt the spray in the Premier League, but chief of referees Mike Riley is set to produce a report on the issue to be presented to the member clubs, so they can decide whether to adopt the innovation.
The use of the spray has been prevalent in South American football for years now, with the cans used to great effect in both the Argentinian and Brazilian domestic leagues – but this is the first time that it has been deployed at an event with such a mass global audience.
For many it is likely that going back to watching football without the referee pacing ten yards and drawing a little line on the turf may be something of a culture shock, such is the seamless nature with which it has blended into the viewing experience.
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