Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Tuesday that the offside calls could be “automated by 2022”, when the World Cup will be held in Qatar.
Wenger also said that he understood the opposition of many in football to his recommendation, which FIFA embraced earlier, to hold the World Cup in every two years.
“There is a strong chance that the offside will be automated in 2022,” Wenger said. “I’m bound to secrecy, but it will be the next big development in refereeing.”
FIFA said in August that “the goal is to develop a supportive tool similar to goal-line technology: Not designed to make the decision, but to provide evidence instantly to the referees”.
“The reform I am proposing is part of a reform of the calendar. I want to reduce the number of qualifying matches,” Wenger said.
