Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has confirmed that the idea of introducing ‘sin-bins’ in football is being looked into.
The practice is already used in Rugby and sees players sent off for a set period of time if they commit certain offences, before they are allowed back onto the pitch.
Ferguson, who is the head of a UEFA panel of elite coaches, says it is a feasible idea.
“I chair a forum of elite coaches that meet every year and I’m a member of the technical study group of the Champions League and the European Championship so I’m still involved in football at the highest level,” he told reporters.
“Right now we’re looking at the possibility of introducing sin-bins like they have in rugby – a 10-minute suspension during the match – but we want to be careful that somehow it isn’t exploited if it’s introduced.”
Ferguson also applauded UEFA’s decision, to wipe out all yellow cards accumulated in previous rounds, when the Champions League gets to the quarter-final stage, so that players will not miss the final through suspension.
“We lost Darren Fletcher from the 2009 Champions League final against Barcelona and also missed Keane and Scholes for picking up cards in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich,” he recalled.
“Now, they’d all played in all the previous rounds so it wasn’t fair that they missed out.
“We’re also looking at allowing 11 substitutes on the bench for big finals in Europe. That way you can recognise the contribution the squad’s made and allow a wider range of substitutions.
“Mind you, it wouldn’t work in the Premier League. Too many chairmen would moan about the increase in bonuses they’d need to pay!”
Comments