FIFA's Pierluigi Collina: "I can understand that showing the right amount of time when it is 7-0 is difficult to understand. But in some competitions the goal difference may be decisive at the end for the ranking. So, even one goal scored could make the difference."
Friday 10 March 2023 14:42, UK
FIFA head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina wants full stoppage time added in games even if they are one-sided like Liverpool's 7-0 win over Manchester United last Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp's side's 7-0 rout of United on Super Sunday had only three minutes added at the end of the 90 minutes despite six-second-half goals and both sides making their full compliment of substitutions in the second 45 minutes.
Collina, in a briefing to reporters, also used the example of Liverpool's 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid at Anfield where seven minutes of additional time was added on, but the world referee's chief said had the added time been added up properly it would have been nearer 16 minutes.
The World Cup in Qatar last year showed a push from FIFA and Collina to see referees add more accurate amounts of added time for stoppages such as goal celebrations, substitutions, injuries and time-wasting.
It led to a number of 100-minute games and Collina insists accurate time-keeping does matter, even when the score is as large as 7-0.
"Last weekend in the Premier League, there were 10 matches," Collina said. "Four had additional time of 10 minutes or more and two should have been higher but weren't only because they had scores of 7-0 and 4-0.
"In the game at Liverpool, there was four minutes added, one in the first half and three in the second. But there were six goals in the second half.
"Maybe at some point in the future we will have a rule which says if the difference between the two sides is big the additional time is not to be given. But this would be in the laws of the game.
He added: "Now it is common sense but it is common sense when it doesn't affect someone.
"I can understand that showing the right amount of time when it is 7-0 is difficult to understand. But in some competitions the goal difference in the entire competition may be decisive at the end for the ranking.
"So, even one goal scored or not scored could make the difference."
In 1989, Arsenal won the English league title over Liverpool on the tiebreaker of goals scored with the teams' goal difference identical. The teams met in the last game of the season and Arsenal's 2-0 win at Liverpool was sealed by a goal in second-half stoppage time.
Collina acknowledged lengthy added time in games such as Liverpool's lopsided win last weekend could be viewed as "something not really understandable," though he suggested consistency was key.
"At the World Cup people knew what to expect," said the former top match official, who refereed the 2002 final.
"Where there is consistency on the field of play every decision is better."
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FIFA wants World Cup-style timekeeping to be adopted globally next season so 100-minute games should become routine in domestic leagues.
Football's international rule-making body IFAB has also announced plans to increase the 'effective time' being played during matches with five key areas - substitutions, player injuries, penalties and red cards, VAR and goal celebrations - used when calculating overall stoppage time rather than just an estimate.
Collina believes that players will stop time-wasting once the correct amounts of added time are applied.
"It's time to compensate time that was not played during the match," said Collina who chairs FIFA's referees' committee.
"We are not considering to go from 70 to 75. No, we want to avoid just playing 43 minutes.
"The effective time at Aston Villa vs Brentford was 43 minutes. I don't think someone wants to pay to watch a match that lasts 43 minutes.
"We have seen implementing VAR has reduced simulation. How many cards are now given for simulation? Very little because the players know it is meaningless to try," said 63-year-old Collina, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final.
"I am convinced time-wasting will be reduced when players know it is meaningless to waste time because that time is compensated."
Back in January, a Sky Sports study showed the amount of football being played in the Premier League has hit an all-time low.
At the time, at an average Premier League game this season, the ball had been in play for less than 56 per cent of the match. That figure has been falling consistently over the past 10 years and the 2022/23 was lowest on record at that point.
Also back in January, former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein talked about his 10-year campaign to try to solve football's time-wasting problem in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports,
"How long do you think it takes to score a goal?," Dein told Sky Sports. "On average, people will say anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.
"I've got not one, but dozens of examples where a three or four-man move that ends with a goal can take just 10 seconds.
"I've campaigned all my life in football for fairness, for accuracy and integrity in the game. Time-wasting is one area of the game that really hasn't had the attention it deserves."
