The German Football Association (DFB) demonstrates resistance in addressing Phantomtor.
The phantom goal scored by Alexandra Popp's team, the "Wolf Women," has sparked discussions about introducing technology aids for referees in the women's Bundesliga. But, it seems that referees shouldn't hold their breath for assistance from Video Assistant Referees (VAR) or goal-line technology anytime soon. The German Football Association (DFB) justified this by mentioning the "hefty expenses required for necessary equipment and technical installations."
Up until now, there's been a general agreement between the clubs that the "costs outweigh the benefits." The DFB clarified its stand to not utilize the technology, stating that they're still "evaluating the situation." However, they acknowledged that "the necessary conditions" need to be established first.
Too expensive for the women's Bundesliga
Both VAR and goal-line technology are viewed by the DFB as "assistance tools for the referee team on the field." Goal-line technology is also known for its "exceptional reliability." Besides the financial aspect and the installation effort, there's also the issue of "potential errors that can't be completely eliminated and not all debatable situations can be conclusively resolved." The DFB believes that in the current circumstances of the women's Bundesliga, "these problems would escalate further."
Other options like fitting the ball with a chip or using Hawk Eye are theoretically feasible, but the DFB argues that these "currently don't make financial sense in relation to the total budgets of the women's Bundesliga."
The conversations about technology aids gained new traction on Monday evening during the clash between VfL Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen (3:3). The final equalizer by VfL striker Alexandra Popp, awarded by referee Nadine Westerhoff, was controversial as TV images indicated that the ball hadn't crossed the goal line.
Despite the controversy surrounding the goal scored by Alexandra Popp's team, Women's football in the Bundesliga is currently unable to afford the "hefty expenses" required for technology aids like VAR or goal-line technology. The DFB is still "evaluating the situation" and believes that implementing these tools would lead to "escalating problems" due to the league's financial constraints.
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