Blatter apologises to England and Mexico

Sepp Blatter, the President of football’s governing body FIFA, has apologised to the English and Mexican Football Associations after two incorrect decisions saw their teams eliminated from this summer’s World Cup.

England lost 4-1 to Germany after a Frank Lampard shot which crossed the goal line was not given, while Carlos Tevez’s offside goal was allowed to stand in their defeat of Mexico.

Blatter said: “Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it’s not the end of a competition and or the end of football, this can happen.

“Yesterday I spoke to the two federations (England and Mexico) directly concerned by referees’ mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and people are criticising.”

Blatter also went to say that the debate over goal-line technology and video replays will be reopened in the light of the recent errors.

“It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology and at the business meeting of the International FA board in July,” Blatter added.

FIFA had originally blocked any further discussions or experiments over technology at a meeting of the International FA board back in March.