Gianni Infantino has personally killed plans to introduce a blue card to football saying it is a “red card to the blue card” and that he was not made aware of proposals before the controversial idea became public.
Football’s rulemaking body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), is understood to be ready to expand trials of a sin-bin for men’s football, although not to the elite level, but the addition of a third card to a referee’s pocket is no more, according to the Fifa president.
“There will not be any blue cards used at elite level”, Infantino said on arriving at the Ifab AGM at Loch Lomond in Scotland. “This is a topic that is non-existent for us. Fifa is completely opposed to blue cards. I was not aware of this topic, the president of Fifa – and I think Fifa has a say in Ifab. If you want a title it is red card to the blue card.”
Infantino said that the addition of a blue card would damage the traditions of the game. “We have to be serious,” he said. “We are always open to look at ideas and proposals. But once you look at it you also have to protect the essence and tradition of the game. There is no blue card.”
The revelation that a third card was to be introduced caused mirth, consternation and many memes when news emerged the day before a planned announcement last month.
