The French football team's potential victory in Greece was reportedly jeopardized due to an absence of goal-line technology.
The point of contention was an incident in which a ball kicked by Coman appeared to have crossed the line. Regrettably, due to the lack of the necessary technology, it wasn't confirmed. This situation mirrors one from a previous match in France.
Antoine Griezmann, among other French players, expressed noticeable dissatisfaction with this situation. The drama unfolded in the 89th minute of the match when the ball seemed to cross the Greek goal line. If goal-line technology had been in place, the French goal might have been recognized.
Goal-Line Technology
The goal-line technology, first used in the 2014 World Cup and later in Ligue 1 in 2015, is now utilized in official matches for Euro 2024 qualifiers. This technology is considered effective and tends to generate less controversy than VAR.
One of the key features of this technology is that it allows the referee's watch to vibrate when the ball crosses the line completely. With this technology, the sport would have less room for human error and controversial decisions.
Lack of Professionalism criticized
The UEFA and Greek federation faced criticism for their alleged lack of professionalism. The goal-line technology can be used in an official UEFA match if the hosting association has a certified system and gets consent from the visiting team and UEFA.
It is the responsibility of the hosting association to sign a contract with an approved provider and take care of all costs. For the technology to be implemented, the approval process must be finalized 30 days before the match date. In this case, the Greek federation did not request the use of the technology.
Although goal-line technology is obligatory for group stages in C1 and C3, it is not a requirement for Euro qualifiers.
FFF’s Failure
Interestingly, the French football federation (FFF) also fell short in having operational goal-line technology for the previous match in France. While the technology was installed, it was not usable.
The FFF did not attain certification 30 days prior to the match. The final of Top 14 occurring two days before the match at Stade de France made the installation impossible.