Izuchukwu OkosiWorld football governing body, Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has unequivocally opposed the introduction of the blue card in football.
The proposal for the introduction of the blue card was made by International Football Association Board (IFAB) the body that make laws of the game.
However, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has clearly stated that the rule will not be implemented.
“There will not be any blue cards used at elite level. This is a topic that is non-existent for us,” Infantino told reporters at the IFAB’s meeting at Loch Lomond in Scotland.
The proposal from football’s rule-making body to introduce ‘blue cards’, which gives referees the power to send players off for 10 minutes for dissent or committing cynical fouls, was discussed with FIFA at the IFAB’s Annual General Meeting in Scotland.
Infantino who claims that he was not aware of the plans to introduce the rule before the news went public further stated that they are not ruling out new innovations
“FIFA is completely opposed to blue cards. I was not aware of this topic – as the president of FIFA. I think FIFA has a say in IFAB. If you want a title, ‘it is red card to the blue card.’
“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 blue card was expected to be in use at the football tournament of the Olympics in Paris but has now been effectively been ruled out.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
