The medical chief in world football governing body Fifa, on Sunday called for teams to be allowed four substitutions if a game goes into extra-time.
“I am personally of the opinion that a fourth change should be allowed in the case of extra-time,” Michel D’Hooghe, a member of the Fifa executive committee, told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
With many teams using all three currently permitted substitutes during regulation time, D’Hooghe said: “In the case of an injury during extra-time, the player then has to stay on the pitch so his team doesn’t have to play with 10 men.”
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The discussion has been sparked by concerns over player safety. During the World Cup in Brazil, three players continued in matches despite suffering head injuries.
And German Football Association (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach welcomed the idea.
“After the experience of the World Cup, I am for such a rule,” Niersbach told the newspaper. “The tournament in Brazil with the extreme climatic conditions has shown that it can go to the limit.” (supersport.com)
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