Maradona backs use of video technology to prevent another ‘Hand of God’

ZURICH: Diego Maradona has backed the use of video assistant referees (VARs) in football even though he is aware that his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal would not have stood if the technology had existed during his heyday.

The goal during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England is one of the most talked about in the history of football, alongside his brilliant solo run past five defenders in the same game that gave his side a 2-1 victory.

The diminutive Argentine, who tapped the ball over the head of onrushing goalkeeper Peter Shilton with his fist to score his country’s first goal, gained even more notoriety when he claimed afterwards it had been scored by the ‘Hand of God’.

“Obviously I think about it whenever I show my support for the use of technology,” Maradona said in an interview posted on global football’s governing body FIFA’s website (www.fifa.com) on Tuesday.

“I thought about it and, sure, that goal wouldn’t have stood if technology had been around.“And I’ll tell you something else: at the 1990 World Cup I used my hand to clear the ball off the line against the Soviet Union.

“We were lucky because the referee didn’t see it. You couldn’t use technology back then, but it’s a different story today.”FIFA has tested VAR technology at several tournaments ahead of next year’s World Cup in Russia, including at last month’s Confederations Cup, and its head of refereeing Massimo Busacca said afterwards that the technology should be refined.