Maxi-recoveries at Qatar 2022, Collina urges, “The more goals, the more will be recovered”

Fifa Referees’ Commission president Collina: “It is unacceptable to see matches with 42 minutes of active play, we will also recover exultations.”

Fifa Referees’ Commission President Pierluigi Collina spoke to explain the resounding turnaround on recovery minutes at Qatar 2022: “What we want to avoid is having a match lasting 42, 43, 44, 45 minutes of active play. This is unacceptable.”

Fifa wanted to give a clear signal, a new direction that will have to continue even after the World Cup is over and that will not only concern time recovered from substitutions or injuries: “The jubilation for a goal is a moment of joy for one team, for the other maybe not. But a jubilation can last a minute, even a minute and a half. So if there are two or three goals in a time it is easy to lose 3, 4, 5 minutes just for jubilation. This has to be considered and compensated for.”