We’re one month away from the World Cup in Russia – what does former Croatia captain and 1998 bronze medal winner Zvonimir Boban have to say?
Zvonimir Boban, the legendary captain of the Croatia national football team who has taken the part of special advisor to FIFA’s president for football issues since May 2016, spoke to FIFA about the upcoming World Cup in Russia, his 1998 memories of winning the bronze, and what he thinks about introducing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to this summer’s tournament, reports Index.hr on May 14, 2018.
Boban, as many of you remember, was the captain of the Croatia team who won the bronze at the World Cup in France in 1998. Though today he has an entirely different role in football, as a footballer who has experienced the World Cup first hand, Boban knows precisely what the tournament means to the football world and how it can affect the life of the player.
“You are preparing for something that is always historical, whether you’ve been defeated or you’ve won. Whatever happens, you are participating in a part of history,” Boban said, adding: “The World Cup is always something special, and it is especially emotional and unique. There will be those who will do something great for their country – and I hope it will be my Croatia. What we will see is something you cannot see or feel in other sports. You have the entire world in a single place with millions or billions of colors from which we can see with the incredible passion for countries, teams, and players. The World Cup is not easy to describe.”
?? ONE MONTH TO GO! ??
With the countdown reaching a crucial stage, we speak to FIFA Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban about a whole range of topics including:
⏪His #WorldCup memories
?VAR
??Russia as hostRead the full interview ?https://t.co/dvZav8WSSC pic.twitter.com/BTXGzxs18x
— FIFA World Cup ? (@FIFAWorldCup) May 14, 2018
Boban is confident that we will fully enjoy this World Cup, which is just one month away.
“I believe we will see the best of the people, football and culture, and as far as security is concerned, not even a fly without a ‘Fan ID’ can pass through certain areas,” Boban added.
For the first time in the World Cup, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be used. What does Boban think about utilizing this technology?
“The VAR philosophy is in search of a fair game. Perhaps this is a tough story, but we want more honesty in the game, more accurate results, and we want to protect the football and referee institution. Referees are human beings; they are not just referees. And we want to protect the destiny of the players and their long-term investments that can disappear in one second because of the human eye. The referee is a human being that can make mistakes. What we are doing is a clear sign of something that had to be done a long time ago.”
Boban stressed that he wants to get the maximum benefit of the system with minimal disturbances.
“I believe we are doing something great. This is an excellent step for football. FIFA, along with the International Federation of Football Associations, has developed this system from scratch. The results were extraordinary. At the end of the day, we are protecting the game, which is what the VAR system does,” added Boban.
“Everything will be shown on the big screens, this means a lot for the people in the stadium”, courtesy of FIFA 2018, Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban on how VAR decisions will be communicated to fans at @FIFAWorldCup @danroan @DangerKidsBooks @FutbolsaCountry @ProstSoccer pic.twitter.com/UwnfzdD5nH
— Asif Burhan (@AsifBurhan) May 14, 2018
Boban revealed that the World Cup games would be displayed on large stadium screens, including the scenes, pictures, and recordings of the moment in question.
“Everything will be shown on the big screens, and that means a lot for the people at the stadium,” he added.
But how will this technology affect the play of the game?
“We analyzed with the KU Leuven University in Belgium, and in 100 games, VAR actually affected the game by only one percent. Almost nothing. If you’re talking about the fluidity of football, everyone thinks that it is a very fluid game, but that’s not the case. At the last World Cup, the ball was in play, on average, for 57 and a half minutes of the game. So we have somehow lost 35 minutes or more. We lose time on free kicks, but it’s normal for us to use time. But it is not normal to lose an average of nine minutes for free kicks and four and a half for corner kicks. An average review lasts for about a minute. In many cases, it will only be 20 or 30 seconds. Our referees are the best in the world, and they are well trained. They have participated in many workshops and in previous tournaments. Most of the referees are in leagues that already use VAR so that we have the best people for the best competition.”
To end, what message does Boban send to the fans ahead of Russia?
“My message is very simple – go to the World Cup and enjoy football, enjoy Russia. It will certainly be a special moment in your lives,” concluded the former captain of Croatia.
