Sepp Blatter suddenly thinks goal-line technology is ‘a necessity’

After years of dragging his feet, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has finally admitted that goal-line technology is a necessity in modern football and all it took was for an overlooked goal to go England's way.

In the hours after England's 1-0 win over co-host nation Ukraine in a final Euro 2012 group stage match that was overshadowed by a Ukraine shot that crossed the goal line but wasn't ruled a goal (and should've been irrelevant since an offside call was also missed just before the shot), Blatter hopped on his official Twitter account to proclaim: "After last night's match #GLT [goal-line technology] is no longer an alternative but a necessity."

Of course, FIFA has been testing various forms of goal-line technology for months now and a final decision is already scheduled to be made at the International Football Association Board's meeting on July 2, so Blatter's comment is little more than a hint at what everyone hoped would be a longer overdue implementation of change. But it is funny that the incident that made Blatter finally see the light was both mooted by another blown call and something that benefited England.

The timing of this comment will likely further fuel conspiracy theories (The Sun's already on it!) that FIFA is actively out to get England, especially after their bid for the 2018 World Cup lost out to Russia and former FA chairman Lord Triesman accused four FIFA executives of soliciting bribes.

Since apologizing to England and vowing to "reopen the file on goal-line technology" after a clear Frank Lampard equalizer was missed in a 2010 World Cup loss to Germany, Blatter and FIFA have taken a slow path to an inevitable conclusion despite regular examples of why a new system is needed. But hey -- some people are slow learners. And shouldn't be in charge of football's governing body.

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