Vanishing Spray to Debut in Uefa Club Event In Next Week’s Super Cup

Uefa has announced that vanishing spray will be introduced in all its championship games, following its successful trial at this summer Fifa World Cup in Brazil

The spray was a useful invention at the Brazil tournament and its employed in marking the position of free-kick and the distance the defensive wall must retreat.

It evaporates about a minute after being spread on the grass and it helps prevent players from stealing unallocated ground at free-kicks.

The First-Ever Instance Vanishing Spray Was Used at a Fifa Tournament Involving the Opening 2014 World Cup Fixture Between Brazil and Croatia.
The First-Ever Instance Vanishing Spray Was Used at a Fifa Tournament Involving the Opening 2014 World Cup Fixture Between Brazil and Croatia.

“After a successful test at the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Malta, I am pleased that the Referees Committee decided to approve the use of the vanishing spray in our senior competitions,” explained UEFA President Michel Platini.

The spray use received positive feedback after it was tried out at the Uefa European U-17 Championships in May this year.

European football’s governing body says it will make its debut in the Super Cup game between winners of the last season’s Champions and Europa Leagues, Real Madrid and Sevilla respectively, next Tuesday at the Cardiff City Stadium, Wales.

UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina added: “In my opinion, there is no doubt that the spray allows the referees to have an easier control in free-kick situations, as players cannot try to make the wall distance shorter by using the so-called ‘penguin walk’ tactic. Once the defensive wall has been correctly positioned, the free-kick will be taken with the distance respected.”

It will be passed on to the UEFA Champions League from the play-off round onward, and in the UEFA Europa League from the start of the group stage.

The Spray will also be a regular item in every centre-referee’s kit in the qualification rounds for Euro 2016.

The English Premier League earlier announced the spray will be introduced in its next campaign.

The spray has been in use in the Brazilian and Argentine leagues for several seasons.