Regularly football fans are obliged to watch matches where the spirit of the game is not observed. Obstruction, tackling from behind, barging without any intention of playing the ball, are a few examples but referees do not punish the culprits enough.
There are, however, two situations which in my opinion merit a fundamental but serious review by FIFA:
a) Body-checking by a player with the sole intention of stopping another player from touching the ball, when the player obviously has no intention at all of touching the ball himself. A revision of the rules that referees should apply appears to be very necessary.
b) Replacing players during the last few minutes of a game when they are not injured, just to "gain time" or just to "interrupt" the intensity of a game right at the end, is an abuse of the spirit of the game. Would it not be better and more in the spirit of the game if no replacements of players were to be permitted during the last ten minutes of a game ?
FIFA and Sepp Blatter, as well as UEFA and MIchel Platini, must lead the way to ensure that this beautiful game does not turn ugly and that its rules for referees are adequate.
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