French league ends goal-line technology contract

Paris (AFP) – The French league have ended their contract with German company GoalControl after a series of problems with its goal-line technology.

The French had suspended use of the system on January 11 after “two serious dysfunctions” in the League Cup. 

“Taking account of the numerous anomalies in the GoalControl system, we have agreed to immediately terminate…without further action or compensation from either side,” Didier Quillot, head of the French league wrote in an email on Tuesday to members of the administrative committee.

“A call for tenders will be launched in early February to choose a new provider to provide goal-line technology,” Quillot wrote. The contract with GoalControl was due to run until June 2019.

Unlike the video assistant referee (VAR), goal-line technology is meant to function automatically when the ball enters the goal, but a former employee of GoalControl told the media in October that the referee’s wrist-watch notification was sometimes activated manually.