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FIRST EVER VIDEO REF RED:
Last week, the KNVB announced that after a couple years of trials, the video referee would be first used in the Ajax vs. Willem II cup match on Wednesday.
Entirely unsurprisingly, the technology was already proven useful in the first match, awarding a red card to Willem's Anouar Kali for a rather horrendous-looking challenge. The initial foul was called just a yellow, but the video ref upgraded it to a red after a short delay.
The future is almost here, friends!
There is a video last year of how this all works — basically a could refs sit in a TV truck and follow the match on multiple cameras. They help the on-pitch ref through a headset.
Here's a little explainer video of how it all works, or if you're interested, there's a full two-hour video of the video guys watching a match and analyzing it essentially in real-time.
Very cool.
NATIONS LEAGUE & EURO 2020:
The next time we have a European Championship, it will no longer be hosted by just one country. Instead, it will be spread around all of Europe, including two rather far-away places in St. Petersburg and Baku. UEFA confirmed all the host cities on Wednesday, including London as the host for the final and the semifinals.
How will #EURO2020 work? pic.twitter.com/OTdw07A71s
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) September 21, 2016
And of course qualifying has been replaced by this Nations League concept, which will start after the 2018 World Cup.
FOOTBALL (all times BST):
19.00: KVNB Beker, 1st round: De Dijk vs. Vitesse
19.00: La Liga, 12th vs. 15th: Deportivo La Coruña vs. Leganés
21.00: La Liga, 20th vs. 11th: Valencia vs. Deportivo Alavés
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