Khaberni - The proposal by former French coach Arsene Wenger, concerning amendments to the offside rule, has created a sharp divide at the highest levels of global football; according to "The Times" British newspaper, the English Football Association, with support from UEFA (the European Football Association), strongly opposed this radical change.
The opposition from UEFA and the English Football Association comes at a time when FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed his welcome for the proposal during the global sports summit in Dubai at the end of last month, considering it to make the game more exciting.
The "Wenger Law", which has been tested in some youth competitions, aims to give attackers the advantage by not counting a player as offside unless their entire body has surpassed the last defender.
The proposal is scheduled to be reviewed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), responsible for the rules of the game, in its annual meeting scheduled on January 20th in London, before presenting it to the FIFA General Assembly.
The proposal faces a legal hurdle; it requires adoption by at least 6 votes out of 8 within IFAB, while FIFA only has 4 votes, thus strengthening the position of the current opposition front. Nevertheless, reports suggest a possible compromise might be reached by limiting the offside calls to the "torso" of the attacker relative to the defender, without considering feet, legs, or head.
