Postecoglou says sin bins will destroy football as Spurs boss rails against plan

09 February 2024 , 22:30

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Ange Postecoglou does not think football has an issue with dissent. (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou has warned the introduction of a sin bin would destroy football.

The Tottenham head coach does not think the game has a significant issue with dissent and he believes yellow cards are already a sufficient deterrent that referees can choose to implement when they see fit.

Lawmakers IFAB are weighing up a trial for sin bins, initially at grassroots level, that will see players shown blue cards before spending 10 minutes on the sidelines if they commit a cynical foul or protest too severely. But Spurs boss Postecoglou says the sport is heading down a dangerous path.

“There’s a remedy for dissent already,” he said. “Show a yellow card or send someone off, it’s there in the rules. How much you tolerate is really up to you. Adding another one, what’s that going to do? Is it degrees of dissent? Or is it any dissent or magnitude of dissent? Is it what you say or what you do? The remedy is already there. If it’s not being enforced to the level at which people are satisfied then do that. That’s the change you need to make."

And Postecoglou, who has also been an outspoken opponent of VAR, thinks one team temporarily being down to 10 men will kill the momentum of matches. “I’m in a different space with where I think football’s at," he added. "But one team being down to 10 men for 10 minutes, you know what it’s going to do to our game? It’s going to destroy it, mate.

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“You’re going to have one team just sitting there trying to waste time for 10 minutes waiting for a guy to come on. Every other sport is trying to declutter. All we’re trying to do is go the other way for some bizarre reason.

The possibility of a blue card was raised by FIFA this week (Getty Images)

"I guess it comes down to whoever we feel should be the custodians of the game, to protect the game. That’s always my fear. Who are the custodians? Are we talking about coaches and players? God forbid, it could be a journalist, somebody who just loves the game, understands our game and protects it.

"Because if it just melds into what every other sport is we lose out. The reason this game is more popular than any other sport in the world is because you can get a ball, put two bags down as goals and away you go."

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Alan Smith