Manjou Wilde from 1. FC Köln took the penalty spot. The ball was ready for a penalty in an arranged friendly against Borussia Mönchengladbach, but execution had to wait. the Spider cam, a camera on wire ropes above the field, had descended to the Cologne player. The question sounded tinny: “Are you an experienced penalty taker?” Wilde replied: “Yes! Not in this team yet, I’m still quite new. But in general, yes.”
The scene can be seen on a video (from 00:40 minutes) published by the German Football League (DFL). On-pitch interviews while the game is in progress? This idea was presented at the fair “Sports innovation” presented in Dusseldorf. Now the outrage is great.
Great indignation about interviews before the penalty
Hardly anyone would have taken notice of the whole idea if the “kicker” hadn’t included this sentence in a contribution to the fair: “The DFL is also currently testing the possibility of conducting on-field interviews with players during the game using a mini drone – before penalty situations, for example.” In the example it was the one hanging on ropes Spider cam and no drone, but the author of the text ultimately only reproduced what was demonstrated at the fair. The sentence was later often interpreted as if the introduction of such an interview format was imminent.
“Most digital or dumbest league in the world? DFL boss (Donata, ed.) Hops between innovation and idiocy” headlines the portal “90min.de”, for example. On social networks, many people criticized another alienation of professional football from its fans. The DFL later tried to capture the topic.
DFL: “There are no plans for drone interviews”
“There are no plans for drone interviews,” the organization wrote on Twitter. “At Sports Innovation, exhibitors experimented with a wide variety of technological innovations and presented them to a specialist audience – regardless of whether they are ever used in regular game operations.”
The trade fair offers space for many ideas for new technical developments. one wants “the most digital league in the world” said Hopfen during a welcome speech at the trade fair. While in most Bundesliga stadiums fans in vain from a stable WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS dream to find out only the interim results on the other places, the next but one technical step will be presented at the trade fair in Düsseldorf. Some ideas from there are implemented later, many end up in the virtual wastebasket.
This year, for example, it was presented how with augmented reality the current pulse or other data of the players can be seen by fans. A big theme was personalization like a customized television conference. New cameras and camera angles for the production of TV images were also shown, along with the idea of the interview.
Interviews on the pitch – is that allowed?
Apart from the fact that the chance of conducting the interviews per Spider cam during the game after the fair should be even smaller than before, another question arises: Would that be allowed at all? The Rules of the Game make no reference to Spider cams or taken drones.
Rule 4 says: “Players (including substitutes, substituted players and players sent off) are not permitted to wear or use any form of electronic or communication devices.”
Interviewed player: “I shoot to the left!”
Another obstacle could be a sporting influence. The Cologne player Manjou Wilde was asked in which corner she would shoot. She announced a shot to the left and, looking at the opposing goalkeeper, said: “Let’s see if she believes me.” Wilde shot to the right, the ball was in the goal – and the idea of the interviews during the game may already be history.