Enter The Vanishing Spray in Serie A

Fiorentina is one of the teams that go into matches fighting for possession. Possession in consequence produces fouls against the other team all over the pitch. Last season, Ilicic scored a couple free kicks while Fernandez buried an astonishing unforgettable one against Parma.

Anyone noticed Parma players did not move an inch forward? This is what the spray will provide next season. It will be a disadvantage for sure to Fiorentina defenses as well. Pirlo might even score a free kick every match. It could not be helped because in almost every free kick during every Serie A match; the line moved forward not for only a step or two.

The average goals scored per season in the last Five copies of Serie A has been 217 goals as direct and indirect set pieces. It is not a fact nor a speculation that this number may shoot up to 250 this season. It is all dependent on the creative minds of Serie A players and set piece coaching on both attacking and defending patterns. It could only be understandable that direct free kick goals increase since the attacking team has gained a serious advantage on which should be the norm on that situation.

One of the things to look forward to if you are the tactical type and especially of you are leaning more to defensive tactics how things will turn out. Our Brazilian friend Davih could shed some light on this since Brazil League has been using the vanishing spray for a couple of years now. Speaking of indirect set pieces; do you expect pretty new attacking moves to be created through the season? how will the defensive coaches cope with the pressure of having a very visible line that cannot be stepped over. Is this going to reduce the tackles made by defenders in dangerous ares or is all the above just useless blabber and vanishing spray effect on the goals scored through set pieces is just non existent.

The Morality of Vanishing Spray

Football has seen many sad days, and as a sports management enthusiast and part time student; i find the day Serie A referees receive 5,000 vanishing spray bottles a sad day for football indeed. On the positive, it makes things more fair. The problem here is that when a football federation decides that such a tool is required it means so many things. A list you say? here you go:

1) FIGC indirectly says, my referees are incompetent and are unable to assert to the players the usual hidden line

2) FIGC admits to having a problem with players not following the rules. I still prefer bans to this because it shows a strong federation.

3) Whoever thinks of the goal line technology as a similar thing is just plain wrong! Goal line technology removes the human error factor while the vanishing spray removes the human cheating factor.

4) An old saying ( I assume in the whole world in different wording) goes: "If he steels an egg then eventually he will steel a camel". This point may get much criticism and dislike from all football communities but a fact is a fact. One of sports basics is integrity and it is so sad that a football federation decided to deploy 5,000 bottles of vanishing spray for the lack of integrity of the players. (It is understandable if none agrees with this point since taking one, two, or steps forward while forming the wall has become normal) .

In conclusion, the vanishing spray will bring more fairness to the game in Serie A but what does the decision of using them bring? It could be just going with the flow.