|
The city of Gelsenkirchen has warned referee Carlos Velasco Carballo to not use UEFA's vanishing spray in the Champions League match between Schalke 04 and Maribor on Tuesday night. The foam -- made popular at the World Cup -- is already used in other major European leagues to keep the defensive wall back to the required distance. It was set for its first appearance in Germany in mid-October after the international break. But, in a study commissioned by Germany's biggest selling tabloid Bild, the Technischer Überwachungsverein [TÜV] said that the vanishing spray tested positive for "hormonally active" chemical compounds called parabens. Furthermore the spray canisters are not allowed in Germany, or the European Union, since they have not been approved in the EU after being produced in Argentina. Schalke's game against Maribor in Champions League on Tuesday will be the first international match played in Germany after the TÜV report. And the City of Gelsenkirchen have warned Spanish referee to not use vanishing spray. "Should the Gelsenkirchen city council gain knowledge that a non-eligible spray as has been proven is used, the Ordnungsamt [Public Order Office] will initiate an Ordnungswidrigkeitsverfahren [regulatory proceedings]," a Gelsenkirchen city hall spokesperson told Bild. "As a rule, the Ordnungsgeld [fine] charged is between five and 55 euros," he added. However, UEFA hopes to solve the matter ahead of Tuesday night. "We canvass the matter. I think, we will get feedback during the day," Lars Ellensohn, a UEFA spokesman, told the paper. "The canister thriller will only be decided minutes before kickoff," the tabloid commented.
|
