Respected Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm had penned an open letter to fans and footballers alike in which he explains his support for technology in football and appeals for players to stop deceiving referees. ​





The views were expressed in his latest column for ​Goal.com and will carry extra weight coming from one of Europe's most decorated players, who lifted the World Cup as Germany skipper in 2014.

The right-back-cum-defensive midfielder will not compete in the EURO's this summer as he has since retired from international football, but discusses the conditions in place to assist referees and how the players themselves have a responsibility to act in a sporting fashion.





Lahm even goes on to refer to Frank Lampard's 'ghost goal' for England during the 2010 World Cup - a match in which he played in - to demonstrate his point on the need for technology.





He writes: "Examples like the Frank Lampard goal at World Cup 2010 in South Africa show that this is not an easy job. Although the ball was clearly behind the line, the goal was disallowed. Instead of England equalising to make the score 2-2, we, Germany, kept our 2-1 advantage and won the game in the end.





"It was an incorrect decision that could have been avoided had there been the technological solutions we have nowadays. In every part of our society, rules have to be questioned and adapted. We should not discuss refereeing performances but support decisions to help their work."





On the issue of cheating, Lahm was just as critical:





"The referee only has full control if the players observe the rules. Mistakes that influence the result can happen, though. The player who really knows the rules gives no reason for the referee to miss a foul because he is not committing one. Sporting behaviour means fair behaviour. This is the player's task, not the referee's.





"Yours in football, Philipp Lahm."