Cheating is a growing epidemic in football these days, as is the organisational apathy and enabling attitude of fans that allows it to flourish. With a self-confessed cheat running UEFA, it comes as no surprise to me that we're getting to the stage where a manager will have no qualms about publicly exhorting his team to cheat, which is exactly what Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio has done.
In a disgraceful statement after Swindon's recent defeat to Macclesfield, DiCanio stated:
“From now on, I will bring in a different culture. My team are the only ones who do not dive somewhere around the field. I’d prefer that they risk getting a yellow card for simulation. It’s not fair, but it’s the only way to receive something. You can’t stay on your feet just because you want to be honest.”
Unbelievable. DiCanio here is shamelessly urging his players to dive to gain an advantage. How can he be allowed to get away with saying something like this in public? What kind of message does this send to impressionable kids who love football?
It makes me sick, and the FA should take some kind of action. That won't happen though because - like UEFA - the FA is a spineless, ethically-challenged organisation with no real interest (i.e. no financial incentive) in eradicating cheating.
If DiCanio is not punished for his comments then where does it stop? In time, other managers will follow suit, and football will become an even bigger cesspool than it is now.
Jaimie Kanwar
In a disgraceful statement after Swindon's recent defeat to Macclesfield, DiCanio stated:
“From now on, I will bring in a different culture. My team are the only ones who do not dive somewhere around the field. I’d prefer that they risk getting a yellow card for simulation. It’s not fair, but it’s the only way to receive something. You can’t stay on your feet just because you want to be honest.”
Unbelievable. DiCanio here is shamelessly urging his players to dive to gain an advantage. How can he be allowed to get away with saying something like this in public? What kind of message does this send to impressionable kids who love football?
It makes me sick, and the FA should take some kind of action. That won't happen though because - like UEFA - the FA is a spineless, ethically-challenged organisation with no real interest (i.e. no financial incentive) in eradicating cheating.
If DiCanio is not punished for his comments then where does it stop? In time, other managers will follow suit, and football will become an even bigger cesspool than it is now.
Jaimie Kanwar
Well he is right ..even though its wrong to cheat ..i would rather a player go down easily than a player who goes out to hurt other players intentionally and then hides behind the excuse of "didn't mean to " or " was just mis timed" "was passionate " etc or these things happen after all its a contact sport
ReplyDeleteThen, like him, you're part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteWould you rather have a players career potentially end with reckless and dangerous challenges or someone who goes down easily to get a decision ..Ideally both need to be got rid off but until then the shearer elbows and cantona stamping and rooney thuggery needs to be stamped out because player safety is necessary.
ReplyDeleteHow do you suggest cracking down on cheating? What's the difference between someone who is unbalanced by a foul and someone who goes over easily? How are you supposed to tell? Why should a player not go down easily when if you stay on your feet you don't get penalties regardless of whether you are fouled or not? Should the associations analyze every single foul? Or just the ones that make the most headlines?
ReplyDeleteSee the problem here?
Diving is worse than deliberatly hurting an opponent? Both are disgraceful...but going out to deliberatly hurt an opponent is clearly worse!
ReplyDeleteThe problem of diving,cheating and simulation comes from poor tackling and players still thinking they need to dive in on a player in the box from behind which is a foul out of the box .
ReplyDeleteDefenders love a good shirt pulling contest in the box if you run past a player in open play and tug him its a free kick but things change in the penalty box and defenders get away with all sorts even pulling a players to the ground in Europe defenders put their arms behind their back when defending in the area but in the Premier League week after week we see the ball hitting defenders hands and no penalty given.
Not really that surprising attacking players go down easily because all the rules are in the defending teams favour.
I think you're missing the point. It seems more a comment on refs who don't award free kicks... The team at the moment don't dive and so aren't getting the free kicks that other teams might. I don't condone cheating at all - I hate divers - but I understand that sometimes to stay on your feet is not the best option. I don't think a player should dive if there isn't an obvious foul, but it's not uncommon to see a challenge made inside the box, the player continues on, off balance, and has a poor attempt on goal that is saved or completely misses. Same player, if he went down under the challenge, would have got a penalty... Better to go down easily and score a goal to get 3 points... From the team's point of view.
ReplyDeleteand that's exactly di canio's point here absolutely, the problem we have is refs seem to think there are fouls that simply do not count inside the box as they do inside the centre circle, i've heard people in pubs and clubs and even commentators say, if he'd have gone down there he'd have had a penalty... well? is it/should it not be a penalty anyway irrespective if a player falls over, a foul is a foul, however this doesnt apply in the penalty box, so in these instances you cant blame the player for going down what would be easily just to make sure the ref has seen that the foul has taken place, if the refs got these things right then players wouldnt feel the need to do it... blatant diving when no contact is made.. absolutely has to be highlighted tho
ReplyDeleteYou took his word out of context again, Jaimie.
ReplyDelete"My team are the only ones who do not dive somewhere around the field"
This part suggests he's never a fan of diving, the only diving involving him that I can remember was Paul Alcock :P
His team was denied a penalty because his player chose not to fall after an obvious foul in the box.
"From now on, I will bring in a different culture."
He is clearly upset and being sarcastic of the referee's decision OR he is simply instructing his players to follow the standard set by the referee.
Spot on twat face that published this has taken it way out of context as to what he actually meant when saying it!
ReplyDelete