Footballer Players Cheating

[cfc1]

This isn't sour grapes or anything like that... but...

Why do good football players need to cheat?

In tonights game between Ar5enal and celtic Eduardo Da Silva clearly dived to win his team a penalty kick. When you consider that Ar5enal were 2 - 0 up from the first leg and the fact they are a far better side why did this player feel the need to cheat?

Why can't they use the skill they have and win a game in a fair and honest manner, especially when the possibilty of loosing a match is very unlikely, it just ruins what should be a descent match. In the end it made no difference to the end result, a result which was never in doubt anyway, but what it does do is create anger and frustration in the opposition and heads go down, this.. in my opinion.. gives an unfair advantage which isn't deserved. A superior team will always win a match if they play well, they don't need to resort to blatent cheating to do so.

I think it's time that FIFA done something about it, television evidence should be looked at and players and their teams who are caught out should be severley punnished, ok the final result can't be changed, but a seriously heavy fine, the team being kicked out of the competion, the player being banned for the rest of the season will soon stop it happening. There are all sorts of things that go on in matches, things like shirt pulling etc.. but this is part of the game and always has been.. diving is just blatent cheating and has no place in the game, same goes for feigning injury (I remember a quote from Martin O'neil... if a goalkeeper rolls 36 times in one direction then 36 times back in the other... it's safe to assume he isn't injured) in an attempt to get other players sent off. I also think that referee's should get more help from an official on the sidelines for hard descisions.. much the same as what happens in rugby, it only takes a few seconds for the incident to be reviewed and a descision to be made, if cheating is found to have taken place the appropriate punnishemnt can be dished out.

All you have to do is look on You Tube for football cheats and you see hundreds of examples of it, it happens all over the world... and they get away with it, it gets embarrasing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atH-qkLElWs

... look at the top stars in that compilation (especially the second one ;))

Good teams and players don't need to cheat to win games.. so what do you think should be done to put an end to it?

[toyboata]

...should have been actors!!

Shame really - spoiles a good match imo

[Ryan1985]

I remember that Gilardino dive well Davy, it was absolutely ridiculous and almost as bad as Lafferty's last season against Aberdeen.

Anyway, I hope Eduardo gets hit with some sort of ban and I can't believe Ar5ene Wenger said he didn't dive, is he blind?

[Steigers]

IMHO it could be as simple as some people have morals and standards and others don't..... I think the obscene amount of wages paid to some football players can't help their morals and standards either. I guess if you have a lifestyle that comes with some of the salaries talked about the temptation to do anything to make yourself seem valuable and hang on to your obscene weekly wage becomes justifiable.... hence the diving etc...

I used to love playing and watching football, haven't bothered with it for years. Too many cheats, too many bad ref decisions I could go on but won't :censor:

[Parts-King]

As an EX Referee and now County FA Referee assessor, I couldnt agree more

Sadly the game is not run by the FA anymore or FIFA, it's the manager association and media who call all the shots. The money that is awash in the game has ruined football at the highest levels, too much pressure to win at all costs has made for a very bad attitude in the whole game

The FA should adopt the same sanctions as they do at grass roots level, for example, red card offences for serious foul play, 35 days suspension, viloent conduct, minimum 60 days ban. Why don't those grass root sanctions transfer across to the highest levels? because they are "Professional" footballers and their living would seriously be affected if those sanctions were applied. Good I say, lets have cheaters and thugs banned for a few months Only trouble is that nobody wants to pay good money to see the top stars in action, only to find they are on a 90 day ban, so the managers oppose those types of penalties and we suffer players diving, tripping, swearing and the like. Like it or not though, it's here to stay!

Kingo

[cfc1]

Platini has stated that he wants to stamp out the cheating... here's how I would do it...

If a player has been found to be cheating (TV evidence for example... more refs in stadia for non televised games?) then that player should be banned for either the rest of the season or 6 - 9 months and a fine that reflects his wages (3x his yearly wage), the team kicked out of the competition (or 30 pts deducted if it's a league game) and a fine that reflects the annual wage bill for the 1st team squad (again x3). You might think this seems harsh.. well, so be it, clubs would order their managers and players to stop it as it would cost them more in monetery terms than getting through to the next round (or winning the championship and qualifying for the champions league) and any player found guilty might be worthless in terms of transfer fee as other clubs might think twice about signing them.

This wouldn't just apply for diving.. it would also be applied for play acting in an attempt to get an opponent sent off... in cases such as this (sorry Rangers fans)

Please wait a few seconds for Video to load!

As soon as it was imposed on one team/player and an example made.. I bet it would all but stop over night.

People always try to blame referees for not spotting it, we can all accept an honest mistake now and again, they are only human... so lets give them more help useing technology that is available, it only takes a few seconds to review big decisions such as penalty claims, did the ball go over the goal line or did he cheat... it shouldn't be used for more baisic things like throw ins or corners etc.

Perhaps a system such as in tennis could be adopted where a team has so many challenges where they can ask for a review of an incident, if a player is guilty of tripping an opponent then he might think twice about claiming his innocence, I would also add a rule whereby it isn't possible to claim that the corner that led the the clearance that led to the shot that resulted in a handball and a penalty should have been a goal kick, by that time it is too late for a review and we accept any error on the refs part as an honest mistake and is part of the game...... thoughts?

[Parts-King]

I smile to myself when people say "...and the Referee completely missed it!" Well let me tell you even on parks and gardens football you need eyes in the back of your head, especially when there is mass confrontation. The Referee gets one chance to see an incident, he doesnt benefit from the 35 sky cameras at each game. Imagine the pressure with 50,000 people watching and a TV audience of millions? Huge fines, point deductions, bans, all good in theory but it will NEVER happen, as per my reasons above......money!

Andy Gray commenting on Man U yesterday "Oh the lad went in hard, won the ball first and then his knee took him out" then we watch the incident three or four times...........oh he didnt win the ball first, he got the man first......More muppetry from Mr Gray

Every law change in football over the last few years has been implemented to make the game faster, more exciting, do you think they are going to implement something that SLOWS the game down? not a chance, video evidence wont be used in the foreseeable future IMHO

Kingo

[Ryan1985]

Davy, what about McGeady yesterday? Silly boy!

I think football's fine the way it is! :)