| Product: |
Football in General |
| Date: |
27/06/06 (61 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: None, it's desgraceful!
Disadvantages: Bringing the world of football to its knees
I apologise if I am touching on a subject that has already been expressed but I need to get the issue of sportsmanships in football off my chest. Watching the World Cup has opened my eyes to the extent of the problem, which is making a mockery of the sport.
Diving has been a part of the game for too long now, with players simulating to win penalties, free kicks and now even more worryingly to get other players sent off.
I just can't understand the mentality of grown men throwing themselves to the ground in order to cheat! It makes them look stupid, and unfortunately tarnishes the sport.
Only today I saw Thierry Henry, one of the world's greatest players, hit the deck like he had been shot to get spanish defender Puyol sent off. High profile cases like Robben and Drogba exist with the problem slowly filtering to all levels of the game.
Another despicable act is when players surround a referee signalling that another player should be sent off, its just wrong, and it frustrates me that players get away with doing it.
The problem may lie with referees, who rarely discipline offending players and more importantly don't reward players who try to stay on their feet. I'm sure that sometimes players feel as though they need to emphasis the fall in order to recieve a free kick.
Guidelines for referees must be tightened so that this cheating is stopped - proper training should be given as these 'professional' referees all to often get the decision wrong.
Furthermore, action should be taken against players who have been caught diving on camera. Serious bans should be used to deter 'divers' with no player being let of the hook, no matter how big the name. Who would dive if they knew they would face a five match ban because it was caught on camera, and throw a personal fine in as well - the cheating must stop.
Although referees are partly responsible and the penalties are not harsh enough, the buck stops with the players, their inexcusable behave is beyond defence and if they never cheated then the referees would never get a decision wrong!
Summary: Diving must stop, and harsher decisions will stop it.
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