Football’s diving crisis took a new turn when Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers criticised Luis Suarez for admitting to diving.
Suarez has been at the centre of controversy since he arrived at Liverpool with Rodgers going out of his way to defend the striker, most recently after a handball incident against Mansfield.
In an interview for Fox Sports in Argentina Suarez admitted to diving against Stoke, he said: “Sometimes you do things on the field that later you think ‘Why the hell did I do that?
“I was accused of falling inside the box in a match and it’s true I did it that time, because we were drawing against Stoke at home and we needed anything to win it.”
Rodgers anger was aimed at his striker admitting to diving rather than the act itself.
The Liverpool boss said: “I’ve seen the comments and I think it is wrong. Certainly from our perspective it is unacceptable. It is not something we advocate here. Our ethics are correct.
“I’ve spoken to Luis and he is totally understanding and knows where I’m coming from as manager of the club. This is a big club and whatever people do say goes around the world, and what was said was wrong and not acceptable – he takes that and we move on.
“There is no-one bigger than the club or the club’s image. The comments, from our point of view as a club, are not what we would want to hear.
“This is something which was obviously wrong and is not something we associate with as a club of this standing.”
CLICK HERE Rogic makes his mark
Follow Video Celts on Twitter and Facebook
He must have took his badges with the sfa, corruption makes up most of the course
I’d ban a player for a dive where there is absolutely no contact, for six games minimum, his manager would have to sort him out then.
Suarez obviously doesn’t share our British obsession with fair play and poetic justice(when it suits us).
What a player he is though!
And I can remember plenty of times when I was delighted to be given a dodgy penalty. Though, I hate it when someone else gets one- especially against Celtic. Double standards by me, I guess.
At least he is honest enough to admit it, unlike many others (Gerrard & Owen) spring to mind but every club in football has players who hit the deck easily, Ronaldo is an obvious one.
Only goes to show the incredible talent of the world’s greatest player Messi who tries everything to stay on his feet….class apart.
Shock horror player dives in EPL, wonder if we’ll ever see a English player vilified the way Suarez is.
Francis Lee was the finest diver I ever saw,he would start his fall on the halfway line and end up in the penalty area,class..less…act.
Diving is a blight on our game, and could easily be eradicated, given the will of the authorities. As in the recent 2 match ban on Kevin Wilson on video evidence, the same idea could be applied. Although not altering the final outcome, sanctions should be applied in context of advantage gained, and the importance of the match played. As well as bans to the striker/defenders at fault, forfeiture of prize money to the club could be imposed. In the case of a league game, a black mark awarded, which counts against at the season’s end, in the event of a drawn points tally.