I refuse to acknowledge 'falling over and crying like a f**king pussy' a valid game plan. Its taking the lazy way around things. The only thing more ridiculous is the fact that the referee couldnt see through it. I wouldnt get away with this sort of sh*t in Capital 1...
Then you've not watched much International Italian football.
I've just checked the BBC match report and apparently Lippi identified NZ's aerial ability as the biggest threat. They tried to neutralize that threat by frustrating the AW's, with challenges that would provoke a negative response. The way that Ref was waving his card around I amazed NZ never had anyone sent off. If NZ had lost a player that way they would have been really stretched.
I'm not saying it was his entire game plan, but part of any game plan is to neutralize the opposition's attacking players, frustrate the opposition's plan. Italy have long used methods such as they did this morning. What they see as gaining an angle others see it as dirty/unsportsman-like behaviour.
Oh yeah I know Italian football all too well, I cant stand it (as mentioned in other threads, ie. Champions League final thread)
Yes, but how do FIFA see this? When they declare that theyre stamping out diving and advising refs to get tougher, and if Italy are well known for this... why are we still seeing it? And how far does it have to go?? Do we have to wait until someone loses the World Cup Final because of a dive, and have the entire world condemning the credibility of the game first?
And how hard is it for the ref to realise that when a player falls down holding his face in utter agony as though hes just been dealt a blow by Tyson, then only to arise seconds later fully recovered, that hes full of sh*t? Seriously??? I saw Blatter in the crowd, I wonder what he thought of it?
To be fair I don't think Blatter gives a sh*t unless the money stops rolling in. I always suspect he was contemptuous of the average football fan.
Despite what football bodies say, they never really try to manage cheating, they talk the talk but never walk the walk.
Why should they when you have a lot of countries/people who see a dive as a fair tactic to use in a match?
In England we moan about divers but if we see a defender giving an opponent "a bit of a tap'/completely illegal challenge "just so he knows I'm here" is still welcomed by a lot of fans, what's the difference?
Its a gift.
