Hackett salutes fair play of reformed Drogba and Ronaldo
· Stars have stopped diving says referees' chief
· Mourinho and Ferguson also applauded for change
Alan Biggs and Jeremy Wilson
Monday June 4, 2007
The head of referees Keith Hackett says the outstanding form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba is largely due to the fact they have stopped diving. Ronaldo and Drogba finished first and second in the Professional Footballers' Association player-of-the-year awards, yet Hackett revealed last night he had them marked as "serial" divers just over a year ago.
Hackett, who is the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board is satisfied, however, that both players do not dive. "Ronaldo and Drogba were serial offenders," he said. "Now I've seen enough to know they've stopped doing it. I also believe their performances have improved dramatically because of this."
Hackett's comments may come as a surprise to supporters of Middlesbrough, whose manager Gareth Southgate called Ronaldo "a diver" after he won a penalty in Manchester United's 2-1 win at The Riverside last December.
Drogba was also the target of criticism, being accused by the then West Bromwich Albion manager Bryan Robson of trying to get Jonathan Greening sent-off during Chelsea's 2-1 win at The Hawthorns in March last year. The Chelsea forward admitted to sometimes diving during a BBC interview before correcting himself and retracting the remark.
This season there have been fewer controversial incidents and Ronaldo has been praised for his willingness to stay upright against some fierce tackling. Ferguson has described the winger as the "most fouled player in the Premiership". Jose Mourinho added to the debate by calling on Chelsea and Manchester United players not to mar the FA Cup final by "diving and provocating".
Hackett says major credit is due to both Mourinho and Ferguson for enforcing a dressing-room poster campaign that was launched last summer. Although neither manager has spoken out in condemnation of their players, Hackett is convinced there has been active discouragement in private after pressure was brought to bear in an FA crusade that was backed by the League Managers' Association and the PFA. "There is no doubt in my mind that the campaign has worked and that there has been a marked decrease in diving," Hackett said.
Ronaldo has this season won back universal acclaim for his bountiful talent after starting the campaign as the Premiership's public enemy No1. While Ronaldo was proving instrumental in United's title success, Drogba's season with Chelsea, which yielded 33 goals, was far more impressive than his first two, culminating in a winning goal at Wembley as Chelsea pipped United to the FA Cup.
Hackett says it is no accident both stars made an effort to stay on their feet - or that their example was crucial in encouraging a reduction in diving throughout the league. "I believe this is mostly because of the influence of the LMA," he said. "The applause should go to the managers because what they have done is self-police the problem."
Hackett also considers such action was the only solution because diving cannot be punished retrospectively. The FA has long wanted to bring charges on video evidence if referees have been blatantly fooled but still cannot do so under Fifa rules. Officials at Soho Square tried to bring the issue back to the table at the recent congress of the International Football Association board but the item was struck from the agenda.
Fall guys
Last March Didier Drogba was laughed at for admitting 'sometimes I dive, sometimes I stand' then claiming his comments were 'misinterpreted', but there were few examples of the acrobatics that littered his first two seasons in the Premiership in 2006-07. He reverted to his old ways only when poleaxed by thin air in matches against Levski Sofia, Werder Bremen and Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo was called a 'cheat' by the Middlesbrough manager, Gareth Southgate, for his fall which won a penalty in December's Premiership match at The Riverside and was booked for diving by Steve Bennett in January's defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...094732,00.html
· Stars have stopped diving says referees' chief
· Mourinho and Ferguson also applauded for change
Alan Biggs and Jeremy Wilson
Monday June 4, 2007
The head of referees Keith Hackett says the outstanding form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba is largely due to the fact they have stopped diving. Ronaldo and Drogba finished first and second in the Professional Footballers' Association player-of-the-year awards, yet Hackett revealed last night he had them marked as "serial" divers just over a year ago.
Hackett, who is the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board is satisfied, however, that both players do not dive. "Ronaldo and Drogba were serial offenders," he said. "Now I've seen enough to know they've stopped doing it. I also believe their performances have improved dramatically because of this."
Hackett's comments may come as a surprise to supporters of Middlesbrough, whose manager Gareth Southgate called Ronaldo "a diver" after he won a penalty in Manchester United's 2-1 win at The Riverside last December.
Drogba was also the target of criticism, being accused by the then West Bromwich Albion manager Bryan Robson of trying to get Jonathan Greening sent-off during Chelsea's 2-1 win at The Hawthorns in March last year. The Chelsea forward admitted to sometimes diving during a BBC interview before correcting himself and retracting the remark.
This season there have been fewer controversial incidents and Ronaldo has been praised for his willingness to stay upright against some fierce tackling. Ferguson has described the winger as the "most fouled player in the Premiership". Jose Mourinho added to the debate by calling on Chelsea and Manchester United players not to mar the FA Cup final by "diving and provocating".
Hackett says major credit is due to both Mourinho and Ferguson for enforcing a dressing-room poster campaign that was launched last summer. Although neither manager has spoken out in condemnation of their players, Hackett is convinced there has been active discouragement in private after pressure was brought to bear in an FA crusade that was backed by the League Managers' Association and the PFA. "There is no doubt in my mind that the campaign has worked and that there has been a marked decrease in diving," Hackett said.
Ronaldo has this season won back universal acclaim for his bountiful talent after starting the campaign as the Premiership's public enemy No1. While Ronaldo was proving instrumental in United's title success, Drogba's season with Chelsea, which yielded 33 goals, was far more impressive than his first two, culminating in a winning goal at Wembley as Chelsea pipped United to the FA Cup.
Hackett says it is no accident both stars made an effort to stay on their feet - or that their example was crucial in encouraging a reduction in diving throughout the league. "I believe this is mostly because of the influence of the LMA," he said. "The applause should go to the managers because what they have done is self-police the problem."
Hackett also considers such action was the only solution because diving cannot be punished retrospectively. The FA has long wanted to bring charges on video evidence if referees have been blatantly fooled but still cannot do so under Fifa rules. Officials at Soho Square tried to bring the issue back to the table at the recent congress of the International Football Association board but the item was struck from the agenda.
Fall guys
Last March Didier Drogba was laughed at for admitting 'sometimes I dive, sometimes I stand' then claiming his comments were 'misinterpreted', but there were few examples of the acrobatics that littered his first two seasons in the Premiership in 2006-07. He reverted to his old ways only when poleaxed by thin air in matches against Levski Sofia, Werder Bremen and Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo was called a 'cheat' by the Middlesbrough manager, Gareth Southgate, for his fall which won a penalty in December's Premiership match at The Riverside and was booked for diving by Steve Bennett in January's defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...094732,00.html
Comment