With the slyest of grins on his face, Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino declared the Premier League wasn’t home to pure football anymore. “Maybe, you were more pure 20, 25, 30 years ago. Now you are like us!” He was referring to and defending England's supposed great hope, Dele Alli.
The Argentine is right. The Premier League isn't the same football league anymore. Given the ‘global’ influence – as Pochettino described it himself – the league is drawing certain aspects of the game from all over the world through managers and players. This was always going to happen; it’s an unavoidable threat, a corruption to fair play and a virus that disgusts millions of fans the world over.
Yet, we persist with it knowing very well we’re putting referees in a tough position and that ought to be a crime. To put someone under so much stress just to benefit your peers; to dupe him and earn an illegitimate benefit and in the broadest of senses, to let him take the blame for something cruel you did.
Here’s looking at five football players who’ve been diving way too much recently: (Sorry but Ashley Young won’t make this list given his failure to regularly feature for Manchester United)
#1 Dele Alli
Tottenham Hotspur pulled off an incredible coup when they agreed to sign a young Dele Alli from MK Dons. He was the Player of the Year in the English Championship and he’s carried his incredible form into the Premier League.
And with England, he’s touted as the kind of midfielder who could possibly take them back to the upper echelons of international football. Someone with so much talent, the right physical build and the kind of pace that combines so well with the way he plays, Alli often resorts to the dark arts instead of playing football the way it was supposed to be played.
His latest dive against Swansea in the Premier League which earned his side a penalty was embarrassing, disgusting and disrespected referee Jon Moss unlike anything else that entire game. And that isn’t the only instance, he’s done it tonnes of times before – even during last season’s title chase run.
Pochettino may be a good manager and a great tactician but his inability to deal with football's 'less pure' tacts puts a part of the blame on him.
#2 Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez may be one of the best forwards in all of Europe right now with his goals, his hunger to win and more but the Chilean is too often a believer in duping the referee to earn an immediate result.
His latest dive was against French Champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in the UEFA Champions League last month. Sanchez was through in the box, pulled the ball back and simulated enough to suggest to the referee that Grzegorz Krychowiak caught him while sliding to receive the ball.
Perhaps it was karma that Arsenal didn’t win that game. But given how the English media covered the incident, Sanchez will now know that referees will think twice before awarding him any sort of penalty inside the box.
#3 Sadio Mane
He’s up for the African Footballer of the Year award, is currently one of the best forwards in the game – according to Liverpool fans – and has the kind of pace and goalscoring prowess that defenders fear yet when it comes to staying on his feet, he’s far from being appreciated.
Sadio Mane is a brilliant forward, no doubt, and cause havoc all on his own but his insistence to go down and earn penalties is embarrassing and frankly disappointing. Someone like him ought to take the ball, run into the box, brush defenders aside and create goal-scoring opportunities. It’s a shame he takes the easy way out.
His dive against West Brom in October this year echoes our thoughts. He was through on goal, could control the ball and go around Allan Nyom, but instead faked contact, fell to the ground and earned his side a penalty. The linesman waved for simulation but the referee overruled it and awarded a penalty. Unbelievable.
#4 Marcelo
The second South American on this list and another name who would make anyone’s list of ‘top divers in the game currently’. The Brazilian is notorious for being the kind of footballer who gets pleasure out of disrespecting referees. And he can afford to do it in Spain given their officials aren’t as strict – or ballsy – as the ones in the United Kingdom.
Marcelo relies on his antics to contribute heavily to Real Madrid and it was summed up by his pathetic dive against Wolfsburg in last season’s quarter-final loss. The Germans won the tie 2-0 but Maximilian Arnold was the recipient of a yellow card because of Marcelo’s simulation.
And even though the Madrid giants went on to win the tie in the second leg, the loss in the first leg was enough to condemn Marcelo to the ‘Book of Shame’. If the Brazilian ever came to the UK, he’d finally see justice for being the cheat he is.
#5 Neymar
Perhaps the player all of you expected to see on this list. Barcelona’s Neymar is just one of the many Barcelona stars who often prefer to fall rather than take a little bit of discomfort in the game. If diving was counted as a crime, Neymar is the Felicien Kabuga of the crime world.
He’s ruthless when it comes to simulation and extremely innovative to boot. He finds new ways to dupe officials, new ways to simulate injuries and, perhaps the worst of the lot, new ways to defend himself after going to ground.
The Brazilian has been booked repeatedly for his antics but continues to do so every single week. As Mauricio Pochettino said, South Americans learn it as youngsters and it stays with them knowing very well it’s a shameful act. But he’s with Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world who will move tooth and nail to defend him, so he can afford to do it time and again.
For someone so talented, he’s the worst kind of role model for young footballers.
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