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Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has been accused of cheating by ex-Premier League referee Jeff Winters, who also blamed legendary Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo for the same.
The English winger has received criticism for his attempt to win a spot kick in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich. Saka went down in the box in the dying minutes after making contact with Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
However, the appeal was shot down and replays showed Saka leaving a trailing leg to catch Neuer.
Winters had more to say on the matter, admitting that Saka's "cheating" is now "part of the game." Cristiano Ronaldo has had a massive impact on the game, but the former referee alleges his fingerprints can be seen in the dark arts of diving.
Speaking to sports betting platform OLBG, via The Daily Star, the ex-referee said:
“The basic word to describe what players like Bukayo Saka have been doing is cheating, but it's now part of the game and has been part of the game for 50-odd years. It's now just been taken to a higher level because the game is so much faster. I don’t know how you stop it."
Winters laid the blame on Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, saying:
“One of the first players perfecting the art was Cristiano Ronaldo. He started taking it to the level we see today where the attacker leaves a leg in and it’s so hard to tell if he is creating contact with the defender or the other way around?
"It's where subjectivity, which is a word I didn't even know what that meant until a couple of years ago, comes into it. If you get 100 referees in the room and they're all neutral you're not going get unanimous. So you know why take it away from the referee."
The former referee concluded:
“If it's not a clear and obvious error, someone, somewhere has got to make the decision quickly for the benefit of the game. It's being made virtually impossible now because of the speed of the game. Sometimes it's a toss of a coin. The referee can't win.”
Arsenal boss puts Wolverhampton Wonderers clash into perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo absent in Al-Nassr win
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has simplified the task for his side heading into their Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Gunners visit the Molineux Stadium on Saturday needing a win to stay in the hunt for the league title.
When asked about the context around the upcoming game, the former Arsenal captain said (via football.london):
"The context is clear. If we win, we are top of the league. If you need anything else to be motivated and if you need anything else to go to that game your mind clear and your purpose clear you have a problem"
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent for Al-Nassr as they eased to a 3-1 victory over All-Fayha in the Saudi Pro League. The Portuguese star remains suspended following his sending-off against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently sits atop the goalscoring charts in the Saudi Pro League with 29 strikes to his name, seven clear of Aleksander Mitrovic in second.
