Uefa cave-in over Eduardo dive takes game closer to dark side

[Mac 10 †]

A chunky magnet has just been placed alongside football's moral compass. So remember the date with anger. Sept 14, 2009 will go down in footballing history as a dark day in the battle against the dark arts.

Uefa's decision to scrap the two-match ban it imposed on Eduardo for allegedly diving against Celtic is both ludicrous and damaging, making a mockery of Michel Platini's initial, commendably strong stance. The Football Association's hesitation over punishing Emmanuel Adebayor further frustrates those hoping the authorities are going to tackle player excess. The game's sheriffs might as well hand in their badges.

The FA will doubtless get round to charging the Manchester City striker with violent conduct on Tuesday, setting in train a "fast-track'' disciplinary process that leads to a three-game ban for allegedly raking Eduardo's Arsenal team-mate Robin van Persie. Following his score-settling antics on Saturday, Adebayor also faces a further game in purdah for inciting Arsenal fans. Fairly straightforward, the straight-thinking majority would suggest.

Think again. Uefa's astonishing U-turn on Eduardo has changed the landscape, making governing the wild west town of football far more difficult. Monday was a doubly good day for Adebayor. Not only did the FA's law-enforcers delay taking action against him, dithering that will surely be seized on by his lawyers, but Uefa's volte face over Eduardo offers him a potential reprieve.

Whisper it along the Holloway Road but Arsenal have done Adebayor a favour. A figure loathed by many within the Emirates home dressing room and by even more on the terraces, Adebayor will probably appeal against any FA punishment. City's talented legal and PR staff will swarm all over the paperwork and procedure. Arsenal's certainly did.

Celtic will feel second-class citizens of Uefa's world, that there is one rule for those who qualify for the Champions League and another for those who fail to make the VIP party beginning on Tuesday evening. Uefa is effectively accusing Celtic of exaggerating their reaction to Eduardo's fall to earth. Unfair. Having been at the Emirates, having seen the way Artur Boruc pulled out from his challenge, having seen how the Arsenal forward hurtled downwards, put me in Glasgow's corner, not London's.

Even Arsène Wenger clearly had doubts about the legitimacy of his No 9's collapse, intimating as much during his post-match press conference. Wenger then changed his tune, passionately backing his striker. Fair enough. That's his job as Arsenal manager, to see only good in his players.

Eduardo is undoubtedly a likeable, decent man, devoid of much of the ego that can stain the millionaire modern professional. Standing next to the Croatian international at a Heathrow carousel following a flight from Zagreb, it was impossible not to admire the unfussy way he juggled family and baggage. Arsenal always talk highly of Eduardo, always insist he would never dive, yet it will take more than Wenger's character references and Uefa's wavering to rinse away the sour taste.

The Eduardo fiasco, and the FA delay over Adebayor, underline one reality: the need for proper disciplinary juries sitting in retrospective judgment on such games. The FA must consider the permanent establishment of a video-review panel, involving those who have served with distinction as player, manager or referee, individuals such as Gary Mabbutt, Steve Coppell and David Elleray, to deliberate on controversial incidents. The Premier League yesterday said it would welcome this. A similar panel should convene in Nyon to assess European games. At least the miscreants would know they were being watched.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/arsenal/6190753/Uefa-cave-in-over-Eduardo-dive-takes-game-closer-to-dark-side.html

[tempo2]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

[Furor Teutonicus]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

[StreetsAllSalute]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

[K.Dub]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

[StreetsAllSalute]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

do you not understand the difference between making the most of "actual bodily contact" or just falling over pretending to have been caught when you clearly havent


oh yeah i forgot your an arsenal fan

[K.Dub]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

do you not understand the difference between making the most of "actual bodily contact" or just falling over pretending to have been caught when you clearly havent


oh yeah i forgot your an arsenal fan

So it's ok to fall if the opponent have been touching you even though you still have balance?

[StreetsAllSalute]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

do you not understand the difference between making the most of "actual bodily contact" or just falling over pretending to have been caught when you clearly havent


oh yeah i forgot your an arsenal fan

So it's ok to fall if the opponent have been touching you even though you still have balance?

its not okay but its more acceptable than blatant simulation...much the same as pullin an opponents shirt isnt ok but a two footed tackle is worse


comprende?

[Episcop Cruel Cvrle]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

do you not understand the difference between making the most of "actual bodily contact" or just falling over pretending to have been caught when you clearly havent


oh yeah i forgot your an arsenal fan

So it's ok to fall if the opponent have been touching you even though you still have balance?

its not okay but its more acceptable than blatant simulation...much the same as pullin an opponents shirt isnt ok but a two footed tackle is worse


comprende?

reet

[K.Dub]

at the end of the day why is eduardo getting all of this heat when the likes of ronaldo have been getting away with it for years in the premier league? why is it only now where its massive issue and i dont understand why eduardo is getting villified more than other players. i know what he did was wrong but i dont get it.

It's all because English media is hating on foreign players all the time. If Gerrard dives it's clever, but when Eduardo does it it's despicable.  The foreigners brought cheating to the Premier League... bla bla this kind of bs

ive never heard anyone call a dive clever in any context...their is making the most of a challenge and there is "simulation"....i think eduardos taking more stick because arsenal were favourites to win and there was simply no need for it


oh well hopefully someone will break his leg

So that's the English mentality ?

 

do you not understand the difference between making the most of "actual bodily contact" or just falling over pretending to have been caught when you clearly havent


oh yeah i forgot your an arsenal fan

So it's ok to fall if the opponent have been touching you even though you still have balance?

its not okay but its more acceptable than blatant simulation...much the same as pullin an opponents shirt isnt ok but a two footed tackle is worse


comprende?

Yeah, when you put it that way.

And by the way, I'm not defending Eduardo, was a horrible dive.

[Mac 10 †]

And by the way, I'm not defending Eduardo, was a horrible dive.

That's because it's impossible to defend what he did.

And what a quote from the cheat after Uefa's decision:

“I’m very pleased that we have finally arrived at the truth."

So we can add liar to the list of words to describe him now.

[Makaveli's Food & Liquor]

If Uefa had gone through with banning him they would of had to have continued this and players would be getting banned every other week, look at the penalty last nite vs Real Madrid, the player was never gonna get the ball so he purposely made his leg make contact, that's no different to a dive. Anyways imo a dive is no different to defenders shirt-pulling/grabbing/pushing people all over the place on corners, it's practically the exact same thing as they're deceiving the referee to gain an advantage

And it's a fact that foreign players always get more stick when it comes down to these things (Arsenal esp), look at Rooney the other week, coming out saying "i'm an honest player i never dive" (yeah rite fuck off) then dives like 3 days later for England, but does anyone say anything? Oh no cos he's the 'boy' rooney

[K.Dub]

If Uefa had gone through with banning him they would of had to have continued this and players would be getting banned every other week, look at the penalty last nite vs Real Madrid, the player was never gonna get the ball so he purposely made his leg make contact, that's no different to a dive. Anyways imo a dive is no different to defenders shirt-pulling/grabbing/pushing people all over the place on corners, it's practically the exact same thing as they're deceiving the referee to gain an advantage

And it's a fact that foreign players always get more stick when it comes down to these things (Arsenal esp), look at Rooney the other week, coming out saying "i'm an honest player i never dive" (yeah rite fuck off) then dives like 3 days later for England, but does anyone say anything? Oh no cos he's the 'boy' rooney

Indeed

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

And he goes on to score the winner in a game he shouldn't even be playing in, i bet Uefa feel very proud today.

[K.Dub]

And he goes on to score the winner in a game he shouldn't even be playing in, i bet Uefa feel very proud today.