Manchester United Balls: Of Course Wayne Rooney Dived Like All Good Barcelona Players Should
DID Wayne Rooney dive in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich? There is no doubt that Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger fouled Rooney, but the Englishman went down in true action hero style: legs buckled, chest out, head tossed back, mouth in a rictus of agony, perhaps death.
Schweinsteiger and Bayern manager Pep Guardiola thought the ‘going to ground easily’ has contributed to the German earning a second yellow card in the Champions League quarter-final.
Back in October 2006, Rooney said:
“I’d never dive. I’d like to think of myself as an honest player. That’s the way I play. I don’t like diving, football doesn’t need it.”
In 2009, he added:
“I have never intentionally tried to dive. There have been times when I have tried to stay on my feet and tried to get the shot off rather than going down. I have never intentionally dived.”
Then in November 2011:
But, then, Guardiola never did complain much when he manager of Barcelona and this happened. Thiago Motta was upset that Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets’ tumble earned the Inter Milan midfielder a red card during the Champions League semi-final clash at the Nou Camp.
Posted: 3rd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
