One-in-four Premier League footballers’ falls are actually ‘dives’
August 14th, 2010 - 1:21 pm ICT by ANILondon, Aug 14 (ANI): Nearly a quarter of English Premier League footballers who fall down after being tackled are actually diving, according to a research.
Football statistics firm Opta conducted the research, which was unveiled as the new Premier League season kicks off today.
The study found that on average there are eight dives in every match. And only one player in ten who rolls around in apparent agony is substituted because he is actually too hurt to play on, The Sun reports.
On an average 52 seconds are spent by players per game moaning at the referee. Last season they were shown a total of 168 yellow cards for diving, dissent or swearing.
Backing the findings, former top-flight referee Jeff Winter hit out at cheating, argumentative players who make match officials’ jobs virtually impossible.
Signaling out ex-Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo as being the worst offender for winning free kicks, Jeff said: “To hear that one in four falls is a dive is alarming. Players should be ashamed.”
The research was commissioned by shaving firm Gillette, which said it was shocked at the scale of Premier League cheating. (ANI)
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Tags: agony, cristiano ronaldo, dissent, english premier league, football statistics, footballers, free kicks, game, gillette, jobs, london, manchester united, match, referee, ronaldo, striker, sun reports, top flight, yellow cards