Arsène Wenger has called on the Football Association to ban diving in a bid to rid the game of simulation.
Diving was put firmly back on the agenda by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who claimed there was a campaign against his club after Cesc Fabregas was booked for going down against Southampton.
Fabregas became the third Chelsea player to be booked for diving this month, along with Diego Costa and Willian, while Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic have been accused of taking a tumble by opposition managers.
Arsenal manager Wenger believes the only way to solve the debate and confusion around diving would be for the FA to take retrospective action against players found guilty of diving.
Wenger thinks there should be a panel of former players, managers and officials set up to decide whether or not a player dived and whether he should be banned.
“I’m against diving,” said Wenger. “We should punish it after the game. The problem will be to decide when it was obvious diving or not. That’s a big issue and sometimes it’s not obvious.”
Asked whether a panel should be set up, Wenger added: “Yes and the most suited to this are people who have an experience in the game. Punish only obvious cases, but not mixed ones.
“You have to suspend the players, I don’t know how long. It depends. I am not a specialist in this kind of thing. But the only way that the players will stop doing it, is if they feel they can get punished. Whether it is Arsenal, or Manchester United, or Liverpool or Chelsea, it is for everybody the same.”
Wenger has seen Arsenal caught in the centre of diving rows surrounding Robert Pires and Eduardo during his time at the club. The Frenchman does not believe it is worth telling players they must not dive, as those who want to go down will and others, such as Alexis Sanchez, will always stay on their feet.
“You have to choose between being clever and being honest,” said Wenger. “That’s a bad solution. What you want is for a player to play with honesty and to go for it. Once the players start to dive or not to dive, it makes it difficult for the referee.
“It’s difficult for me to judge what’s happening anywhere else, but you can never really meet a manager who says he is in favour of diving anyway.”
Asked whether Arsenal players have dived, Wenger added: “Oh we had them, with Pires, with Eduardo. It is down to the players. Even if you talk to the players, the guys who have that in them, they will do it in the game.
“Sanchez is the kind of player who will always go on (stay up) because he thinks he can win the ball back again. It is a bit more down to the character of the players.”
Meanwhile, Wenger has branded Inter Milan’s bid to sign Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski on loan “a joke.”
Inter had been confident that Podolski would move to Italy until the end of the season after meeting with Arsenal officials last week.
It was believed that a £1.5million loan fee would be enough to land Podolski, but Wenger is clearly not impressed with Inter’s offer.
Asked about Inter’s bid to sign Podolski, Wenger said: “That is a joke, they talk, there are only talks. Inter Milan is not serious.
"Podolski is a player of Arsenal Football Club and I want him to stay. Apart from that, as long as you are somewhere, you give your best to justify your wages and your love for the club. That is being a professional.”
Despite Wenger’s blast, Inter remain hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign Podolski in the January transfer window.
Inter manager Roberto Mancini reiterated his interest in Podolski by saying: “He is a good player. He is part of a list of players that we are following, so we will see what will come of it.”
Wenger’s exasperation could be down the fact that Inter are also talking to Paris Saint-Germain over wantaway forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, which could have an impact on their Podolski offer.
Podolski has only made 13 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal so far this season, but the German may be in contention for a recall against Southampton on New Year’s Day.
Wenger is already without the suspended Olivier Giroud and revealed striker Danny Welbeck is an injury doubt for the Southampton clash.
“We have one alert after the game at West Ham and that’s Danny Welbeck,” said Wenger. “He could be short for Thursday. He has a thigh problem.”
Wenger is hoping to sign a new central defender and possibly a defensive midfielder in the January transfer window. Saint Etienne’s Loic Perrin can play in both positions and has been watched by Arsenal scouts.
“There is a need there, but the right opportunity has to come up,” said Wenger. “To buy to buy is not what we want to do, but if the right opportunity comes up we will do it.
“If you look at the number of games some players played and the injuries we have with Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta, we are a bit short at the moment in midfield.”
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