The governing body’s U-turn could encourage more simulation
Following an appeal by Arsenal, UEFA have back-tracked on their controversial Eduardo ruling, deciding there was not enough evidence to prove simulation. The Arsenal forward - who has insisted he felt contact from extraordinarily aggressive Celtic keeper Artur Boruc on his left foot and “lost balance” - is now free to face Standard Liege in the Champions league tomorrow night.
Some have argued that UEFA caved in because of the far-reaching implications of the ban: Professor Wenger would have lovingly compiled evidence of every single other perceived dive in European competitions, and would have called for similar bans for the rest of eternity. A dangerous precedent for a crime that isn’t always clear cut.
UEFA’s attempt to contain the situation, however, may actually have had the opposite effect. Not only have they undermined their own authority by favouring Arsenal’s appeal, but they have effectively given professional players carte blanche to throw themselves around without concern for punishment. The Telegraph’sHenry Winter makes a point to this effect on Twitter:
Starting tonight, players know they can dive because refs will be too scared to punish them following UEFA’s crazy U-turn on Eduardo.
Where UEFA right to turn over the ban, or have they, as we suspect, opened a big ol’ can of worms. Let us know your thoughts below…
The Holy Goalie received his comeuppance, says Polish legend
We at The Spoiler were having trouble figuring out the reason for Artur Boruc’s massive howler against Northern Ireland at the weekend. Did he suffer a temporary rage blackout? Was he preoccupied by thoughts of T-shirts with hilariously offensive slogans on them?
Apparently not. This morning, legendary keeper and controversial pundit Jan Tomaszewski has cleared things up. The Pole - who was dubbed “The Man That Stopped England” after an outstanding performance in a World Cup qualifier in 1974 - says Boruc’s blunder was “a punishment from God”:
“Artur has no one to blame but himself. You could say he has had a punishment from God.
“He started a religious war in Glasgow and now it’s come back to haunt him. That is why he was under so much pressure in Belfast - as he is hated by most of the Protestant community.”
Nigel Worthington’s Northern Ireland went a point clear at the top of Group Three this weekend, thanks to a 61st minute error from Celtic keeper Artur Boruc.
The inexplicably angry Pole, who loves nothing more than winding up Rangers fans, was on the receiving end of laughter rather than venemous insults, as a result of his utter failure to clear Michal Zewlakow’s back-pass.
Interweb saboteur gets the better of Scottish scribes
Here’s a cautionary tale for anyone who opens nonchalantly opens email attachments, courtesy of The Telegraph:
One gentleman of the Scottish football press, who shall not be identified, was this week tipped off by a contact that phone camera footage had emerged from the Celtic dressing room of the recent punch-up between Artur Boruc and Aiden McGeady and could be found on a certain website.
The journo involved promptly passed this info to a substantial number of colleagues, most of whom went straight online to witness the fun. They certainly got full-blooded man-on-man action, but in the form of extremely graphic gay male porn.
To make matters worse, the download had a viral element that kept it on screen, despite frantic efforts to erase it. Nor could the desperate scribes turn to their IT departments for help as accessing porno sites is an office no-no.
Which is why the editorial floors of several newspapers were treated to the sight of football writers frantically scrabbling under their desks to disconnect power and communication cables from their PCs before colleagues could leap to wholly erroneous conclusions.
At least, that is the explanation currently being offered by the gentlemen involved.
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