Earlier this week, The Times revealed that the Football Association is taking active steps towards bringing in retrospective bans for players who dive.
The governing body is to send officials on a fact-finding mission to Scotland to study the rule there, which stipulates a two-match ban for any player who wins a significant advantage for their team by tricking the referee by diving or simulation, and will explore introducing a similar rule to the English game.
Here is what the Premier League managers had to say regarding the proposal.
José Mourinho, Manchester United
“I agree totally. But again I’m always afraid that for similar situations, different decisions - inconsistency. I’m always afraid of that. But I would agree totally.
“It’s like the interpretation of handball/balls to the hand, deflection/no deflection, the distance, the referee’s analysis is not consistent.
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“Then for similar decisions, you have different decisions. But of course yes, I would like retrospective action for simulation in the box.”
David Moyes, Sunderland
“I’m not a massive fan of using too much technology in football, but goalline technology has worked well and I do think it should be used for retrospective punishment for diving.
“I’ve seen the other side of the culture in Spain, where diving happens all the time, it’s seen as being part of the game, players being clever, but it’s not part of our culture here.
“I think it would help referees because players are becoming so skilled at diving; you look at slow-motion replays to see if somebody got caught or not and it’s very difficult. Punishment would serve as a deterrent.“
Aitor Karanka, Middlesbrough
“I like to play in the fairest conditions for everyone, but I think if you’re a referee and you prepare properly for games, then you know the players who will be involved and they can look at them.
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“For things like a punch that isn’t seen, retrospective punishment is right, but for everything else it should be the referee, his assistants and the fourth official working together and preparing for games in the same way we do. They should be a team, too. If they make mistakes, then they make mistakes, like anyone can.”
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool
“This wonderful game that we all love doesn’t need rule changes. What we are doing at this moment, not just in England but with more teams in the World Cup, is we bring the game in danger.
“Obviously a few people think they have to press everything out of football, that they must squeeze everything out of football that they can.
“I don’t think they care enough about the future of football because it is, for me, the most wonderful game. Everyone enjoys it, but if it is too much, it is too much. That is how it is.”
Mark Hughes, Stoke City
“I think it would be difficult to administer to be perfectly honest.
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“It’s a bit of a grey area. Some players are very skilled in that they maybe exaggerate contact to make sure referees give a free kick, when it’s already a valid free kick.
“When they have been impeded, just to make sure they do get the free kick, they elaborate and embellish the challenge.
“Who is to say whether that’s diving or it is just making sure you get the free kick you deserve?
“So it’s too much of a grey area, to rewind every single incident where we’ve got retrospective action for other incidents and what have you.
“I’d be more inclined to maybe do it there and then and introduce more video help for referees.
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“I think that’s more relevant and imperative really, rather than looking back on things that have already happened.”
Tony Pulis, West Bromwich Albion
“Yes, I supported it about two years ago.
“I’m in favour of it, I think it’s cheating and if people cheat and they know they’ve cheated then they should be punished for it.”
Ronald Koeman, Everton
“I support referees who give yellows for diving because that is trying to lie to the referees. If every referee does it, I think we can stop it.”
Use replays after a game?
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“If I have a player in my team who is diving then I will speak to him.”