Ospina faces Wenger sting

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ARSENE WENGER has told David Ospina to forget replicating Colombian compatriot Rene Higuita’s crazy Wembley scorpion kick.

Higuita’s antics in 1995 against England left football fans around the globe, including Ospina, open-mouthed.

But Arsenal boss Wenger will only open his mouth to dish out a rollicking to his keeper if he tries anything like that in today’s League Cup Final showdown with Manchester City.

Ospina (above) said: “For Colombians, Higuita is a very important figure as he did so much for the national team and the country. I have always had great respect for him and it’s nice that he is remembered here for something special.

“I watched the scorpion kick on TV, we all talked about it a lot. It was great he did it at Wembley, too.”

But asked what he would make of it if his cup keeper tried to emulate his countryman, Wenger said: “I wouldn’t really be happy, no.

“That shows football has changed — these kind of characters have disappeared from the game. With the importance of every single result, there is less room for this kind of improvisation and more individual responsibility on the players.

“It isn’t to the detriment of the game because we would all agree that the quality of the game has gone up.

“But it is detrimental to this kind of distraction everybody talks about.

“Some people have given their names to some technical movements you would not dare to think possible of doing today, like a Panenka penalty kick in a Euros final.

“You don’t see these things anymore because of the risk.”