Gunners diving into controversy
Arsenal fans told to beware hate mobs in Moscow
Arsenal side paired with CSKA, it put sport and politics into a more immediate collision course.
The club will continue to liaise with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other authorities in the build-up, and echoed Government advice to fans thinking of going to the game in Moscow. A statement said: “Supporters planning to go to our Europa League quarter-final away to CSKA Moscow, should be aware of the following travel advice, from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: ‘Due to heightened political tensions between the UK and Russia, you should be aware of the possibility of anti-British sentiment or harassment at this time’.
“You’re advised to remain vigilant, avoid any protests or demonstrations and avoid commenting publicly on political developments.” The sides are due to meet first in north London on April 5, with security concerns again set to be paramount after trouble in the previous round between CSKA and Lyon, although French fans were mainly held to blame.
Already there is an undercurrent of unrest since Russian hooligans clashed with England supporters in Marseilles ahead of their Euro 2016 group game, with both nations threatened with expulsion.
Also, there are echoes of the last time CSKA visited the Emirates, a Champions League clash in November 2006 when the poison polonium-210 was found in the stadium.
Andrei Lugovoi, the key suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko murder case, had been spotted at the game.
‘Barely detectable’ quantities of the substance were discovered with the Health Protection Agency declaring there was no reason for public concern.
RB Leipzig v Marseille Arsenal v CSKA Moscow Atletico Madrid v Sporting Lisbon Lazio v RB Salzburg
REPORTS DANNY WELBECK’S despicable dive in Arsenal’s 3-1 win against AC Milan on Thursday night came as no surprise to Australia striker Scott McDonald.
He has seen it all from an Arsenal player in European competition before.
McDonald says Welbeck is in danger of earning a reputation. Certainly it is a matter of concern for England manager Gareth Southgate, who will lecture Welbeck, fellow culprit Dele Alli and the rest of his players about simulation when they meet up next week.
“We will be talking to all our players about what might get them into disciplinary trouble during the tournament, whether that’s how they approach referees or avoiding giving free-kicks away,” said Southgate.
“On all of those areas it’s a good conversation to have and diving is part of what we have to cover. We will have VAR, so that added into the mix will help focus minds.”
McDonald’s own mind, meanwhile, was yesterday focused on when he was playing for Celtic in a Champions League qualifier against Arsenal in August 2009. Eduardo went round goalkeeper Artur Boruc before appearing to throw himself to the ground with no contact whatsoever.
The penalty was given and the Gunners went on to win 3-1. But Wenger was so furious when UEFA subsequently banned the Brazil-born striker for two games it was hard not to see it as a clear signal to Arsenal players that diving was OK.
“I find it a complete disgrace and unacceptable,” raged the Frenchman. “It’s a witch-hunt that we see and not an objective judgment of a case.”
Worryingly, UEFA caved in, lifted the ban and Eduardo escaped any sort of censure. McDonald, now playing in the Scottish championship with Dundee United towards the end of a career that included a spell with Middlesbrough, says that players will continue to cheat if they think they can get away with it.
“Gamesmanship is part of football now and some teams are better at it,” he said. “When a manager comes out and says what Wenger did about Eduardo, it makes the situation worse.
“I have seen players condemned, though, by their own managers for diving – everybody has their own opinion. Welbeck’s was just a brush of the hand and we need to eradicate the blatant ones like that completely from the game. If there is not enough contact to obstruct you from getting to where you want to get to, no – it should not be a foul, it should not be a penalty.”
McDonald admits the situation is far from clear-cut and questions the performance of the official patrolling the byline against Milan, just a few yards from the incident.
“It is hard to prove somebody went deliberately to ground,” said the 34-year-old. “But the obvious ones like Eduardo and, VIDEO assistant referees will be used at this year’s World Cup in Russia after their use was approved by the FIFA Council at a meeting in Bogota yesterday. Council members voted unanimously to bring in the cameras, whose use has been championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. yes, Danny Welbeck are not great. We should be doing all we can to stamp it out.
“So what was the additional assistant referee doing? Welbeck has conned a lot of people. He’s conned AC Milan, conned the referee, but that is why they have those people there.”
On the flip side, officials are sometimes seeing simulation even when it is not there.
Sheepishly, McDonald admits he was booked for simulation as recently as Tuesday against Queen of the South.
“It was late in the game, we were 3-1 up and there was clear contact – so why would I want to go to ground when I could be through on goal?” he said. “Even the centre-half said to me, ‘I’ve got away with one there’.”