Survey identifies football fans´ view of cheating

Faking injury and diving in the penalty area have been identified as the forms of cheating on the football pitch that are most disliked by fans, according to a new study by academics at the University of Sheffield. The study, which has surveyed over 500 supporters of those nations competing in the forthcoming World Cup, has also found that Argentina and Italy are considered by fans to be the worst culprits for cheating in the international game. The survey, devised by academics in the University´s Institute of Work Psychology, investigates fans´ commitment to football, their attitudes towards a number of different types of behaviour often considered as gamesmanship, and whether they would disapprove of these actions by players from their team or from the opposition. It also asked respondents which nation they considered their country´s biggest rivals on the pitch. Just under 80% of respondents disapproved of pretending to have been assaulted by an opposition player. This was closely followed by footballers diving in an attempt to win a penalty (75%), hand ball to score a goal (74%) and exaggerating an injury received in a tackle (70%). However, perceptions varied by nationality, with Italian and Spanish respondents the least likely to consider diving in the penalty area as cheating.