The Hand of Messi
Leo Messi continues to emulate the great Diego Maradona.
However, unlike his wonder-goal in the cup against Getafe, Messi’s effort in scoring his first goal against Espanyol was not so praiseworthy. Messi clearly handled the ball into the net just as Maradona did against England in that memorable World Cup Quarter-Final in Mexico.
No doubt many will now label him a cheat, but in today’s money-spinning world of football this is a little unfair.
At the end of the day, he was only giving his all for his team. Of course he broke the rules, but the same could be said for every case of time wasting, over-acting or every cynical foul which happens in modern football.
If Messi is singled out it will be because he is such a fantastic player and also because in 99% of goals scored in this manner the referee will spot it, give a yellow card and the matter will be forgotten in a week.
Fortunately for Barça, Messi seems the type of player who responds positively to criticism, so if opposing fans decide to boo him, they will end up spurring him on to greater things.
Here’s the video:
Nice pic
Video replays and 5th official, anyone?
Personally I don’t care if Messi cheats or not. Yes, he cheated, and shame on him for that, but it’s the ref’s job and the job of the footballing authorities to prevent this from happening.
Ole can get a yellow for kicking the ball out of the keeper’s hands and scoring, but Messi gets away with a handball? Where’s the fairness in that?
Btw, no chance for Barca to retain the title now, is there?
I’m sorry but thats just ridiculous. How can you compare time wasting to actually scoring a goal with your hand? What Messi did was the ultimate form cheating one can do in this game expect match fixing.
The thing that amazed was that Messi celebrated the goal like he had scored it legibly and when he was asked about it after the game, he refused to talk about it. Thats very classless in my book.
I will give you an example: AS Roma’s De Rossi scored a goal similar to Messi’s Hand of God V2, The referee thought it was a legit goal and allowed it. De Rossi could have walked off and let it be but he didn’t, He walked to the referee and told him that he scored it with his hand and demanded that the goal not be counted and it wasn’t after that. THATS CLASS!
Miroslav Klose did the same as De Rossi a while back. THATS CLASS!
messidona? i think hes goin a bit to far with the copying of maradona
The same De Rossi who broke a guy’s nose because his elbows were too high during a jump? How hard do you need to swing your elbow for that btw?
And the same Klose who tells the press that he wants to sign for Bayern, basically screwing Bremen out of any transfer fees that they might have gotten for him - this guy was being valued at 20m last season.
Before you get annoyed (or perhaps after that), my point is that no one is perfect, and that expecting footballers to be moral gods is unfair (even angels fall, and so do the best of men).
It’s best to expect only the best football from our footballers, and find our role-models elsewhere.
de Rossi and Klose, they should be termed the most classiest strikers, right? And for this, should demand high fees during the transfer season, everybody all over the world should know that they are class acts…well, they’re not termed that. Their acts might have seemed like class, but in fact, it were stupidity. Compare this to a Steven Gerrard diving in the penalty area? Should he turn around and tell the ref…”it’s not a penalty, I dived…”. Well, Stevie might not be the most intelligent around, but he definately aint that stupid
Messi is world-class!!!
There are 2 things that can be done:
1 Introduce the 5th official and video technology so the goal would be disallowed
2 The goal stands because the referee & linesmen missed it and then, later, Messi gets a ban of 6, 9 or 12 months or whatever from the Spanish FA for cheating. To me, this type of cheating is comparable to taking performance enhancing drugs and you get banned for that. If there is a possible ban of whatever length then this and diving and play acting and time wasting will soon stop. The authorities just need to work harder, that’s all.
karl - I think Redondo meant a different type of class. Honor, perhaps.
Ian - funny that you should mention drugs…
because Rio Ferdinand (this still pisses me off) got banned for 8 months for not pissing in a bottle, making him miss Euro 2004. Oh, and Oli Kahn got a 1-match suspension for shouting at a dope-testing official because they hadn’t seen him piss in the bottle (and Oli is the sort of guy who knocks opponents down in his penalty area for the fun of it).
I don’t think Messi should get a ban - they should just fix things to make sure they don’t happen again.
Post-match video reviews of controversial incidents. Man, how hard is that to manage?
Is this the same honour that drives a person to kung-fu kick another when he insults your mother? Or headbutts another when he insults your sister?
This is football, to use your hands is cheating, its that simple, there is no point in over analizing or trying to look at it from different angles, he cheated in one of the worst ways possible.
What really annoyed me is the way he celebrated the goal and the fact, after hard evidence being shown , he has not apologised. If it had been a player from my team I would be just as disgusted (if not more).
What also annoys me is people trying to justify it, ‘its the refs fault’ or ‘the linesmans fault’, no it isn’t it’s Messi’s fault and noone elses.
Should he get a ban? You would if put in a bad tackle, and in some ways I think think this is worse. I’d like to see him get a ban.
Karl - haha, don’t look at me mate, I’m not getting involved
Nick - I’m not saying that it’s the ref’s fault. I’m saying that it’s the ref’s JOB to pick up these incidents.
I don’t think anyone here would actually defend Messi’s right to do it again - but to single him out when there’s so much crap going around elsewhere IS unfair.
People are singling him out for an incident he caused, if he or anyone else does not like it he shouldn’t have done it in the first place. It is NOT unfair to single him out over this incident, its exactly what should be done.
Messi had no right to do it in the first place, if a player from my team did what Messi done I would be appalled and would in way try and justify or rationalise it and I would be the first to hand out the harshest criticism.
As said above the fact he did it, celebrated it and then refused to talk about it, show a complete lack of class. Yes he’s a huge talent, but some things are more important then that in this game or any sport for that matter.
Its incidents like this that are making the term ‘Beautiful Game’ die a death.
I really do hope Madrid win as I’m pretty sure the Spanish F.A will do nothing to highlight or punish this act.
No-one is saying that Messi is the only cheat out there. However, as someone has already pointed out, playing basketball to score a goal is very different to timewasting.
It saddens me that anyone can write the words:
“No doubt many will now label him a cheat, but in today’s money-spinning world of football this is a little unfair. At the end of the day, he was only giving his all for his team.”
No, he cheated, ergo he is a cheat. Not complex and not “unfair”. And to “give your all” for your team you run until you drop, you show bravery and perhaps on occasion you might get a red for a rash challenge (unintentional)… but to deliberately push the ball into the goal is plain cheating and has nothing to do with “giving your all”. This implies that you can do anything as long as it helps your team win. Let’s stamp on a player’s spine will prostrate and the ref’s looking the other way “well, he’s giving his all”.
What errant nonsense. Comments like that demonstrate the mentality of the modern 20-something fan of the big-4 teams… win at all costs. If you don’t win there’s no point playing… and hero-worship (implied in the article) of someone because they are good at football even if they are blatant cheats. Talent does not exempt you from basic morals.
The next time Nig plays on Hackney Marshes or wherever on a Sunday and someone punches the ball into his team’s net - I hope he applauds them for their committment.
You cannot justify handball to time wasting, not only did Messi deliberately handball (yellow card), he did it with intent to score, (red card)
I played amateur football for a few years and believe it or not i actually got sent off for something similar.
The ball came in, and the keeper came onrushing, where i did think he was going to batter me, i shut my eyes, and not knowing the ball hit my fist and went it, it was an accident but i didnt know what to do, the ref thought it was purposely done and sent me off. i was Gutted to say the least.
Messi did do this purposely and should have gone, the linesman had a good view. and Ahmed im sure will go back to saying the Spanish FA should back the ref’s again. bullshit. its the refs fault, cheats like Messi get away with it.
they need to be on point for these things.
And as Nick said they will do jack shit about it. A missed bad tackle gets someone a ban, why doesnt cheating to score a goal get a ban?
Well said Fifth, agree wholly.
Ahmed Bilal:
There is nothing wrong with what Klose is doing, he has stated that he does not want to renew with Bremen. What do you expect him to do? .. Just sign a new contract for the hell of it? Bremen can sell him to Juventus THIS summer and make money of it. Was Ballack wrong and classless when he left on bossman to sign for Chelsea? No, he did what FIFA allowed him to do.
What De Rossi did was wrong but the other act i mentioned is classy. What i did was give some examples as to where the players did the right thing and not cheat like Messi did.
He could have told the referee what he did but he choose to be quite and tarnish his reputation and image by cheating like that.
You can argue that no player is perfect and i would agree with you but using it as a excess to justify his actions is just silly.
Fifth Column:
Well said, i could not agree more.
Redondo - you do realise that Klose isn’t going to go to Juve now? Or that he’s not even going to Bayern this summer, because Bayern will never pay Bremen’s asking price?
If he wanted to go to Bayern, he could have had some respect for his club and kept it mum.
Ballack kept quiet, at least.
Nothing wrong with what Klose did, I was just pointed out that there are different ways to look at things, it’s not as black and white as they seem.
Fifth Column - hey
I don’t see Nig saying that Messi didn’t cheat, he’s saying that Messi is being singled out in the press because he’s a star, which is true.
He did cheat - he should be punished for it (video fuckin reviews).
Oh and, no, the Spanish FA should not back a ref when he gives the wrong call - if you paid attention to what I’ve been saying for the last year, the FAs should give the refs more help in making the right decisions on the pitch and be more proactive in correcting the wrong decisions made by the refs.
So in my ideal world, Messi gets suspended for the last game.
With Barcelona, things like this are everyday occurences.
How is this all being played out in the Spanish press, is it even a big thing?
No one said Messi was right in what he did…but singling him out is not. Also, calling him the world’s greatest cheater and a classless cunt is also not right. I think we’re being a bit hypocritical here.
Anyone remembers a certain wink - on the world stage - from a certain classy player, after his “best friend” got sent off? Did this mean that he did not give his all for his team and that he is no longer a great player?
Ronaldo didn’t get Rooney sent off, Rooney got Rooney sent off, and winking at some one isn’t cheating.
I still don’t see why he shouldn’t be singled out for an incident he was 100% in the wrong for creating?
karl:
Rooney is not Ronaldo’s best friend. Ronaldo did not get Rooney sent off, Rooney got himself sent of by crushing Carvalho’s nuts.
Winking at your bench because another teams player got sent off is NOT a classless act or betrayal by Ronaldo.
Please explain to me how winking because someone got sent off constitutes “an act of class”?
Are you trying to say that because they are not friends, the winking is justified?
Is Rooney “class”?
I can remember a certain game (not sure which one though)where he actually took a dive in the penalty area. Even our great Ronaldo took a couple himself. Yet, they are class and not Messi “the cheat” (perhaps because of the reminiciense of the Maradonna goal).
I am a great Rooney and Ronaldo fan. But, I have never seen either apologise for diving (or trying purposefully to miss the ensuing penalty). What makes them so different from Messi?
Nick - good question.
I guess it’s playing there the same way as it’s being played here - Madrid fans are asking for a ban
I think you are confusing the term “class” too much. Are Ronaldo, Rooney and Messi, class players as in extremely talented?? YES!
But are they classy in the term of honor and good sportsmanship? NO! Rooney has a raging temper that has got the best him several times, like the annihilation of Carvalho’s crown jewels. Ronaldo dives too much, Messi does dive occasionally and just cheated with the Hand of God replica.
On the pitch it was England vs Portugal. Ronaldo has no loyalty to Rooney, he was representing another team, his country. Rooney commited a foul and was rightfully sent of. What Ronaldo did was not against the rules but Messi’s was.
Ahmed Bilal:
Where did you read that? There is almost nothing about it in the Spnaish papers?
Johan Cruyff on Messi’s goal: “It’s a crime against Football”
Redondo - I said “I guess”. As opposed to me linking to an article and saying, “look, this is what they are saying”.
relax mate, Madrid are still going to win, I’m on their side anyway, have been since Becks went over.
Redondo, fair enough.
My point is just that ALL players are cheats (at one point or another). Especially when the outcome of the game is as determining as this one. Why are we picking up the moral high ground on some and throwing the others to the dogs? We are no different.
I support ManU fully, but have never once written to the FA to complain about a Ronaldo dive and asking them to please review the video and reverse the penalty…and banning him in the process. This is just as bad (knowing something is wrong and doing nothing about it is also immoral).
Point is, everybody cheats (including us), which does not make cheaating right, but gives us no right to stand on moral high ground. If the ref did not give it, then why are we really bitching about it?
Fact is, Rooney=CLASS, Ronaldo=CLASS, Messi=CLASS
What a cheeky little cheating c…!
Am I right in saying that he he not CHEATED and handed the ball in and Barca had not drawn that game then Real Mardrid would have now been confirmed as the new champions of La Liga?
If video replays can see it, I am sure the Spanish FA can see it. Rescind the yellow card dished out to the Espanyol player and ban Messi for six games. Cheating should not be tolerated, if it is not dealt with correctly it shall happen again.
Result should still stand as it was not dealt with in time by the referee.
I personally agree with the article fully. Yes it is a bad kind of cheating, however, even just by looking at some comments here its clear to see that Messi is being singled out unfairly.
When Steve Taylor handballs on the line for Newcastle his intentions, and their effect on the outcome of the game are exactly the same as what Messis were on saturday, but and no-one took a moral highground on it. Messi shouldnt be thought of as any worse just because he’s a higher profile player and the ref didn’t do his job.
Ref did his job but didn’t see it - Oh no the referee’s human! - We can’t have that - No need to blame Messi, blame the referee!! - What an easy way out!
If games were reviewed after and cheating players were punished with long suspensions, maybe they wouldn’t cheat in the first place and we call all hug a referee!!!
Well I’m delighted that Messi DID what he DID. If he hadn’t we’d all be playing solitaire right now instead of getting together for an argument three weeks after our own season finished.
Maradona explained his “hand of god” as “pick-pocketing the english” and to that extent was in no way remorseful, and neither should he be. Let’s face it if you’re Argentinian or a Barca fan you will defend it, call it cheeky, blame the ref, etc. In the same way if you’re a United or Portugal fan then what Ronaldo did last summer is OK when everyone else thinks it’s a disgrace.
I don’t want technology because it stops debates like this, we should accept it’s part of the game to cheat/bend the rules, and it allows us all to take part in something every day.
messi should serve a six or eight month ban,we all want football to stay as open and free from tecknology as much as possible,just plain old raw footy,’cept there now replay cam’s and if players get 3 match bans for incidences the ref didn’t see during the match then this is another example of a ref missing an incident so a review shows messi deserved a red card then he should serve a match ban.That would be the most fare decision coz we can’t have a rematch and barca can’t be deducted points for it.This will prevent players like messi who think just coz they are celebrated footballers think they can get away with such deeds.van persie tried the same,its getting in the head of these young players that they can do anything.they need to be taught a lesson.
To MDH steve taylor’s handling wasn’t a cup deciding move,plus it wasn’t like wigan or newcastle were relegated coz of these move,point is it wasn’t a high stakes match,i don’t see how the two are similar,but what goes around comes around,the cheats thought they were winning the game until the nintieth minute.Never felt that relieved to see a team get what it deserves.A DRAW.kudos toredo
I think what some people may be forgetting is that could have been the goal that won barca the title. Yes he cheated but put in that situation how many people would have done different when your title dreams depend on it.
Since when does time wasting and over acting to being hurt get your team a goal? Stupid point. He cheated, where is the 4th official and his video replay in 10 seconds. Messi would have been shown the red and this would have seriously impacted the fact that Barca do no win the La Liga.
Spizzy, a) Wigan nearly did get relegated….. not really the best case to use as an example.
b) Even if it was a good example, technically it shouldn’t really make a difference what the scale of the match or players was. You cant have one rule for a big team/game and another rule for a smaller teams/games, thered be no structure and it wouldn’t work, and it puts succesful teams at a disadvantage, and unless your a spurs fan or something you wouldnt want that would you?
33. simonthered
I could not have put it any better. This is exactly how I feel.
MDH, thanks for putting it better, at least someone here gets the point that I tried to make.
If Messi really wants to emulate Maradona he should get addicted to cocaine…
More Messi news - the boy definitely has the ‘win at all costs’ mentality that Ronaldo has.
Wow, 40 replies! People obviously feel strongly about this. Firstly I must say I do not condone what Messi did. I would also like to make clear that I am very much against the “money-spinning” side of football, I mentioned it because it exists and to try to put Messi’s action into context. The point I’m trying to make is that all players break the rules/ cheat in some way at some time or another; whether it is time-wasting, not retreating 10 yards at a free-kick, holding an opponent’s shirt at a corner kick or tripping/blocking a player to avoid a counter attack. If people want to argue that these examples are not comparable to what Messi did then fine. I would argue that trying to get an opponent punished by feigning that you have been elbowed in the face or running to the ref pleading for him to give a card are worse. And worse still in my book is violent conduct, yet how many people are singling out the Arsenal and Chelsea players for the joke of a brawl in the Carling Cup Final.
)
What seems to annoy some people is the fact that it resulted in a goal, would his action be judged differently if he had handled wide? Surely not. A handball should be judged equally wherever it occurs.
I accept that I was trying to be a bit provocative with the article, hopefully you all appreciate the chance for a good argument. It is because over the years I’ve got tired of different people telling me that this Barça player is a diver, and this one is a cheat, and this from fans from various not so squeaky clean teams who have all had their share of divers and cheats. To me it is hypocrisy and makes me think of the biblical statement about let he who is without sin cast the first stone.(hope I don’t start a religious argument here
I would like to reply in turn to every response but I would be here all night. Suffice to say that some points I would make have already been made by Ahmed, Karl, MDH, Simonthered and Liam O’Kelly, and respect to the rest of you. Finally, I have to say that I believe the main reason for most of the anger at the goal,compared to other types of unfair play, is that it brings back bad memories of Maradona knocking out England in 86.
I would like to point something from you article out. You said: “”No doubt many will now label him a cheat, but in today’s money-spinning world of football this is a little unfair.”"
But he is a cheat? He cheated ergo, he is a cheat. You might want to excuse his against by saying that everyone else does it. Thats still does not make cheating okay.
*excuse his actions
Finally, I have to say that I believe the main reason for most of the anger at the goal,compared to other types of unfair play, is that it brings back bad memories of Maradona knocking out England in 86.
lmao
By the way, do you think there will be a course at soccer academies teaching people how to dive like Gerrard, how to dive like Ronaldo, etc etc?
I mean, if they’re cheating and the refs aren’t doing anything about it, might as well train to cheat better, eh?
kidding, kidding…
Should he turn around and tell the ref…”it’s not a penalty, I dived…”
Actually, something like that really happened some 7-8 years ago. France-nal were playing L’pool at Library, and Robbie Fowler fell down in the box after a Seaman’s challenge. The ref pointed at the Spot, and Fowler got up and ran over to him showing that he wasn’t fouled(maybe he was high on coke?). And the funniest thing was that the ref stuck to his decision and the pen was taken. But still, how about that as a piece of honesty? Being a class player is one thing, but having some dignity doesn’t hurt as well. Anyway, Messi is a cheating cunt, like the majority of Argentine players(sadly).
Redondo
Ok he is a cheat, every player is a cheat. Let’s ban football.
ttts - as opposed to the whiter than white English players, or the Spanish, or the French, or the Italians…
I mean, come on man
Really disappointed that at the end of the day, all you can come up with is that X is a cheating cunt. That’s as one-dimensional as saying that Ronaldinho doesn’t defend - if a player’s honesty is all that concerns you, what are you doing watching football?
Footballers are as opportunistic as the rest of us - and the most opportunistic of them all get ahead, as do the best of them (Maradona, Pele, Zidane, etc).
Question - why do you guys think that cheating is so bad?
No, seriously - stop sniping at each other and tell me
Redondo
What’s your source for the Cruyff “It’s a crime against football” quote? I’ve just looked through Marca, As, Sport and El Mundo Deportivo which are the 4 main Spanish sports papers. They all report Cruyff’s press conference today with lengthy quotes, which for once all seem to coincide with each other, and not one mention of the quote you gave us.
So you are seriously asking why cheating is bad? I’ll take it from the top: Football is basically a game and in this game, there are certain rules everyone has to follow, some people don’t follow these rules. They dive and try to con the referee into thinking something has happened which is not the case.
Players diving, scoring with their hands, stomping on the other teams players when no one is looking, wasting time are all poor sportsmanship which i don’t think i need to explain to anyone, why they are bad for the game.
I’m pretty sure you (Ahmed) was upset about that one player stomping on Ronaldo when he was laying on the ground and i’m also pretty sure that you would not have been happy if Drogba scored that goal that won Chelsea the FA Cup with his hand instead of foot.
http://www.as.com/futbol/primera/clubes/?comp=0372&ideq=3 - It was on AS front page today. The exact quote was “ESTAFA AL FÚTBOL”
Redondo. If you look again you’ll see that the quote comes from German magazine Kicker and has nothing to do with Johan Cruyff
Redondo,
I think you’ll find the quote was from the German magazine Kicker, not the great Dutchman. Slight difference.
I don’t offer the following particularly as an argument - only how perhaps some of the rest of the planet might see it.
I watched the game in a bar in Barcelona. When the replay was shown and everybody saw how Messi scored, the crowd went frankly delirious with delight, following in the wake of his other Maradona emulation. What a great moment of entertainment. What a great moment of theatre. Totally coincidently there were two Argentineans sitting next to me, who were literally in tears.
Wolfie
If a red card can be given for intentionally using the hand to prevent the ball from entering the net by a defender, then the same should be given to an offensive player intentionally using his hand to knock the ball in.
The Spanish FA should look at this play before the next game and apply a red card to Messi, and force him to miss the next match, the last of the season.
A Messi suspension is derserved; football is a game of integrity, and this was very classless. I wonder how someone with a conscience can sleep at night knowing they cheated their way to a draw that should have been a loss.
Now that Messi touched the ball lets go tell eveyone the worlds coming to an end! Messi probably was thinking “oh hell, everyone’s doing it” and went parading around the field, he might as well! why single him out,really? otherwise you’d have to write about the other people who hand the ball,oh,and those of them who dive,generally all damn cheaters,or there should be a sport for cheaters only,wouldn’t that help? i support barca so you could expect shit like this from me.
A few points
1.The simple solution is surely just to set up a commitee to look into cheating, handing out 3-5 match bans for simulation afterwards
2. A rugby-like sinbin should be introduced for professional fouls. Is it just me who’s sicck of hearing ‘a good yellow card’? Put them in the bin for 5 minutes and it would stop.
3. Messi should have been sent off, and due to the high profile and potential impact of the goal it is not unfair to single it out, and to make an example of him.
4. How come Drogba & Ronaldo have improved so much this year, and stopped (to a certain extent) their diving?
Seriously there are some very judgemental arguments here… I seem to recollect, seasons in a row blackburn scoring handball goals (not like messi’s) against newcastle, with souness as manager and against his newcastle side, but wait there was no public uproar, there were no IDIOTIC calls to get gallagher and whomever the previous player was to get banned for 6-12 months, i mean some people here are making such ridiculously STUPID arguments. He did it, it was wrong but there are more crimes in football example Fred on Chivu where were you when he literally attempted to smash his nose TWICE and wait for it NO UEFA RESPONSE, NO CALLS FOR A 12 MONTH BAN? The “goal” has not given Barca the title (I wish it had then I wonder what your reactions would’ve been) and neither has it killed anyone so no need for the over-reaction.
Messi can become one of the greatest ever seriously he can so lets pray he removes the cheating but we have to admire his talent and note a lengthy ban could stifle his GOD GIVEN TALENT!!
additionally many of his team mates and coaches hail him as a genuinely lovely person so why wish bad on a nice young man? ALL HAIL MESSI!!!!!!
MMC, it’s not just Barcelona. I acknowledge that dishonroable play is ramapnt in all leagues, and perhaps the Messi goal is simply receiving much more hype because it drastiaclly affects the Spanish title race.
However, I feel that such a balatant disregard of the rules, and an act that clearly vioaltes not just the rules but the integrity of the game itself should be severly punished. Messi’s violation si the ultimate sin of football: he directly violated the rules and used his HANDS to score a goal. This is much more than any simple dive; Messi’s vioaltion has direct ramifications for not just Barca, but several other teams.
While the violation may still not seem serious to some, there is clear video evidence that shows intent to use the hand and then the act of covering it up with body language used to deceive the referees. This is absoltuely atrocious and dishonorable, and Messi’s failure to act in honor and report his action, and then attempt to cover them up, warrant a severe punishment by the FA.
It is unfortunate, MMC, that this focuses on your club, but if this were my club, Chelsea, I would be jsut as ashamed and demand that the player make retribution and the results be fixed to indicate the real score. Behavior like this destroys the sport and all of its integrity and prestige, and I couldn’t rest at night knowing that one of my own club players had doen this and then supported him in the morning.
Ahmed Bilal
I’m not at all saying that players of any particular nationality are or are not fair, but the thing is, and this is a fact, that in most southamerican countries(especially Brazil and Argentina) they have a certain, let’s call it, institutionalized cheakiness. They are thaught to bend the rules or fake it , all in order to score or whatever. They (BRA,ARG) have a name for it, I don’t remember it. Remember Rivaldo’s rediculous fall against Turkey in the WC 2002, and of course, the hand of God itself, now this and there’s plenty more. Everyone cheats,but they are thaught to do it, and that’s wrong. And doing things like scoring with hands is insane, it’s not football anymore. What Messi did is wrong, and that’s unquestionable and even worse is the fact that he thinks it’s right.
Its not all about messi,its how unsportsmanlike players today are.I totally agree with redondo,there are rules and these rules need to followed and sometimes players bend this rules outside thee referee’s eyes,thats why we’ve got cam’s on,to help us figure out what happens.whether its headbutting a player,stomping on someones chest,or flipping the crowd,these are all agaist the rules and players who do this get suspended.So why shoul it be any different when a guy handles the ball,and to make it worse it results in a goalthat is crucial to the outcome of the match.First of all i think the rules really suck if they going to let that lying cheat Messi get away with this,he deserves a suspension period.If he’d maybe given some sort of sign that he knew what he’d done was wrong then maybe I’d look at him differently,but he didn’t,he still thinks what he did was ok,that makes him a low down dirty skunk.And i’ll tell you now all the sympathy i had for him during his injuries is gone,and seeing as in he is so keen on following in maradona’s footsteps he should go buy himself some dope,start using messi then you will have completely filled the shoes of your idol.hope he ends up a worthless junkie that lying SOB
Brian, sorry for this personal attack:
“…but if this were my club, Chelsea, I would be jsut as ashamed and demand that the player make retribution and the results be fixed to indicate the real score…
How many times did you demand for Drogba to make retribution?
ttts
“…Anyway, Messi is a cheating cunt, like the majority of Argentine players(sadly).”
I’ve seen Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole cheating in some form for club or country, this year alone. That’s more than half (majority) the starting eleven of the England team.
I can say the same about the Dutch, Portugese, Brazilian,etc teams. I’ve watched Ruud Van Nistlerooy play for a couple of years at United - he wasn’t/isn’t the “cleanest” of players either.
whats your point Karl.Are you saying you condone cheating
While were on the topic does anyone remember Steven Gerrard diving to get a penalty against Sheffield United. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. What a disgusting and dishonorable act that disregarded both the rules of the game and human integrity in general. Doing something which doesnt comply with the rules in order to get his team a goal is probably the ultimate sin in footballing terms. Comittees should be put in place to deal with this kind of thing and wipee this out. I think he should be banned for about 10 games to be honest, we need to wipe cheating out, and how better to do it than by making an example of one of the worlds most talented players? To boot the lying scumbag denied all knowledge of any wrong doing afterwards. I wonder how he sleeps at night. Same applies for that Kevin Gallacher who scored a handball for Blackburn a few years ago. I wonder how he looks his kids in the eyes in the morning…
MDH, I fully agree with you.
However, the reality of the matter is, should the comitte be established and achieve its aims, we will not get to watch any football. Chances are that 80% will be sitting out bans.
Not syaing I condone it, just saying, before we crit, lets not be blind to ur own cheats
MDH, I re-read it, its actually bloody funny
Ahmed: “I don’t see Nig saying that Messi didn’t cheat”
Ahmed, it’s the bit were Nig says that it would be harsh to call him a cheat, that he implies that he didn’t cheat. Not rocket science mate.
Obviously there are other people who have cheated. The tone of his piece is that he’s a superstar so we have to forgive him.
As for blaming the ref, how very new millennium. The ref is human. If the Police don’t spot every pickpocket on Oxford Street, then the theft is the fault of the Police? No, it’s the fault of the criminal. Same principle applies here.
Fifth Column.
If you look back at reply number 47 you’ll see I admit he is a cheat. The whole point is not that we should “forgive him” because he’s a great player but that we shouldn’t single him out for being one when the majority of players cheat in one way or another.
karl
take a look at number 60.
Nig
I was commenting on Ahmed’s post to me, which was before you then post “number 47″. Your “number 47″ post doesn’t change the fact that you said it was ‘harsh’ to call him a cheat when it’s not at all harsh. Changing your mind when people point out you were writing nonsense just shows you can’t defend a silly statement.
“If Messi is singled out it will be because he is such a fantastic player…Fortunately for Barça, Messi seems the type of player who responds positively to criticism, so if opposing fans decide to boo him, they will end up spurring him on to greater things.”
That sounds remarkably like excuse making for the talented to me. ‘Oooh Messi, you’re so wonderful, don’t let the boo boys get you down, can I give you a back-rub Messi’.
And you said he was “only giving his all for his team”… saying ‘I was just being provocative’ misunderstands the term ‘provocative’.
I haven’t seen anyone, at any time, anywhere, say that Messi is the only person who cheats or that Messi should be the only person punished for cheating. That is what being “singled out” means. So, no-one has done that, no-one was suggesting that but you for some reason feel the need to come on-line and post a eulogy to a cheat.
Fifth Column.
You do a great job of putting words into my mouth. If you want to interprete what I say as you do then that is your business. Twice now you have quoted me as saying ‘harsh’ when if you look at the original article I don’t use that word once. I think you must be referring to when a say “a little unfair”. You are entitled to not agree with that but it is not the same as “harsh”
As for your third paragraph “That sounds remarkably like…” well I’m sorry but once again you have read what I say and given it a massive dose of your own interpretation. I am not feeling sorry for him or trying to defend him from the “boo boys” I’m saying he is big enough to live with his own actions, a completely different thing. I think like Beckham after France 98 and Ronaldo after Germany 06 he will raise his game if he is criticised. In fact I positively want people to boo him as I think he will play even better.
Next, you have taken one quote from the original article and one quote from my first reply, stuck them together completely out of context in order to make the claim that I “misunderstand the term provocative”. I can assure you I know what it means.
Lastly you question why I “feel the need to come on-line and post a eulogy to a cheat” Again this was not my reason for writing the article at all. If I wanted to write a eulogy I would never begin by saying that something was not so praiseworthy. Nor would I mention that somebody broke the rules.
Ok you don’t like what Messi did and you don’t like my article. Fine, but please don’t try to twist everything I’ve written.
Hallo guys,,
(( I see double standards ));
Ruud van Nistlerooy clearly handled the ball to Ramos in Depor Game , and Eto’o has Planty , The Deceptions are found into football and it is wonderful thing , Messi didn’t commit a crime carries and Messi not Hurts any player or shoot him or ugliness of spitting or racist comments, what he had done was to exploit of stupid of the referee and not guilt him that the referee did not see,…!
Soccer’s world is so big that it might be difficult for any person to describe even part thereof, Messi scored a lot of beautiful goals and legendary and does not need to say it”a worthless junkie”, because there is a very talented player and great Quality ..!
Simply ,, Messi stay one of the best players of the world
؛؛؛
FC - are we going to split hairs over semantics?
If so, then singled out means focused on at the expense of other people (look it up).
>> So, no-one has done that, no-one was suggesting that but you for some reason feel the need to come on-line and post a eulogy to a cheat.
And while we’re at it - by an extension of your logic a praiseworthy article for any player at this point would a eulogy to a cheat (Gerrard, Joe Cole, Ronaldo, Rooney, Owen, Becks, Henry, van Persie, RVN, Vieira, Shevchenko, etc etc etc) because all these players ‘give their all to win’, and have sometimes cheated to get their way.
Like I said earlier, boo hoo, Messi cheated. The only two ways cheating is going to removed from the game is if players are honest and if the refs have the means to catch all cheating incidents. It’s much quicker to give the refs those means than it is to implement the social changes that will enable all players to be piously honest to a fault.
Everyone, let’s move on now, Messi cheated, some of us think he should be banned, some of us think the game should be cleaned up.
How about something more constructive on HOW the game can be cleaned up instead of sniping at each other?
Its not like messi killed anybody!when i watched that goal at first i did not see him handle the ball i thought it was legitimate.its after a couple of replays that i actually saw the hand touch the ball i am sure the ref had not seen it (dont blame him).but i love the way he played it even though he handled it its cunning we do it all the time even at the work place to gain advantage. its a jungle out there you have to fight for yourself or your own as messi did for barca now they have a chance of taking the la liga.remember people the end justifies the means.i am not a barca fan but i love messi
he is the greatest player after diago amando a player is someone who is able to beat the mind of the refree to get the most outof it .
messi u are great and wld be the greatest player after your role model
go messi go messi go messi
[...] goal against Espanyol. My article “The Hand Of Messi” was also posted on Soccerlens http://soccerlens.com/the-hand-of-messi/1991/ and has provoked a storm of outrage. Calls for a ban of up to 12 months to teach the little cheat a [...]
THIS WAS A CHEAT
That is normal in football. It’s a sport! Messi is very clever. The main problem of football is the violence of defenders. So, the rest of players need another weapons. Messi has suffered injuries every match. So, he must react. That’s the balance of football. I have the same opinion that edu anierri: at first moment, goal seemed legitimate.
But I fear that, in the future, perhaps Messi will be injured in a spanish league for an angry player.
You do a great job of putting words into my mouth. If you want to interprete what I say as you do then that is your business. Twice now you have quoted me as saying ‘harsh’ when if you look at the original article I don’t use that word once. I think you must be referring to when a say “a little unfair”. You are entitled to not agree with that but it is not the same as “harsh”
As for your third paragraph “That sounds remarkably like…” well I’m sorry but once again you have read what I say and given it a massive dose of your own interpretation. I am not feeling sorry for him or trying to defend him from the “boo boys” I’m saying he is big enough to live with his own actions, a completely different thing. I think like Beckham after France 98 and Ronaldo after Germany 06 he will raise his game if he is criticised. In fact I positively want people to boo him as I think he will play even better.
Next, you have taken one quote from the original article and one quote from my first reply, stuck them together completely out of context in order to make the claim that I “misunderstand the term provocative”. I can assure you I know what it means.
Lastly you question why I “feel the need to come on-line and post a eulogy to a cheat” Again this was not my reason for writing the article at all. If I wanted to write a eulogy I would never begin by saying that something was not so praiseworthy. Nor would I mention that somebody broke the rules.
Ok you don’t like what Messi did and you don’t like my article. Fine, but please don’t try to twist everything I’ve written.
messi is the best football player of the world i love messi eh is the best!!!
Messi should join the Argentina national team in handball, I mean they could use some good handballers in that team.
Seems to be more his sport than football, I mean he likes to jump, fall and handball, so that’s the ultimate sport for this guy.
Why, for Heaven’s sake, the player should confess for scoring a false ball if the blind referee failed to see it?? Perhaps, he a little overdid with celebrating the goal, but still I’m on his side.
futbol is about trying to gain every little advantage you have in order to help your team win, if he would have been caught during the game he would have just taken the foul and walked away. but he wasn’t caught. if you were in a game and the chance arose would you just let the ball pass and not try anything to get it in the net for your team? i know i would do anything possible to score.