England would celebrate if a cheat won the World Cup Final claims Koren
05 Sep 2009 - 14:00:58
Against diving: Robert Koren
The same English fans who vilify foreigners like Eduardo for his dive with Arsenal last week will be only too happy to turn a blind eye if a dive secures any victory for Fabio Capello's team.
Slovenia captain Robert Koren believes double standards exist. 'If England were in the World Cup final and Wayne Rooney did the same thing as Eduardo and dived like that to win the game, people would view it differently,' he said.
'Nobody talked too much about Michael Owen winning that penalty against Argentina, in the 2002 World Cup but they still talk about Maradona's hand-ball from 1986.
'It's the same with fans all over the world, not just in England. If it's your team who benefit then you're not too worried about it.
'Foreigners do get more blame. If a foreigner does the same thing as an English player, there will be more negative things said about him.
'But I think English people realise their own players can be as guilty as foreigners when it comes to diving.'
Rooney and Steven Gerrard are two England players to have found themselves at the centre of diving controversies at home and abroad in recent years.
As a midfielder with West Bromwich Albion and Slovenia's only English-based player, Koren, 28, is well placed to discuss the problem in this country - one which he believes is here to stay.
He added: 'We all know that, especially in England, people don't like diving and I agree with that. I'm against diving.
'But everyone is talking about Eduardo diving and it's not fair on him. Every player does it at some stage in his career.
'You can't plan for it and say, 'Today I'm going to dive for a penalty'. It's about the situation, the moment. It's also about protecting yourself because sometimes if you don't dive an opponent can break your leg.
Dubious: Koren suggests Michael Owen dived to win a penalty against Argentina in the 2002 World Cup but that England supporters didn't care
'Foreigners go down more easily than English players because they come from a different style and mentality. In Spain, if a player is pushed, he goes down and no one complains.
'I expect in the future it will change even more and England players and fans will have to accept it as part and parcel of the game. I don't think it will ever be stamped out.'
Slovenia's similar style to neighbours Croatia - England's opponents in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday - is the main reason they have been chosen for today's friendly at Wembley.
It is the first time Slovenia have faced England, and Koren insists they are determined to show they have players of the calibre of Croatia stars Eduardo, Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar.
He said: 'Everyone in the world knows how good England are, but we want to show people how good we are.
'We beat Italy in qualifying for the last World Cup and we've played Holland and Germany.
England based: Koren celebrates scoring for West Bromwich Albion
'Playing against big teams is not a new experience for us. We're not afraid of anything.
'Wembley is something special but I've been there twice with West Bromwich so I won't be overawed by it.
'Because I'm in England and played against all these players last season I will give the details to my coach and team-mates so we'll be well prepared.'
Today's friendly also gives Koren an opportunity to showcase his talents following Albion's relegation from the Premier League last season.
Celtic, Tottenham, Fulham and Birmingham are believed to have shown an interest this summer, and he is prepared to leave The Hawthorns in the January transfer window if the deal is right for him and West Bromwich.
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Explore more:People:Fabio Capello, Robert Koren, Steven Gerrard, Luka Modric, Michael Owen, Niko Kranjcar, Wayne RooneyPlaces:Fulham, Birmingham, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Argentina, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Germany
