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Van Persie adds to furore

26 Sep 2009 - 11:48:05

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Netherlands international Robin van Persie has admitted that he has often exaggerated a fall in order to win a penalty.

The Arsenal star insists he thinks diving is wrong but says he would always go to ground if he had been pushed by a defender.

Asked if he had ever exaggerated a fall, van Persie told The Times: "Yes, I did. Sometimes when you are in the middle of an action and you get a little push and you know there's nothing more to take.

"Then you are in the right to show in a way to the ref that you are pushed. That's not really diving. It's just showing 'Come on, he just pushed me, so I can't score now.'

"You sometimes have a little movement with your arms or with your body, but I don't think that's really cheating. It's never my intention to dive, anyway. It is a bit tricky I have to say because I am against divers. It is just not honest.

"But it is difficult because, sometimes, like I had a little moment against Manchester United (in last month's 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford). For example, after the whole Eduardo thing, when I had the ball on the right side and I cut it back.

"(Patrice) Evra gave me a little push - a really little one - but it sort of outbalanced me. I just fell down and the whole stadium started to boo me. I was, like, 'Come on, can't you see he pushed me?'

"Some people don't see these little pushes and they can give you a whole different picture to what the situation really is. It doesn't play on my mind, never, because I always have the intention not to dive. But sometimes you are out of balance, it looks a bit funny."