'fair play' going mad ?

[dorgie]

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/sow_ex...?urn=sow,206981

 

 

Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:03 pm EST

 

'Fair play' goal in Italy under investigation

By Brooks Peck

 

Legal and ethical questions surround Ascoli's decision to allow Reggina to score an unopposed goal in an effort to balance out a previous incident during an Italian second division (Serie B) match on Saturday.

 

Early in the first half, Reggina's Carlos Valdez pulled a muscle and attempted to kick the ball out of play so he could receive treatment. Oblivious to those intentions, Ascoli's Vincenzo Sommese intercepted the ball and set up teammate Mirko Antenucci for a goal as Reggina players protested.

 

A brawl ensued and Reggina defender Andrea Costa was sent off for hitting Sommese. Once the fury subsided and play resumed, Ascoli, sitting in the relegation zone at the bottom of the Serie B table, stood still to allow Reggina striker Biagio Pagano to score an uncontested goal in an attempt at fairness.

 

Ascoli's gesture did not bring them good karma for the rest of the match, though, as they lost 3-1 even though Reggina was a man down.

 

Following the match, Ascoli manager Bepi Pillon (who, curiously enough, managed Reggina last season) said:

 

 

“We made the decision [to let Reggina score] all together, there is no single person responsible for it.

 

“We were locked in the changing rooms for two hours after the game to avoid the protests. There is too much exasperation in Italy, too many interests that force you to look only at the results. It’s not fun like this.”

 

 

The justifiable anger of its fans is not all Ascoli has to worry about in this decision, however. An investigation has now been launched to decide whether Reggina's free goal constitutes fair play or a breach of the rules and whether the fact that the referee did not stop Ascoli from scoring in the first place makes their goal legal.

 

So what seems to have been a gesture of kindness becomes a source of controversy that could have lasting effects. Who knew that allowing an opposing team to score (without trying to stop them) in a professional league match would cause such a problem?

[Andy @ Allerton]

Remember that Japanese one where one team scored in similar circumstances and the other team decided to let them equalise - but one fella who didn't speak Japanes didn't get it - took the ball off the attacker, ran up the other end and banged one in.

 

Hilarious!

 

Edited December 7, 2009 by Andy

[Coyler]

Do the laws not forbid "letting the opposition score", though? Honest effort and all that.

[ManxRed]

Do the laws not forbid "letting the opposition score", though?

 

Everton are in BIG trouble if this is true.

[_00_deathscar]

Everton are in BIG trouble if this is true.

 

 

So are we.

 

Do the laws not forbid "letting the opposition score", though? Honest effort and all that.

 

What about the one in Holland a couple of years back when the bloke tried to kick it to the keeper from around the half way line to return the ball back to the team, but ended up scoring? They let the other team score straight from kick off.