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Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter has accused Bukayo Saka of ‘cheating’ by trying to win a penalty for Arsenal against Bayern Munich. Saka was frustrated when he was not awarded a spot-kick during last week’s Champions League first-leg clash at the Emirates Stadium.
The incident involved a challenge by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, which did not convince the referee to award a penalty. Winter believes that the technique adopted by Saka to win penalties, such as hanging out a leg to invite contact, is considered “cheating” and claims that Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player to master this tactic. Winter stated that this technique has been part of the game for decades but has now been taken to a higher level due to the increased speed of the game.
He expressed concern about the potential for legal action if a team loses a major game or gets relegated due to controversial penalty decisions. Winter also mentioned that the use of VAR in checking penalty decisions is still prone to error as it is run by humans, and there is still ambiguity in determining whether a dive occurred. He noted that the art of winning a penalty has developed over time, with Cristiano Ronaldo being one of the first players to perfect this tactic.
Winter expressed the difficulties faced by referees in making these decisions due to the subjectivity involved and suggested that the decision-making process be expedited for the benefit of the game. Overall, Winter emphasized the challenges faced by referees in accurately judging penalty incidents, especially in the fast-paced nature of the game, and the increasing difficulty in determining whether a dive occurred.