West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini has been charged over diving to win a penalty against Stoke City, the second Premier League player to be targeted under new rules aimed at stamping out cheating.
The 24-year-old Argentine went down when challenged by Erik Pieters and West Ham captain Mark Noble converted from the spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead on Saturday.
The decision infuriated Stoke manager Mark Hughes, who is under intense more pressure following the 3-0 home defeat, which leaves his side a single point above the Premier League relegation spots.
Lanzini has until 1800 GMT on Tuesday to respond to the charge, which is officially known as the “successful deception of a match official” — in this case referee Graham Scott.
Introduced this season, a simulation charge only comes when there is clear evidence a player has fooled an official into winning a penalty or…
Read More…..Vanguard Newspaper
