The reason for this is that this was no ordinary penalty. Take a look. Diab runs up, turns backwards, swings a heel out and - in all fairness - connects rather well, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. The keeper, not wanting to ruin the soon to be viral goal, just sort of stood there. On a Top Trump card he'd be Effort = 0.
Immediately, one or two Lebanese players have a word with our showboating friend. It's after the event though, and perhaps with the link being seen around the world, that things seem to have escalated. Both the manager and the coach (um, guys, pretty sure I could save you 50% on your wage bill there, call me) have condemned Diab for his action, reporting that he may be dropped, fined; or even worse, told to repeat it in the specially arranged fixture away at Milwall.
Showboating measures like these have landed players in trouble in the past - Nani's ball juggling against Arsenal in the FA Cup a couple of years back saw him berated by his club and condemned by many in the press. Obviously this is a high profile example, as Diab's has now become, but in the real world we've all experienced it too I'm sure. On a park pitch or in a sports hall, pulling a stunt like this is most likely going to result in the same response that Nani received from his Arsenal opponents that night. The next tackle that comes you're way, better read it well, as the chances are you're going to get absolutely smashed.
Showboating measures like these have landed players in trouble in the past - Nani's ball juggling against Arsenal in the FA Cup a couple of years back saw him berated by his club and condemned by many in the press. Obviously this is a high profile example, as Diab's has now become, but in the real world we've all experienced it too I'm sure. On a park pitch or in a sports hall, pulling a stunt like this is most likely going to result in the same response that Nani received from his Arsenal opponents that night. The next tackle that comes you're way, better read it well, as the chances are you're going to get absolutely smashed.
That being said, week in week out players like Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo leave defenders looking stupid with the speed of their feet and the exceptional control they have over the ball. Why then are their actions not berated by fans, pundits and indeed their own employers, such as Diab has suffered following the Backheel Seen Around the World (or BSAW for short)? Copyright on that little acronym, yeah.
What it boils down to is respect.
What it boils down to is respect.
This penalty, in training or in a testimonial match perhaps, would be greeted with laughter by all involved, and Diab would get a few high fives for pulling it off. But in this context, a competitive match, it is always important to show respect to your opponent - even, and arguably more so, one that you are thrashing. Nani's juggling would not have seemed disrespectful at 0-0 - it would have seemed stupid and probably would have resulted in him getting subbed off by an irate Rudolph. At 4-0, while the crowd 'Ole', eliminating them from the cup, it had an air of disrespect; gloating, mocking and goading the Gunners. Diab's penalty in my opinion is more misguided than openly contemptful, but he has no doubt learned his lesson.
I once played in a Sunday League Men's match where we beat a team 24-0. It was the most one-sided, easiest game ever, the mismatch was just a shame really. We only racked up such a score by maintaining a professional and respectful approach throughout - playing our proper game, and not resorting to backheeled penalties and the like. Sure, our keeper came out for the last 20 minutes and scored a hat-trick, but even that was not laughed about or made too much of a deal of. Far more amusing was the failure of one of our outfield players to score at all. The other team, to their eternal credit, came and had a drink in the clubhouse afterwards - you can be certain that if we had taken every opportunity to showboat and take the mickey (and trust me, there were ample opportunities) they would have been more than happy to kick us up in the air and get off as soon as the whistle blew. Again, it's about respect.
I have been nutmegged before, and it is always annoying, but the response of the player is what determines my response. If they laugh or something like that, I usually sprint after them and commit a foul. If they simply get on with the game having pulled off a trick to get past me, then fair play. I simply sprint after them and commit a foul. I joke, of course, but you get my point. These things are great, and they definitely should not be taken out of the game altogether; but there is a classy way to showboat and there is a scummy way to do it.
I once played in a Sunday League Men's match where we beat a team 24-0. It was the most one-sided, easiest game ever, the mismatch was just a shame really. We only racked up such a score by maintaining a professional and respectful approach throughout - playing our proper game, and not resorting to backheeled penalties and the like. Sure, our keeper came out for the last 20 minutes and scored a hat-trick, but even that was not laughed about or made too much of a deal of. Far more amusing was the failure of one of our outfield players to score at all. The other team, to their eternal credit, came and had a drink in the clubhouse afterwards - you can be certain that if we had taken every opportunity to showboat and take the mickey (and trust me, there were ample opportunities) they would have been more than happy to kick us up in the air and get off as soon as the whistle blew. Again, it's about respect.
I have been nutmegged before, and it is always annoying, but the response of the player is what determines my response. If they laugh or something like that, I usually sprint after them and commit a foul. If they simply get on with the game having pulled off a trick to get past me, then fair play. I simply sprint after them and commit a foul. I joke, of course, but you get my point. These things are great, and they definitely should not be taken out of the game altogether; but there is a classy way to showboat and there is a scummy way to do it.
Maybe however, we're all just being sensitive - why not rub it in the noses of your opponents, show them how superior you are? The last word on this matter comes from Gina - of Gina's Corner fame - who simply said:
'I hate football but I do like the Showboat bit on Soccer AM...it's good.'
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