Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has launched a fierce critique of what he perceives as gamesmanship in modern football, demanding a change to the laws of the game following his side's late defeat at Manchester City.
The Controversial Incident
The flashpoint occurred just before the hour mark at the Etihad Stadium, with Leeds pressing for an equaliser. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down, appearing to sustain an injury. Farke, however, claimed the incident was a calculated ploy, revealing that the Italian was under direct instruction from defender Ruben Dias to fall to the ground.
This pause in play allowed City manager Pep Guardiola to gather his players for an impromptu team talk on the touchline. Such tactical timeouts have become an increasingly common sight in the Premier League, sparking debate about their legitimacy.
Farke's Frustration and Accusations
Farke did not hold back in his post-match assessment, accusing Donnarumma of clear gamesmanship. "Everyone knows why he went down," the Leeds boss stated emphatically. He recounted questioning the fourth official, who reportedly told him, "No, our hands are tied, we can't do anything."
He expressed his disappointment with the state of sportsmanship, saying, "If we don't educate our players in football, what to do in terms of fair play, sportsmanship, if you just try to bend the rules to your advantage and you can do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, personally it's not what I like."
Farke pointed out that a goalkeeper going down forces the referee, in this case Peter Bankes, to halt proceedings, whereas an outfield player's injury might not.
Proposed Solutions and Guardiola's Response
While acknowledging the actions were technically within the rules, Farke suggested concrete measures to discourage such tactics. He proposed that if officials suspect gamesmanship, the ball could be returned to the opposing team or additional time could be shortened.
"There are tools that you can use to make sure that this won't happen but if we don't use it then probably we have to change the rules," Farke added, putting the onus on the game's lawmakers.
In contrast, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola claimed he was unaware of the specifics. "I didn't speak with Gigio. When it happened I looked back to the dugout and said 'James (Trafford), warm up'. I don't know," Guardiola commented, deferring further questions.
The incident has ignited a fresh conversation about the ethics of in-game management and whether the rules need modernising to preserve the spirit of fair competition.
