In spite of a successful World Cup campaign for the Netherlands, Arjen Robben has come in for some bad press recently over his tendency to throw himself to ground just a little bit too easily. He admitted diving to win his side a penalty in the dramatic win against Mexico recently, drawing the ire of fans in some quarters, and that isn't the first time. During his playing days with Chelsea, between 2004-07, the Dutchman was involved in a clash with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Reina moved his hand toward Robben's face after some provocative words from the winger, who promptly took to ground like a sack of spuds. With the referee conned, Reina received a straight red card for "violent behaviour". Reina later commented that Robben "did well enough to win an Oscar" for his theatrics while Liverpool manager at the time Rafael BenÃtez joked in a post-match interview that he "would soon be going to hospital to check on Robben's condition". A talented player, yes, but his track record for diving and cheating make Robben very hard to love.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
