Klose reminds us all that sportsmanship does still exist in Football (Video)

Modern footballers are often castigated for being mercenaries, professional, money driven and ego-centric with their sole motivation primarily being the advancement of their own self rather than engaging in so-called sportsmanship.

That is why we must applaud the adherence to sporting ethics when we see it and so: a very hearty well-done to Miroslav Klose for his decision to admit to the referee that he had hand-balled, rather than headed, the ball into the net for Lazio against Napoli. It would have been very easy for Klose to simply claim the goal. At the time, the score was 0-0 and Napoli, with Edinson Cavani in irrepressible form, would certainly be tough opponents in their own back yard. For Lazio to go 1-0 up at that point could have changed the whole complexion of a game that the home side eventually triumphed 3-0 thanks to a Cavani hat-trick. The Napoli players and fans certainly showed their appreciation for the veteran striker’s honesty and gave him a standing ovation.

It perhaps says everything about what we expect and think of modern footballers that this story has gained so much publicity with genuine shock that a footballer would be so honest. Unfortunately, the majority of players would do no such thing. Just look at Demba Ba yesterday for example, who deprived Reading of their first three points in the Premier League with an equaliser he essentially punched past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy. The sad fact is that in their heart of hearts, no one criticises Ba for not owning up to his crime; he is of course a footballer, and with the prizes for winning and losing so stark, the boundaries between what is and what isn’t acceptable on the field of play have certainly been blurred.

Adam Mazrani

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