Manchester United News, Rumors 2015: Wayne Rooney Apologized for Dive?
Preston North End goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann claimed that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney apologized to him for what appeared to be a dive late in their FA Cup match on Monday night.
Rooney found himself on a one-on-one with Stuckmann inside the box for a chance to seal United's win over Preston at the latter's home turf in Deepdale. Stuckmann tried to sweep the ball from Rooney, but the latter fell down, leading to a foul by Stuckmann.
Replays showed, however, that Stuckmann did not commit the foul. The referee stood by his call, and Rooney struck the penalty that formalized United's 3-1 victory.
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According to Stuckmann, Rooney approached him after the match and said sorry for the controversial flop.
The German goalie told The Sun, "Rooney told me: 'Sorry, it was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that.'"
The apology made Stuckmann's belief that a penalty should have not been called stronger.
"I say it clear: That was no penalty. I also believe that if the situation had happened the other way around, one of our strikers against the United keeper, the ref wouldn't have given the penalty. I have no doubt about that," he said.
The dive drew mixed opinions from various soccer personalities.
BBC commentator Kevin Kilbane thought Rooney could have just "hurdled the challenge" of Stuckmann and just go all the way.
Fellow analyst and former United player Phil Neville then stepped in defense of Rooney and said, "If he left his leg there it would be a leg-breaker. He had to dive to get out of the way."
Roy Hodgson, the coach of Rooney at the national team, said that he could not blame the referee for the wrong call.
"If you are a referee in the run of play without replays I don't think any of us would have said it is not a penalty. The goalkeeper has gone with both feet. Wayne has touched it past him," he said.
Despite the flop, Hodgson said that Rooney will still be a valuable player come England's friendlies against Lithuania and Italy.
Surprisingly, however, Preston coach Simon Grayson agreed that Rooney did not flop.
"It wasn't a dive. He's gone to get out of the way and taken evasive action," Grayson told BBC, although he still claimed that there was no contact between Rooney and Stuckmann.
