‘Cunning’ Rivaldo is fined £4,500

RIVALDO was in unrepentant mood after FIFA’s disciplinary committee fined him £4,500 with £680 costs for feigning injury during Brazil’s 2-1 win over Turkey.

Rivaldo clutched his face and went down in apparent agony after Turkey’s Hakan Unsal drove the ball at his thighs as he waited to take a corner towards the end of the Group C clash in Ulsan.

However, after hearing about his punishment, the Barcelona striker said he had only used his ‘‘cunning’’ and moaned that such incidents were commonplace.

Rivaldo is the first player to be punished for simulating a foul at the World Cup following FIFA instructions for referees to crack down on players faking injury or fouls.

The World Cup disciplinary committee studied a video of Rivaldo’s theatrics and decided the former World Player of the Year had been guilty of playacting, but a defiant Rivaldo said: ‘‘Football is a game and people have to be cunning.

People have forgotten about the 90 previous minutes - about what I did in the game, what the Brazilian team did in the game. People have forgotten all of this because of one incident which is common in football.

‘‘This isn’t going to be the only one of these incidents that are going to happen and let’s see if the next ones get punished.’’

A spokesman for the Turkish team said the fine had been too lenient: ‘‘Of course, it should have been something more but for us the matches ahead are more important.’’

FIFA said last week that their disciplinary committee would review all bookings and red cards for simulation the day after the match to prevent players being wrongly punished.

Rivaldo’s actions were widely condemned, with Spain midfielder Ivan Helguera calling them unforgivable.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had the gall to defend his player: ‘‘The ball hit him on the foot and then bounced upwards,’’ said Scolari. ‘‘He put his hand on his face to stop being hit in the face.’’