Crouch comments could be racist: Agents

Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi’s representatives have claimed Peter Crouch’s suggestion that foreigners are prone to diving is “potentially racist”.

The Sport Entertainment and Media (SEM) Group have responded following comments made by the Liverpool and England striker following his sending-off at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Crouch was dismissed in the Carling Cup quarter-final for a lunge at the Nigerian and, while he did not dispute the red card, the former Southampton frontman felt Mikel was guilty of an over-reaction.

He said on Thursday: “What I’m thinking is if you go in on Frank Lampard or John Terry would they roll around like Obi Mikel did? I don’t think they would have done.

“Would someone like Carra [Jamie Carragher] have gone down like that? I think it’s safe to say that he wouldn’t.

“Foreign players have brought a lot to our game but that’s something you don’t want to see. I didn’t catch him but he’s gone down like he’s been shot.”

Those comments have provoked an angry response from SEM who have called on the authorities to deal with the matter as a racist issue.

“SEM feel the comments were potentially racist to all foreign players, not just black or African ones,” they told The Sun.

“We are intending to speak to Trevor Phillips at the Equality and Human Rights Commission on Monday.

“We hope football’s governing bodies, who are meant to be committed to stamping out racism issues, will also get involved.”

Mikel has also denied he is a play actor.

“There is nothing to say to Crouch. All I know is that I am not a diver and will not start doing that now,” he said.

“Foreign players bring a lot to the league. That’s why there are so many here at the moment.

“There is Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov, amongst other top players. They make the league very competitive and we cannot all be bad just because one player feels so.”