Moyes points finger at refs over diving controversy

Manchester United manager David Moyes believes Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli should be the one under the microscope if Ashley Young dived to win a penalty in Spain on Wednesday.

Young has been castigated for his behaviour in the Champions League encounter with Real Sociedad, when he went down under minimal contact from Markel Bergara.

Although top Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli was right on top of the incident and elected to show a yellow card to Bergara, other observers have been less impressed.

Former United skipper Roy Keane said Young had “conned” the referee. Another Red Devils old-boy, Ray Wilkins, said the antics had been “pathetic”, whilst Dietmar Hamann labelled the winger “worse than Luis Suarez”.

A long-time opponent of diving, Moyes has previously called for retrospective action to be taken against culprits and censured Young earlier this season when he was booked for simulation against Crystal Palace.

On this occasion though, he has taken a different stance.

“If you didn’t think it was a penalty, you should say the referee got it wrong not the player,” said Moyes.

“He refereed the Champions League final so you are expecting him to be as qualified as anybody. He was two yards away.”

Instead, Moyes believes Young is being attacked on reputation.

“I do think a little bit of that,” he said.

“The referee was two yards away from it and gave a penalty. If you need to talk to anybody, you should ask the referee.

“I didn’t see an issue at all.”

Even those who have sympathy with Young over Bergara’s tug on his shorts accept there was no need for Young to hit the deck in quite such a theatrical manner.

However, Moyes was unrepentant, pointing out his long-held stance on diving as proof Rizzoli was the best placed person to judge.

“The question is loaded towards the player,” said Moyes, when quizzed about Young’s conduct.

“That is wrong.

“I was one of many who said I would definitely have retrospective action for diving because it would make the referees job much better.

“But on the night, if you had said, could you get the referee any closer, I don’t think you could.”