Faking injury and diving in the penalty area are two forms of cheating on the pitch that football fans hate most, according to a recent survey of 500 fans following teams scheduled to compete in the upcoming World Cup hosted in South Africa. The survey also found that Argentina and Italy are considered by fans to be the worst culprits for cheating in the international game.University of Sheffield researchers developed the survey in an effort to investigate fans' commitment to soccer, their attitudes towards a number of different types of behavior often considered as gamesmanship, and whether they would disapprove of these actions by players from their team or from the opposition. The survey is part of a wider study, which will record instances of cheating throughout the World Cup and determine the extent to which the tendency to cheat is a result of personal attitudes, team traits, or a consequence of a specific match situation.
Full story at Futurity.