By Andrew Warshaw
August 13 – English Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein wants players to copy the sporting spirit shown by athletes at London 2012.
With the new English season beginning next weekend following yesterday’s curtain-raising Community Shield between this year’s FA Cup winners Chelsea and Premier League champions Manchester City at Villa Park, Bernstein (pictured below with David Beckham and Prince William) has called on players in all divisions to follow the Olympic lead and present a better on-the-field face to the public.
“Some on-field dialogue between opposing players undoubtedly crosses the line,” Bernstein said.
“While I fully understand football is a high-octane sport, played with tremendous passion, I believe players do need to exercise self-discipline in expressing their emotions on the pitch.
“This doesn’t mean players will never curse when they make a mistake, or suffer at the hands of a bad tackle, but this is very different to singling out an opponent for personal abuse.
“After the incredible high performance and sporting spirit we have seen at the Olympic Games, players must recognise that with the privilege of playing comes the responsibility for managing themselves and their behaviour in a similar way.”
The FA met with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) last week to discuss ways of improving the standards of behaviour.
“The discipline and dedication of our athletes [at London 2012] has provided a benchmark that all sportsmen and women and can aspire towards,” Bernstein said.
“It is important players embrace what we have seen over the past two weeks and maintain it.”
“There is always going to be intense rivalry amongst the heat of a game, but that does not mean players should lose all respect for opponents and we need to educate our members in the need to temper their language towards one another.”
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