Grosso owns up

[the_gun]

Italy defender Fabio Grosso, a World Cup villain for most Socceroos fans, has confessed the last-minute penalty he won against Australia in 2006 was “accentuated a little bit”.

Speaking to Australian media for the first time in an exclusive interview with new magazine Football +, Grosso maintained the controversial challenge by Socceroo Lucas Neill was a penalty.

The left-back, who plays for Juventus in Italy, justified his dramatic tumble in Kaiserslautern because he felt a touch by Neill and was tired after an exhausting match.

“It’s been a long time since 2006 but I say this with as much sincerity as I possibly can,” Grosso told the magazine. “In this instance when Neill slid in, maybe I accentuated it a little bit.

“However you must remember it was the last minute of an extremely difficult game and everyone was tired.”

Australian fans require no reminder of the incident that occurred in the dying seconds of the Round of 16 match – many claiming the Azzurri star dived to win the penalty.

Grosso burst into Australia’s penalty box to spark a slide tackle by Neill that prompted the Italian to tumble over the prone Australian.

For the Italian defender, with his team playing with 10 men after fellow defender Marco Materazzi had been sent off earlier in the game, the consequence of the challenge was clear.

“I felt the contact so I went down,” Grosso told Football +.

“Therefore, I say again, I didn’t initiate it… It’s true that I felt the touch and didn’t have the strength to go forward. Some people believe me and some don’t. However for me, even after seeing the video images, it’s a penalty.”

“I admit that it wasn’t glamorous but it wasn’t a scandal.”

The resulting penalty scored by Francesco Totti ended Australia’s World Cup dream run in heart-breaking circumstance yet Grosso said that Australia had been one of Italy’s more difficult opponents during its 2006 World Cup-winning campaign

“Their technical and tactical quality was very good,” Grosso said. “We knew they were good but they showed they are quality players.”

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

should be banned from further world cup games an farrrrrrrrrrk offffff..

[toonarmy#9]

Like he needed to admit it. Everyone already knew

[Red-4-Life]

fucking cheat, got no respect for him as a footballer. 4 years too late you wanker

[LUFC]

As if it wasn't a penalty you morons.

[the_gun]

As if it wasn't a penalty you morons.

here we go

[BADA BING]

seriously if you dont think that was a penalty then you are dreaming

[El Pibe D'Oro]

For me, it was a penalty, im not going to get into too much of an argument, but Jimmy you have no idea, you probably watched 5 minutes of the game.

Australia, whilst having plenty of possession, didnt have many, if any clear cut chances. Italy had plenty. On the balance of play, people will say Australia should have won, but on chances Italy should have.

And if that wasnt a penalty, then Materazzi's was no send off.

6 of one half dozen of the other.

[Loppermann]

Italy defender Fabio Grosso, a World Cup villain for most Socceroos fans, has confessed the last-minute penalty he won against Australia in 2006 was “accentuated a little bit”.

Speaking to Australian media for the first time in an exclusive interview with new magazine Football +, Grosso maintained the controversial challenge by Socceroo Lucas Neill was a penalty.

The left-back, who plays for Juventus in Italy, justified his dramatic tumble in Kaiserslautern because he felt a touch by Neill and was tired after an exhausting match.

“It’s been a long time since 2006 but I say this with as much sincerity as I possibly can,” Grosso told the magazine. “In this instance when Neill slid in, maybe I accentuated it a little bit.

“However you must remember it was the last minute of an extremely difficult game and everyone was tired.”

Australian fans require no reminder of the incident that occurred in the dying seconds of the Round of 16 match – many claiming the Azzurri star dived to win the penalty.

Grosso burst into Australia’s penalty box to spark a slide tackle by Neill that prompted the Italian to tumble over the prone Australian.

For the Italian defender, with his team playing with 10 men after fellow defender Marco Materazzi had been sent off earlier in the game, the consequence of the challenge was clear.

“I felt the contact so I went down,” Grosso told Football +.

“Therefore, I say again, I didn’t initiate it… It’s true that I felt the touch and didn’t have the strength to go forward. Some people believe me and some don’t. However for me, even after seeing the video images, it’s a penalty.”

“I admit that it wasn’t glamorous but it wasn’t a scandal.”

The resulting penalty scored by Francesco Totti ended Australia’s World Cup dream run in heart-breaking circumstance yet Grosso said that Australia had been one of Italy’s more difficult opponents during its 2006 World Cup-winning campaign

“Their technical and tactical quality was very good,” Grosso said. “We knew they were good but they showed they are quality players.”

lol, so that makes it ok to cheat?
this is why we need a genocide of Italians, they're all scum

[totsreds08]

would you people get over it already

[Loppermann]

would you people get over it already

when you get over beachballgate

[ronaldo07]

Italy defender Fabio Grosso, a World Cup villain for most Socceroos fans, has confessed the last-minute penalty he won against Australia in 2006 was “accentuated a little bit”.

Speaking to Australian media for the first time in an exclusive interview with new magazine Football +, Grosso maintained the controversial challenge by Socceroo Lucas Neill was a penalty.

The left-back, who plays for Juventus in Italy, justified his dramatic tumble in Kaiserslautern because he felt a touch by Neill and was tired after an exhausting match.

“It’s been a long time since 2006 but I say this with as much sincerity as I possibly can,” Grosso told the magazine. “In this instance when Neill slid in, maybe I accentuated it a little bit.

“However you must remember it was the last minute of an extremely difficult game and everyone was tired.”

Australian fans require no reminder of the incident that occurred in the dying seconds of the Round of 16 match – many claiming the Azzurri star dived to win the penalty.

Grosso burst into Australia’s penalty box to spark a slide tackle by Neill that prompted the Italian to tumble over the prone Australian.

For the Italian defender, with his team playing with 10 men after fellow defender Marco Materazzi had been sent off earlier in the game, the consequence of the challenge was clear.

“I felt the contact so I went down,” Grosso told Football +.

“Therefore, I say again, I didn’t initiate it… It’s true that I felt the touch and didn’t have the strength to go forward. Some people believe me and some don’t. However for me, even after seeing the video images, it’s a penalty.”

“I admit that it wasn’t glamorous but it wasn’t a scandal.”

The resulting penalty scored by Francesco Totti ended Australia’s World Cup dream run in heart-breaking circumstance yet Grosso said that Australia had been one of Italy’s more difficult opponents during its 2006 World Cup-winning campaign

“Their technical and tactical quality was very good,” Grosso said. “We knew they were good but they showed they are quality players.”

lol, so that makes it ok to cheat?
this is why we need a genocide of Italians, they're all scum

i agree with u for once !!

[Number7]

For starters you dont go trying to slide tackle an attacker in the box, that is taught a school boy level.. And if you do and you catch the attacker like retard Neil did what do you think the ref is going to do? PENALTY.. And I bet if it was someone like Cahill in the same situation as Grosso was he would go to ground as well. The only wanker here is Neill for do something stupid in the first place..

[totsreds08]

For starters you dont go trying to slide tackle an attacker in the box, that is taught a school boy level.. And if you do and you catch the attacker like retard Neil did what do you think the ref is going to do? PENALTY.. And I bet if it was someone like Cahill in the same situation as Grosso was he would go to ground as well. The only wanker here is Neill for do something stupid in the first place..

[BADA BING]

i cant believe this story is now a HEADLINE on the Adelaide now website, FFS

[Drusetta]

For starters you dont go trying to slide tackle an attacker in the box, that is taught a school boy level.. And if you do and you catch the attacker like retard Neil did what do you think the ref is going to do? PENALTY.. And I bet if it was someone like Cahill in the same situation as Grosso was he would go to ground as well. The only wanker here is Neill for do something stupid in the first place..

My thoughts were that using his left hand Neill caught Grosso's back/trailing foot which I haven't seen captured by any camera

[totsreds08]

interesting video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6Wqt00gTc

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

For me, it was a penalty, im not going to get into too much of an argument, but Jimmy you have no idea, you probably watched 5 minutes of the game.

Australia, whilst having plenty of possession, didnt have many, if any clear cut chances. Italy had plenty. On the balance of play, people will say Australia should have won, but on chances Italy should have.

And if that wasnt a penalty, then Materazzi's was no send off.

6 of one half dozen of the other.

i was at the goldcoast sports bar watching it..........

[delfino_1936]

good to see that not all of you are being biased and saying it was a dive......clear penalty

[Ubietz]

interesting video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6Wqt00gTc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcaq4ElAJrE

[SpursOnTheRise]

Grosso! WHat a legend! Fuck you all. Racist C*unts. At the end of the day winning is winning and that what we did, i hope you've been enjoying your 4 year long whinge.

[paul merson]

I dont think its a racist thing, its just strikers in general are a bunch of fags, I mean really thats hardly a foul, but strikers of all nationalities around the world go down from challenges that are even worse than this.

Football has created this sort of modern day wuss, but the finger can not be pointed at Grosso or Italy as players in your/my favourite teams even maybe your favourite player takes dives or tries to milk fouls like this.

I would like you all to make a small contribution to my current fund, "Leave diving to keepers" campaign, together we can stamp out these pretend men.

Thank you

[Token]

At the time the ref made the right call but if the ref was able to review the tapes he probably reverse his decision.

Everyone including Australia has dived just that dive cost us the game. Honestly when matrix was sent off we should have press for the goal yet we never looked like scoring. Oh well.

[Loppermann]

I dont think its a racist thing, its just strikers in general are a bunch of fags, I mean really thats hardly a foul, but strikers of all nationalities around the world go down from challenges that are even worse than this.

Football has created this sort of modern day wuss, but the finger can not be pointed at Grosso or Italy as players in your/my favourite teams even maybe your favourite player takes dives or tries to milk fouls like this.

I would like you all to make a small contribution to my current fund, "Leave diving to keepers" campaign, together we can stamp out these pretend men.

Thank you

Grosso's a left back, not a striker...

[Con]

It should not come to that. St Hiddink should have sent Kennedy on earlier when Italia were down to 10 men, instead of waiting as he was for extra time..

No kidding if OZ had won that game we would have beaten Ukraine in the quarters. We were on a roll

[Hawkesy]

I dont think its a racist thing, its just strikers in general are a bunch of fags, I mean really thats hardly a foul, but strikers of all nationalities around the world go down from challenges that are even worse than this.

Football has created this sort of modern day wuss, but the finger can not be pointed at Grosso or Italy as players in your/my favourite teams even maybe your favourite player takes dives or tries to milk fouls like this.

I would like you all to make a small contribution to my current fund, "Leave diving to keepers" campaign, together we can stamp out these pretend men.

Thank you

As a striker, I would like to help you in this campaign.

[mr_bojangles]

without a doubt a dive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrxrPEXvI9c

[paul merson]

I dont think its a racist thing, its just strikers in general are a bunch of fags, I mean really thats hardly a foul, but strikers of all nationalities around the world go down from challenges that are even worse than this.

Football has created this sort of modern day wuss, but the finger can not be pointed at Grosso or Italy as players in your/my favourite teams even maybe your favourite player takes dives or tries to milk fouls like this.

I would like you all to make a small contribution to my current fund, "Leave diving to keepers" campaign, together we can stamp out these pretend men.

Thank you

Grosso's a left back, not a striker...

There's always one that has to bring facts to the arguement.

[SpursOnTheRise]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6Wqt00 ... re=related

This video clearly shows the contact that that homosexual Neil made to Grosso.

[Loppermann]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6Wqt00 ... re=related

This video clearly shows the contact that that homosexual Neil made to Grosso.

you really don't understand the rules, do you?
Grosso deliberately made contact with Neill and went to ground as soon as he did
Yes, Neill was stupid to go to ground in the first place, but that was never a penalty