Marc Cucurella: Ex-PGMOL boss lashes out at 'cheating' Chelsea star vs Man United
Marc Cucurella deserved to be punished for a blatant act of simulation during Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Michael Oliver has allowed for diving to continue in the Premier League without a caution.
In the 71st minute, with the Blues chasing an equaliser at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 18 April, the Spaniard went down under a challenge from Casemiro on the edge of the penalty area.
He was crying out for a penalty to be awarded, but replays showed very minimal contact, if any, from United's No.18, so the referee was right not to fall for the player's tricks during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat.
Michael Oliver fails to punish Marc Cucurella for 'cheating'
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “It’s a clear act of simulation, which deserves to be yellow-carded. If referees aren’t going to punish it, players are going to keep doing it.
“They will eventually get what they want, which is to deceive the referee, and we get a wrong outcome. Referees have allowed it to grow this season.
“They’re rightly waving penalty shouts to one side, but the player has attempted to deceive them. Still, no action is taken. It’s cheating! When you look at acts of simulation, a lot of them are laughable.”
| Marc Cucurella vs Man United | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 67 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Interceptions | 5 |
| Ground duels won | 40% (2/5) |
| Fouls won | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 3 |
The full-back, often seen as a pantomime villain in the Premier League, was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card in this instance, but it certainly wasn't a good look for the experienced player.
Liam Rosenior under pressure after Man United defeat
Mick Brown told Football Insider that Liam Rosenior is already facing a "toxic" Chelsea squad, and that was before the disappointing defeat at home against the Red Devils.
The Blues are now seven points adrift of the Champions League spots, with just five games remaining, and Brentford and Bournemouth both level on points with the West London outfit.
Missing out on Champions League football would be an almighty blow to the new manager's future at Stamford Bridge, despite only being appointed in January of this year.
Time already looks to be running out for Rosenior, with multiple names already emerging as a potential replacement, even with his contract running until the summer of 2032.