Leeds Coach Accuses City Goalkeeper of Using a "Trick"

Daniel Farke, the Leeds United coach, said that Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma deliberately pretended to be injured during the teams' Premier League match to give coach Pep Guardiola an opportunity to relay new instructions. This occurred following Leeds' 3-2 loss on Saturday.

1. Incident Details and Accusation

• The Context: Manchester City took an early 2-0 lead (goals by Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol), but Leeds narrowed the gap in the 49th minute (Dominic Calvert-Lewin).

• The Incident: Minutes after Leeds' goal, Donnarumma requested medical attention, claiming an injury.

• Exploiting the Stop: Pep Guardiola used this stoppage to gather his players and give them additional tactical instructions.

• Farke's Statement: The Leeds coach commented after the match:

  "It is very clear, but no one wants to talk about it. The reason Donnarumma went down was clear. This is a smart move and within the rules, so I cannot officially complain. Do I like it? Does it fall within fair play? I will keep my opinion to myself, and it is up to the competent authorities to find a solution."

2. Fair Play Criticism

Despite acknowledging the action was "smart and within the rules," Farke criticized the ethical aspect:

• Ethical Question: Farke questioned whether the action aligned with the concept of "Fair Play" and sportsmanship.

• Personal Opinion: He added: "We need to teach our players the meaning of fair play and sportsmanship. As for manipulating the rules and pretending to be injured to give instructions, I personally do not like this method."

3. Match Outcome

• Immediate Effect: Guardiola's instructions did not have an immediate effect, as Leeds' Lucas Nmecha equalized in the 69th minute (following a rebound from a penalty Donnarumma initially saved).

• Late Victory: However, Manchester City surged in the final minutes, with Foden scoring the winning goal in the 91st minute.

• Standings: With this victory, Manchester City raised its points tally to 25 points from 13 matches, remaining in second place and cutting the gap with leaders Arsenal to 4 points.