Cheating clubs: LASK cought on video

Resch

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Some football clubs do anything for a title. Now the leader of the Austrian Bundesliga LASK were cought cheating. The Austrian clubs of the Bundesliga were allowed to start training two weeks ago, but under strict COVID-19 rules, small groups, no contact. First there was only gossip but now LASK was taped training as a team, full contact. LASK is talking about economic espinage. The Bundesliga already startet an investigation, LASK could loose his chance to win his first title since 1965...... Some clubs are such a shame.....
 

Adam-Utd

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Not sure i'd really call that cheating, more like unsporting.

Anyway they probably need a head start to try and over turn out 5-0 head start ;)
 

Rozay

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That’s a nonsense, how can you take away a league title because a team engaged in full training?

A fine by all means, but it is not ‘cheating’ at all.
 

Samid

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Can't really blame them, they need all the practise they can possibly get after their previous game.
 
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A fine by all means, but it is not ‘cheating’ at all.
Of course it's cheating. If all the other clubs are following the rules, and are training with no contact, while LASK is training like normal, they will have a huge advantage when the league kicks off.
 

Rozay

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Of course it's cheating. If all the other clubs are following the rules, and are training with no contact, while LASK is training like normal, they will have a huge advantage when the league kicks off.
I’m aware of the advantage that they will have. However, it isn’t ‘cheating’ to conduct a training session. It’s either a criminal matter, as such directive comes from government, or just a bit unsporting. But it is not cheating.
 

Adam-Utd

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I’m aware of the advantage that they will have. However, it isn’t ‘cheating’ to conduct a training session. It’s either a criminal matter, as such directive comes from government, or just a bit unsporting. But it is not cheating.
And I guarantee you they weren't the only club doing that also! they were just the ones that got caught.
 

Tiber

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Wasn't The Toxic One caught running training sessions in a park?
 
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I’m aware of the advantage that they will have. However, it isn’t ‘cheating’ to conduct a training session. It’s either a criminal matter, as such directive comes from government, or just a bit unsporting. But it is not cheating.
I guess we just have a different take on the word "cheating". It's like doping: breaking the rules to gain an advantage you shouldn't have. I call that cheating, you call it unsporting. Semantics, i guess.
 

Web of Bissaka

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So they are given permission to train but they broke the "strict training rules".

Clear evidence -- a recorded tape.

Not sure in what way that's cheating... so just revoke the permission given and fine them then.
 

Rozay

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I guess we just have a different take on the word "cheating". It's like doping: breaking the rules to gain an advantage you shouldn't have. I call that cheating, you call it unsporting. Semantics, i guess.
I agree with your definition of cheating, I don’t agree that a football team conducting a training session is breaking any football rules.
 

WelshManc

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I think they should be deducted points.

Also, I heard an unnamed team playing at a training complex called Melwood or something have been found doing the same thing.
 

Camy89

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I agree with your definition of cheating, I don’t agree that a football team conducting a training session is breaking any football rules.
But there were new football rules put in place to all teams specifically for the pandemic. LASK chose to break these in order to gain an advantage. Cheating in my book.
 

Rozay

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But there were new football rules put in place to all teams specifically for the pandemic. LASK chose to break these in order to gain an advantage. Cheating in my book.
Not training is not a ‘football rule’. It’s a footballing guideline, from government, one that has absolutely nothing to do with sporting integrity. Hence why Spurs players have been criticised for going out training, instead of the club being docked points.

There are no footballing rules regarding a team’s training, except perhaps not pumping your footballers with PED’s.
 
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There are no footballing rules regarding a team’s training, except perhaps not pumping your footballers with PED’s.
Did you not read the first post? "The Austrian clubs of the Bundesliga were allowed to start training two weeks ago, but under strict COVID-19 rules, small groups, no contact."
 

Lay

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feck they’ll knock us out now
 

Rozay

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Did you not read the first post? "The Austrian clubs of the Bundesliga were allowed to start training two weeks ago, but under strict COVID-19 rules, small groups, no contact."
I don’t need to read any post again, it is the same everywhere. Clubs are being allowed to train while observing social distancing. I’ll repeat again that this has absolutely nothing to do with the integrity of the sport. Teams disregarding this are not football ‘cheats’. That doesn’t mean that they are
Not guilty of anything, however. But cheating, they are not.
 

JJ12

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That’s not cheating. Small fine at worst.
 

Resch

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I agree with your definition of cheating, I don’t agree that a football team conducting a training session is breaking any football rules.
They do, because the Austrian goverment and the Austrian Bundesliga made special COVID-19 rules to continue the Austrian Bundesliga. So it is a criminal matter and a football. But they also risked the restart of the Austrian Bundesliga.
 

Nou_Camp99

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So they started at same time but introduced tackling sooner? Unsporting but I don't see it giving them a huge edge. I'm sure the other clubs won't have forgot how to tackle. Hahahaha.

Doubt it would do much for fitness either. Non story.
 

Resch

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That’s not cheating. Small fine at worst.
Most of Austrian fans are talking about relegation or disqualification. (The Austrian Bundesliga is played in two phases, disqualification would mean the 6th place, relegation 12th place). Realistic would be deduction of points.
 

Rozay

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They do, because the Austrian goverment and the Austrian Bundesliga made special COVID-19 rules to continue the Austrian Bundesliga. So it is a criminal matter and a football. But they also risked the restart of the Austrian Bundesliga.
Literally every government and FA have made similar rules. Nobody is monitoring training grounds to see if Pogba put in a tackle today, because if he did, Spurs can argue the result if we beat them next month.

I’m not excusing what they did. I’m saying it isn’t cheating. It’s a rule that has nothing to do with the integrity of the game. The Fa has several rules. Clubs are required to have a certain medical and security presence on site on match days. This is a rule. If they fail, they are guilty. ‘Cheat’, they did not, however.
 

steeeb

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Depends how strict the rules are really.

Imagine there was a winter break and it's a rule that there is a 2 week period of no training.

Now imagine it comes out one of the teams ignored the rule and did team training for the 2 weeks to gain a competitive advantage - and the 2 week break is for health reasons of the players.

Surely that's cheating. And what us above is comparable - DEPENDING on the rules given. Also depending on what Austria are doing about lockdown it could be a criminal matter - but then these nobs like Amir Khan having parties didn't go punished.
 

Resch

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What would you do, if some clubs risked the restart of the PL. The LASK training sassion was recorded before the Austrian government allowed the restart. LASK was the only team against the restart by the way, they hoped to win the title without playing again.
 

Resch

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Literally every government and FA have made similar rules. Nobody is monitoring training grounds to see if Pogba put in a tackle today, because if he did, Spurs can argue the result if we beat them next month.

I’m not excusing what they did. I’m saying it isn’t cheating. It’s a rule that has nothing to do with the integrity of the game. The Fa has several rules. Clubs are required to have a certain medical and security presence on site on match days. This is a rule. If they fail, they are guilty. ‘Cheat’, they did not, however.

we are not talking about a tackle....
 
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Depends how strict the rules are really.
I imagine they are very strict. Had the same rules in Norway. Training has been OK in small groups up to 5 persons, with no close contact for a long time. Any breach of the law would lead to strict warnings, or fines from the police. Starting this week the clubs are allowed to train in full groups, with close contact.

The very definition of cheating is: "act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage." So I struggle to see how people don't see this as cheating. For me it's a pretty serious thing, who not only gives them an unfair advantage , but also risk the goodwill of the politicians to give a green light for re-starting the league.
 

Hound Dog

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This is such a shame.

LASK had a decent shot of winning the title (not after this), which would be an upset of Leicester levels, given how strong Salzburg are.

LASK lost their top scorer and manager last summer but somehow did even better this season than last. A real shame.
 

do.ob

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Why would they get a punishment from UEFA for violating their domestic rules?

Okay, so after reading a bit of Austrian news it seems like punishment is being discussed and omitting LASK when it comes to next season's EL/CL starters was reported as an option.

Personally I don't see how that's a suitable punishment. They've been basically caught in something akin to doping, you can't just let them finish the season with that advantage intact and defer punishment to the next, they are in the middle of the title race after all. I don't see how anything other than deducting points is viable.
 
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Sean_RedDevil

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Their results since the season is back....
LASK 1-2 Hartberg
Wolfsberg 3-3 LASK
LASK 0-1 Rapid Vienna
Salzburg 3-1 LASK

It would be interesting to know whether their heavy defeat against us or the coronavirus break or the points deduction has killed their season.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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Their results since the season is back....
LASK 1-2 Hartberg
Wolfsberg 3-3 LASK
LASK 0-1 Rapid Vienna
Salzburg 3-1 LASK

It would be interesting to know whether their heavy defeat against us or the coronavirus break or the points deduction has killed their season.
Imagine CAF if they would turn it around against us. It would be brutal.
 

Infestissumam

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It would be interesting to know whether their heavy defeat against us or the coronavirus break or the points deduction has killed their season.
I'd imagine it's a combination of all of those things, plus key injuries (both Goiginger and Potzmann tore their ACLs just before our EL match). Personally I think the break really hurt them, they were at their best in February/March while Salzburg looked pretty vulnerable (string of bad results, crashing out of EL and of course losing Haaland and Minamino in January). Now it's pretty much the other way round, with LASK looking extremely flat. The points deduction was a killer too, but they were still in a good position when the games re-started ... but then the wheels flew off.
 

SportingCP96

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Their results since the season is back....
LASK 1-2 Hartberg
Wolfsberg 3-3 LASK
LASK 0-1 Rapid Vienna
Salzburg 3-1 LASK

It would be interesting to know whether their heavy defeat against us or the coronavirus break or the points deduction has killed their season.
Points deduction. The league essentially handed the title to RB. What was the point of even playing anymore in there mind.

I agree they should of been fined but they deducted enough points to put them exactly behind Salzburg. That smells fishy to me.
 

spottieottiedopaliscious

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I don’t think it’s cheating more just a violation. It happens all the time in the NFL were teams are in violation of offseason practice rules (contact, organized practices, etc). It usually a steep fine to the coaches, management/owners and a loss of practices during the offseason.