With Borussia Dortmund sat in terribly disappointing sixth spot, you’d almost expect them to be playing a merciless game while they scrap for every point.
Well you’d be wrong.
During their 1-0 loss to Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Klopp’s side put on a decent display of fair play when Mats Hummels double-checked with Hertha’s Per Ciljan Skjelbred to make sure his opponent’s boot was alright.
The Hertha Berlin player had gone down in a challenge for the ball and was struggling with his boot when the Dortmund defender stopped play for a moment to get the all-clear from Skjelbred before playing on.
The show of honest football is a rarity in modern football but brings back memories of some other players who put fairness before all else on the pitch.
Paolo di Canio is probably the most famous case of a footballer showing genuine concern for his opponent when he caught a cross with his hands to stop play because of an apparent injury to Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPxRtKTM2AU
A more recent example came when Lazio striker Miroslav Klose told the referee to rule out a goal that he had put in with his hand.
A lesser known display of fair play was shown by former Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt when he refused a penalty that the referee was about to award because he went down under little or no contact.
This freak period of play took place in Norway when Brann player Erik Mjelde tried to return the ball to the Lillestrom goalkeeper after putting it out of play for a player to get treatment. The ball actually sailed over the stopper and into the net for an accidental goal but the Brann players did the right thing and allowed Lillestrom to score.
Carles Puyol is a man with about 20 examples of fair play in a glittering Barcelona career but this has to be the best. During a disagreement with an opposition player, Puyol ends up getting a slap in the face. Rather than react, he smiles and actually holds back his team-mate Ronaldinho for confronting the player.
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