Through on goal straight after kick-off, Timo Werner scuffed his shot, then instinctively took his second chance – albeit in less style. He arched his back, let out a cry and threw himself to the ground, creating the impression that the Schalke 04 keeper Ralf Fährmann, who had actually done well to pull out of the challenge, had brought him down. The referee Sebastian Dankert fell for the phantom foul and awarded a penalty. The irate Fährmann was booked. Werner himself stepped up to slot home the spot kick coolly to put RB Leipzig 1-0 ahead. They eventually won 2-1 to stay both unbeaten and top, as well as firmly at the bottom of the popularity ratings.
Werner’s tumble wasn’t quite the worst dive in the history of the Bundesliga – Andy Möller still rules supreme in that respect – but it caused a stir unlike any other act of simulation in recent years. This being Germany, much of the discontent was playing out at meta-level, in complaints about the complaints. Wouldn’t all this public anger (“Der Falsch-Flieger”, the false flier, Bild called the winger) have been better directed at the (alleged) tax fiddling by football superstars, as exposed by Der Spiegel and others, rather than at a minor sporting misdemeanour by a 20-year-old, 21 seconds into a game, some observers wondered.
Related: RB Leipzig restore lead at top amid controversy after beating Schalke
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