Swindon boss Paolo di Canio encourages players to dive

Swindon Town manager Paolo di Canio has said he will encourage his players to dive in order to win penalties.

He made the remarks after their 2-0 defeat by Macclesfield, in which Matt Ritchie had a penalty appeal dismissed because he stayed on his feet after being clipped by keeper Jose Veiga.

"From now on I will tell my players to dive," Di Canio told BBC Wiltshire.

"From now on I will bring in a different culture because this was a red card and penalty."

He added: "I'd prefer that they risk getting a yellow card for simulation. My team are the only ones who do not dive somewhere around the field.

"It's not fair but it's the only way to receive something.

"He [Ritchie] was too honest but it wasn't malicious - he [Veiga] had no intentions. You can't stay on your feet just because you want to be honest."

Although Swindon have been in impressive form at the County Ground, with four wins from five games, Friday night's defeat at the Moss Rose was their fifth loss of the season away from home.

And Di Canio believes his side need to develop a "nasty" streak if they want to be keep up with the promotion-chasing pack in League Two.

"Ritchie's moment was the picture of the game," he continued. "We are not a nasty team. And this is what makes me not very happy sometimes because we don't have a nasty player.

"I don't know how much I can improve my team in this way.

"With some players, if he has a chihuahua character I can't make a chihuahua into a rottweiler. He could be a proud chihuahua but he remains a chihuahua.

"So many of the players at the moment are chihuahuas away from home - this is the truth."