Ferguson - wants an end to diving in footballSir Alex Ferguson has called for football to find a cure for the "disease" of diving.
In welcoming the new initiative which will see referees take responsibility for stopping the game when players get injured, Ferguson has called on the authorities to find a method of combating the problem of diving.
Manchester United have hardly been immune from the curse, with Cristiano Ronaldo and former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy both accused of diving in the past.
However, Ferguson feels something must be done to combat the problem, which plagued the World Cup and threatens to scar the new domestic campaign.
"We all agree the diving problem has started since foreign players came into our country but make no mistake about it, English players do it too," said the Scot.
"It has become a disease and we want to see it eradicated too."
Ferguson did not describe exactly what measures should be put into place to defeat the cheats, although he is sure a decision to end the convention of players automatically kicking the ball out of play when opponents go down, apparently injured, is a positive step.
"It is a common sense decision because the situation had gone beyond being abused, it was actually being turned into a form of cheating," said Ferguson.
"I saw a situation last week when a team was defending a free-kick, the ball was headed down, it went to the attacking team and immediately someone went down holding their head.
"The player in possession was 25 yards from goal and could have had a shot but the crowd started booing, so he knocked the ball out for a throw-in.
"We should leave it to the referee to decide whether the injury is genuine or not. You can tell whether it is a serious head knock, or, in the case of someone like Alan Smith, whether the injury is serious.
"If it is, you stop the game but we had got to the situation where players were going down so their team could recover their positions."
Arsene Wenger agreed with Fergie and believes trial by television and suspension would help stop diving.
"I was always for the fact if proven by video that the player has dived, you have to suspend him, and I have encouraged FIFA to consider that," said the Arsenal manager.
"Is it for my players? No, because I know my players are no angels.
"But I feel if you want to cut it out, you must be sure."
Wenger added: "For example, what [Andriy] Shevchenko did against Tunisia ... once the player knows they can be suspended, if that is seen after the game and proven that it was a deliberate dive, they will not do it any more."
The French coach admitted another problem was players calling for the referee to brandish a card to their opponents after a foul.
Wenger said: "Personally I felt always very proud for England that did not exist here.
"I admired that when I arrived here, because it happened in France. It was common to say to the referee 'okay, give him a yellow card'.
"We as foreigners have brought that into the [English] game. That is one of the negative sides.
"I would love England to be very firm on that, and to let the referee keep judging that."
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