Werder Bremen Captain Aaron Hunt Denies Own Team A Penalty V Nürnberg (VIDEO)

Doing A Fowler: Werder Captain Hunt Denies Own Team A Penalty V Nürnberg (VIDEO)

In English football, it's known as a "Fowler", but at the weekend Germany witnessed its own act of genuine honesty from Werder Bremen's Aaron Hunt, who told a referee he shouldn't have been awarded a penalty against Nürnberg.

With just two points separating the clubs fighting relegation, the importance of the fixture didn't affect Hunt's honesty. The Werder captain tumbled under a challenge from defender Javier Pinola, which persuaded referee Manuel Graefe to point to the spot. Only the midfielder requested he reverse the 75th-minute decision. Hunt wasn't booked for his dive, though.

"Out of instinct, I wanted to provoke the penalty, but that was wrong," Hunt, who has an English mother, said afterwards.

"I struggled with myself a bit (to say something), but we don't want to win any games like that, even if we are in a relegation battle."

Argentine left-back Pinola praised Hunt. "I take my hat off to him," he said. Bremen were 2-0 up at the time and won by that scoreline.

In 1997, Liverpool striker Fowler went down as David Seaman dashed from his goal and was given a penalty, even though he implored official Gerald Ashby to reverse his decision.

Ashby refused, Fowler had his penalty saved, but Jason McAteer tucked away the rebound to double Liverpool's lead for the eventual winner, as they halved Manchester United's lead at the Premier League summit to three points.

"It was a bit fucking dippy to be honest," Fowler wrote in his autobiography, "and I could hear a couple of the lads shouting at me to shut the fuck up."

Arsène Wenger said at the time: "It was a great gesture by Fowler and I would like to give him an award for fair play. But if he got that I would also have to give the referee an award for stupidity."

1. FC Nuernberg v Werder Bremen - Bundesliga

Nuremberg v Werder Bremen

Then-Liverpool manager Roy Evans was asked by then-Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys after the game whether Fowler should have taken the spotkick.

"Well, obviously not," he responded jovially.

Close

What's Hot