Drogba backtracks on diving claim

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Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has withdrawn an admission that he sometimes tries to con referees.

Drogba, speaking to the BBC's Match of the Day after the Blues' 2-0 defeat of Manchester City, initially said: "Sometimes I dive, sometimes I stand."

But he then quickly retracted that statement, saying: "No, I don't dive."

And he has subsequently told his club's website that his comments "came across partly in the wrong way - I want to make clear that I don't dive."

Drogba had been asked about conning referees following Alan Shearer's accusations that Shaun Wright-Phillips dived in Newcastle's FA Cup defeat to Chelsea last week to get Robbie Elliott sent off.

Yes, it was handball, but that's part of the game Didier Drogba

He got both goals in the champions' win on Saturday, though he did admit to handling the ball in the course of scoring the second.

He said: "Yes, it was handball, but that's part of the game.

"If City had done it, no-one would have mentioned it. But everyone is out to make a big mess about Chelsea."