Favre continues Sevilla assault with Vitolo ´actor´ jibe

Borussia Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre launched further accusations of diving towards Sevilla after his team lost their opening Champions League match 3-0 in Spain.

Before the Group D encounter, Favre told Sport Bild of Sevilla: “They fall down, they are real specialists in it.”

Favre’s description of Unai Emery’s team extended to claims that they “roll on the ground and lie down”, based on his experience of Europa League meetings between the two last season.

Those comments loomed large over a remarkable period in the second half of the Group D encounter when the hosts were awarded three penalties in the space of 19 minutes, Kevin Gameiro converting and hitting the crossbar before ceding spot-kick duties to Ever Banega.

The award of the first penalty after 47 minutes, when Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer was adjudged to have fouled Vitolo, prompted a damning verdict from Favre – who labelled the Sevilla midfielder “the best actor in the world”.

“I didn’t understand the first penalty, that wasn’t a penalty,” he said.

“Vitolo is the best actor in the world, I knew that a long time.”

Favre also ensured his own team, whose defeat came on the back of four consecutive Bundesliga losses, did not escape criticism.

“We also made a lot of mistakes,” he added. “The problem at the moment is the speed, technically and mentally.”