BERLIN, April 15: Players who “dive” should be punished severely because the theatrics are sporting fraud, German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Saturday.

“Diving in soccer is quite simply fraud,” said Schaeuble, whose ministry is responsible for sport, in a column for the Tagesspiegel am Sonntag newspaper.

“This attempted fraud must be punished more severely than as if it were simply another rules infraction,” said Schaeuble, known as a hardliner on crime. Germany hosts the World Cup from June 9 to July 9.

He said referees need to redouble efforts to stop a dangerous trend towards more diving.

“It should not be seen as a separate element of the game within the game but rather as acting,” Schaeuble said.

Incidents of diving has been central to a number of matches

in Germany's Bundesliga this year and Schaeuble said the scourge must be tackled with the same vigour as the anti-doping fight.

“The world of sport is now fighting a unified battle against doping, after decades of having downplayed the problem, because everyone sees doping undermining the credibility of sport,” said Schaeuble.

“This should be the case for those who commit fraud through other means. The acting excesses are nurtured by the failure to punish them.

“The credibility of the sport should not be diluted with such cheating; otherwise our cherished sport of soccer won't be seen as a game anymore.” —Reuters