The beautiful game aka football has got some interesting but strange tales that are sure to leave people stunned and speechless. From “killing” grandma, losing the job in 10 minutes to refusing to take a penalty, the game has a fair share of quirky sagas. Some of the stories might seem unreal but they are not. So, let us acquaint ourselves with some amazing tales to unfold in the world of football.
Yellow-Carded: Not Once But Thrice
Yes, you read it right this incident really happened. In a hard-fought encounter between Croatia and Australia, Josip Simunic was shown a Yellow card twice by the English referee Graham Poll but he did not get the Red one in the next instance which would have eliminated the Australian from the remainder of the match. Strangely, the referee flashed a yellow card to the same player for the third time in the match, contrary to the rules of the game. Poll only realised his faux pass after the end of the match.
Manager’s Job Gone In 10 Minutes
Leroy Rosenior had just got reinstated as the manager of Torquay United. The move coincided with the club’s removal from the English Premier League. Moments later club ownership changed hands and the new management went for a fresh face, Colin Lee. Hence, Rosenior achieved the unwanted distinction of being a 10-minutes-manager.
“Killing” Grandmother For Love
In a bizarre incident, Irish player Stephen Ireland lied about his grandmother’s death to meet his girlfriend. Finally, when the truth came out Ireland had a tough time apologising and placating his maternal grandmother, who was not at all amused with regard to the incident. The Irishman finally admitted to resorting to such an unethical approach because he wanted to spend some quality time with the girl he was in love with.
When A Joke Proved To Be Deadly
This incident proves that ill-timed jokes can be disastrous for your life. When Lazio midfielder Luciano Re Cecconi’s went to a jewellery shop in Rome in 1978, he proclaimed in jest “Stop, This is Robbery”. Before he could explain the real intention the shop owner pulled out a gun and shot Cecconi. Hence, a promising career came to a screeching halt due to a joke that landed badly.
Net And Get Free Beer For Life
In the 2008 Euro championship, a brewery came up with a crazy offer of providing beer for the entire life to the Austrian player who finds the net for the first time in the tournament. Ivica Vastic, eventually, won the lifetime beer offer when he scored for Austria in a penalty. However, the sad part was that it was the only goal scored by the country in the prestigious tournament. Clearly, the offer of lifetime beer failed to motivate the Austrians enough in the tournament.
A Dog To The Rescue of Torquay United
On the final day of the 1987 season, when Torquay United, facing relegation from English League, was on the verge of defeat against Crewe Alexandra with the scoreline reading 2-1 in the final minutes. However, as the match was about to conclude, the police dog Bryn, standing on the sidelines, bit Torquay’s Jim McNichols thigh. This incident consumed another four minutes of the game, leading it to get extended, courtesy of the injury time. When the match finally resumed, Torquay’s Paul Dobson scored the equaliser in the dying moments to save the club from an inevitable defeat. So, the dog came to the rescue of Torquay on that day and post the death of Bryn, the club kept the stuffing of the police dog inside their boardroom as a token of gratitude.
Roberto Baggio’s Refusal To Take The Penalty
Italian legend Roberto Baggio once chose not to take a penalty against his former club Fiorentina while representing Juventus. Unfortunately, the player who took the same, instead of Baggio, missed the opportunity, and Juventus eventually lost the game (1-0) as well. The Juve coach was so angry with Baggio that he instantly substituted the Italian player. Later on, Baggio clarified that he avoided taking the kick because had he missed the same it would have been construed as deliberate.
