2020 has been a weird year so far. It affected every aspect of our lives including the game we love. Competitions were postponed, stadiums emptied, long waited champions were crowned behind closed doors, however we enjoyed it and celebrated it. But throughout the games’ history we’ve seen some many funny stories. Today I want to tell you some of the weirdest cases in the world of football:
Let’s start with some of the absurdity in the Bulgarian football. Few days ago in Bulgarian’s second division, game between Ludogorets 2 and Neftochimic was interrupted because the guests had no enough players to finish the game. Because of COVID cases, players’ strike and because of the measures against COVID that won’t allow players under 18 to participate in sporting events Neftochimic had only 7 players to start the game with, which is the absolute minimum for a football game to be held. The hosts took the initiative and scored 2 in the opening 10 mins. Then one of the guests players got injured and they had no substitutes so they were left with 6 men and the game had to be stopped. Ludogorets 2 got the 3 points and the 5:0 score, because of the walkover.
Now let’s move to the Caribbean region and the edition of the Caribbean Shell Cup in 1994. The game between Barbados and Grenada was decisive for the ranking in the group and for who will advance to the Final 8 tournament. Grenada was the group leader, but if Barbados manage to win by 2 goals margin they would go on to win the group. The game started with a lot of pressure from the hosts of Barbados, and they managed to take a 2:0 lead. This ensures the advancing of Barbados through, but in the 83rd minute Grenada manage to score a goal back and keep their destiny in their own hands. Hosts don’t give up and keep attacking, trying to score another one, but the brave defending of the guest disappoints them every time. Few minutes before the final whistle, one of Barbados’ players remembers that in case of a draw, there will be two added 15 minutes of extra-time and a “golden goal”. The absurd in this case is that the “golden goal” counts as 2 goals. So the host take the ball to their own penalty area and after few passes between the goalkeeper and the defender they score an own goal, that can take the game to the extra time. After the shock of seeing this, Grenada’s players got what’s the idea and tried to score an own goal too, but opposition’s attackers managed to stop them. However the game to extra-time and Barbados managed to score the “golden goal” securing a 4-2 victory and advancing to the next round. Happily this “golden goal” rule was removed after this game.
Fast forward to year 2008. Australian side Queensland Road have to host LA Galaxy for the Americans’ pre-season tour. David Beckham already signed to go to Milan on loan, so LA Galaxy decided not to risk him. Australians decided to cancel the game, because without Becks there would be no interest in this game...
South American football is always interesting, people’s passion and love for football has no equal. In a 1990 World cup qualifier between Chile and Brazil, Chile needed a win to qualify for the World Cup, as they were tied with Brazil on points in their group but were behind on goal difference. In the 67th minute, with Chile trailing by a goal, keeper Roberto Rojas pretended to be struck by a nearby flare thrown by a Brazilian fan. The outraged Chilean team left the pitch in protest, partially in the hopes that the match would be called off and replayed later. However, with a million cameras filming various different angles of the match, it was found that Rojas had actually not been struck by the flare, and he admitted to cutting himself in the forehead with a razor to postpone the match. Brazil were awarded a 2-0 victory and Chile were eliminated from the World Cup. In addition to their elimination from the 1990 World Cup, Chile were also banned from qualifying for the 1994 edition of the tournament. Rojas was banned for life from professional football (although this was later lifted after his retirement, he subsequently became manager of Sao Paulo), and co-captain Fernando Astengo was banned for 5 years for removing the team from the pitch. Various important figures in the Football Federation of Chile were also punished. The fan who threw the flare, Rosenery Mello, went on to become a cover girl for Playboy.
The game between AS Adema and SO l’Emyrne in 2002 was part of a four-team round robin playoff to determine the champion of Madagascar. Adema had already been crowned champions as SOE were held to a 2-2 draw in their penultimate match against DSA Antananarivo due to a late, controversial penalty. The result meant that SOE were knocked out of the title race and made this match completely pointless. In protest of the refereeing decision that had gone against them in the previous game, SOE decided to score 149 own goals as their opponents stood in the distance and looked bemused. Immediately after the game, livid spectators descended upon the ticket booth to demand a refund. SOE coach Zaka Be was suspended by the Fédération Malagasy de Football for four years, and four players on the team (one of which was the Madagascar NT's captain) were suspended for the rest of the season. The result stands as the biggest margin of victory by any one team in the history of professional football. Imagine having to referee a game like this…
The final for the Bulgarian cup in 1985 is one of the most controversial games in Bulgarian football history. The two biggest clubs in Bulgaria faced. Levski and CSKA is the biggest derby in Bulgarian football, but no one expected the events following the game. The government ordered extra police presence, because they were afraid excesses at the stands. No one expected the problems to come from the football field. After some controversial decisions from the referee the game finished 2:1 for CSKA. That’s where everything escalated, players started pushing each other, pushing the referee. According to the rumors, in the tunnel after the game there was a big brawl between couple of the players, the cup was broken, the referee escaped with a broken rib. In the next couple of days, Bulgaria’s 1st Todor Zhivkov personally ordered the punishment. Levski was renamed to Vitosha, CSKA became Sredets. Following were banned from football Plamen Nikolov, Emil Velev, Emil Spasov, national team’s captain Borislav Mihaylov and future ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov. Luckily for Bulgarian football and for world football at all these punishments were dropped just 6 months after the incident.
Bulgarian football is a gift that keeps giving. Season 1994/1995 in Bulgaria’s 2nd division is unique. Spartak Varna and Rakovski Ruse are battling for promotion. Before the last game of the season both teams are equal on points but Rakovski have much better goal difference. Spartak face Lesicheri in their last game of the season. With weird circumstances Spartak win 15-0 which is enough to go up. After the scandal following the game, Bulgarian football union orders the game to be replayed. In even stranger circumstances where one of Lesicheri’s players comes 30 minutes after the game started (because everybody travelled by their cars, but no one had space for him so he came by train) Spartak won 18-0 and went up anyway.
And just to see that bizarre thing happen not only in Bulgarian football, let’s move to the Premier league and year 2009. At “Stadium of light” Sunderland hosted Liverpool. Inside 5 minutes Daren Bent’s shot deflected of… a beach ball and entered the net behind Pepe Reina. The referee thought it’s a deflection of a players’ leg so the goal stood. Of course if the ball hit an object that’s not supposed to be on the pitch the game should be stopped and the referee should give a dead ball. Liverpool lost the game 1-0 and the referee got demoted to referee Championship games. And the beach ball is now located in The national football museum.
Strange thing happen even at the biggest football stage, The world cup. In 2006 Australia and Croatia clashed in a decisive game. The game finished 2-2 which was enough for the Socceroos to go through to the round of 16. But not the result was the most interesting thing in this game, although it was a very entertaining game. Josip Simunic of Croatia was shown a yellow card for bringing Harry Kewell down at the edge of the box at the 61st minute. He then got 2nd yellow with the clock showing 89th minute for a foul near the center circle, but wasn’t sent off. Then he got a third yellow in the stoppage time and got finally sent off. The referee Graham Poll said for an interview after the game that he wrote down the right number for the 2nd card, but wrote the wrong name. He got sent home after the game and never refereed a game in the tournament ever again.
The most popular sport in the worlds has seen all kinds of different situations, some funny, some serious, some even scary. It has it’s own features all over the world. The beautiful game brings us joy, happiness, anger, envy. It comes in different colors, races and sexes and this is why we love it. Because out there on the football pitch we’re all equal.
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