Superstition in the football world

Stumbled upon this site (http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1053700.html) where they highlight a selection of the most bizarre rituals practiced by football players from around the world. I’ve chosen a handful funny ones to be featured here.

One ritual practised by footballers the world over is wearing the same underwear for matches, such is the case with Romania's Adrian Mutu or former Colombia shot-stopper Rene Higuita, whose undergarments always have to be blue. That means, they go back, wash, dry and then wear it again, right?

Skipper Laurent Blanc, must kiss the bald head of keeper Fabien Barthez before each game.  


Don't believe, here it is..... 

Yuuucckssss....!! See, I told ya.....

And you got to hear this about Argentina keeper Sergio Goycochea, who earned worldwide fame for his penalty-saving heroics at Italy 1990. He puts his beliefs down to urinating in the centre circle, blocked from view by his team-mates, prior to shootout victories over the former Yugoslavia and Italy in the last eight and last four respectively. 


Yeah, you heard right, urinating... eewwh….!! Can't find a pix of that in the internet though...

Gennaro Gattuso of Italy and AC Milan during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. "Every day I wore the same sweater that I'd worn the first day of the competition. I was sweating buckets and in a terrible mood because I couldn't bring myself to take it off," 


Wonder if his team mate will start to run the opposite site whenever he approaches,  throughout the tournament.. :-D

Former England internationals Bobby Moore and Paul Ince, both insisted on being the last players to leave the dressing room and only putting on their shirts as they ran onto the field. Arsenal's Kolo Toure, meanwhile, earned himself a yellow card in a Champions League tie against Roma after stubbornly refusing to leave the dressing room before fellow straggler William Gallas, who was receiving treatment for an injury.

Chelsea and England captain John Terry says, “ I always sit in the same seat on the team bus, I always wrap tape round my socks three times, I listen to the same CD on the way to the stadium and I always park in the same spot before every game at Stamford Bridge."

Blog name - carrot head and applemint