Football, for all its high intensity and professionalism, is still a sport best enjoyed by the fans in a pub or in the stands drinking their favourite beer. Sometimes it’s not the wins that are as memorable as the antics of the managers or players on as well as off the field.
Every team has at least one player who is loved by the fans as much for his performances as for his tomfoolery. Even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo have engaged in some comedic activities on the field. Here, we look at the 5 most hilarious footballing moments of 2016:
#5 Alan Pardew dance
Alan Pardew has been a divisive figure amongst the fans wherever he goes. He is best known for taking an average Newcastle team to Europe and also later, nearly relegating them.
His antics are as famous as his tactics. The Englishman once called Manuel Pellegrini “An old c**t” right in the middle of a match. This year, however, he outdid himself. In the FA Cup final against Manchester United, Crystal Palace looked lost and without any inspiration. In the second half, Pardew brought on Puncheon to liven things up.
Within minutes, Puncheon scored a goal which seemed destined to be the winner in a historic win for Crystal Palace.
However, the limelight was stolen by the manager, Pardew, himself. He celebrated the goal with an almost repugnant but extremely hilarious dance. A football field is possibly the only place on earth where you will find a man in his 50s trying something as ridiculous as that completely on instinct.
What made this even funnier is the fact that, minutes later, Mata equalised and later, 10-man Manchester United went on to win the FA Cup following Lingard’s exquisite goal in the dying minutes. Now, after being sacked by Crystal Palace last week, Pardew will be remorsefully looking back at the embarrassing celebration that stole the show at Wembley.
#4 Ronaldo’s antics
Cristiano Ronaldo is not only the most popular football figure in the world right now but also the best this year. The Portuguese completed the year with the Club World Cup trophy following his victories at the Euros, Champions League as well as the Ballon d’Or.
Known for his utmost professionalism, one could be mistaken for thinking training sessions with him must be bland. The reality, however, is quite the opposite. As serious as he is on the field, he is twice as fun off it.
As the video depicts, hardly a day goes by without Ronaldo pranking his teammates. With his best friend in the team, Marcelo, by his side all the time, the Portuguese legend jokes around the training ground almost all the time. Although sometimes portrayed as narcissistic, the fact remains that he has been immensely loved by all his teammates throughout his career and that speaks a lot about his character.
#3 Neymar’s trick in the charity match
Neymar’s dribbling skills have been well documented right from his youth days in Brazil. He has humiliated most of the defenders throughout his career, often going past them with innovative tricks and skills.
After the tragedy that engulfed the footballing world, a charity match was held to honour the players and staff of Chapocoense who lost their lives in the plane crash. Neymar went back to Brazil to play in this match and entertained the fans to the fullest. He scored 4 goals and stole the limelight but most notably, he pulled off this trick:
The opposition defender begged the Brazilian to not humiliate him and while it seemed like Neymar agreed, he went on to do exactly what he wanted to and went past the player. Both the players took the incident in the right spirit and had a laugh about it. In these dark times in Brazil, the whole footballing fraternity was in dire need of some Samba magic and moments like these.
#2 Van Gaal's touchline dive
Louis van Gaal’s tenure at United was far from entertaining. Manchester United played some of the most dire and uninspiring football they have ever played in the 2 years under the Dutchman. During the matches, van Gaal hardly appeared on the touchline as he preferred to sit in the dugout and take notes.
The match against Arsenal at Old Trafford on 28th February 2016 was possibly the most unexpected 90 minutes that United fans saw during his tenure. With a centre back pairing of Carrick and Blind against the pace of Walcott, Ozil and Sanchez along with Rashford leading the line in only his second match of his career, it was pegged to be a one-sided affair.
Half an hour into the match, Rashford had done the unthinkable. A brilliant brace from the teenager had the Red Devils leading 2-0. Another assist from Rashford which led to Herrera’s goal in the second half resulted in a 3-2 win in the most memorable match of Van Gaal’s tenure.
However, the limelight was stolen by van Gaal on the sidelines. A foul by Herrera on Sanchez resulted in a free kick that threatened to reverse the momentum of play. It seemed like Sanchez made a meal of the challenge and van Gaal was infuriated.
The 65-year-old got up from the comfort of his dug-out and began complaining to the 4th official about the alleged dive. The camera panned towards him at the perfect moment as the whole world saw him mocking Sanchez for diving by falling down right on the touchline. Not only did the 75000 odd people in the stands view this but millions around the world cheered this rare moment of entertainment at Old Trafford.
#1 Joachim Loew’s misdemeanour
Watching Germany play on the biggest stage in an international tournament is often a sight to behold. They are not only known for the brilliant football on the field but their class off the field as well. However, spectators watching the Euros caught Germany’s coach perform some unspeakable actions.
Joachim was caught scratching his rear end and sniffing his hand during the World Cup in 2014. Most had forgotten these shameful moments as Germany went on to become World Champions. Loew decided it was time for an encore at the Euros but of a different kind. The cameras caught him picking his nose and then eating the resulting booger repeatedly. It’s difficult to explain the act in words as it was equally disgusting and hilarious at the same time, so we will leave it at this.
