Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo at the end of the Euro 2012 final against Spain after losing 4-0Football being one of the most widely followed sports has its share of emotions during a game. Players shouldering expectations of millions of fans have a lot to deal with while playing on the pitch and there are occasions when players have shown their vulnerability to those emotional moments.Emotions during a competition can cover the spectrum from excitement and elation to frustration, anger, and disappointment. Here are a few instances when footballers cried on the pitch for various reasons.
#10 Paul Gascoigne - England
England's Paul Gascoigne was booked for fouling Thomas Berthold in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany and the yellow card meant that Gascoigne would miss the final had England progressed.
The Three Lions eventually crashed out of the semi-final of Italia 90 on penalties, but the game became more famous for Gascoigne’s tears after he was booked.
#9 Lee Cattermole - Middlesbrough
17-year-old Lee Cattermole cried after Middlesbrough went 4-0 down at home to Aston Villa while being comforted by captain Gareth Southgate.
However, after this game, the team went on to win seven out of their next eight games, advancing to the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and the UEFA cup.
#8 Ronaldinho - Atletico Mineiro
Ronaldinho had a good cry after he had scored a wonder goal for Atletico Mineiro. He immediately knelt down and began to cry as his teammates crowded around him.
It was an unusual sight, especially coming from a player so famous for his smile on the pitch while playing and enjoying the game.
That show of emotion was a spontaneous reaction to the death of Ronaldinho's stepfather, who died a few days before the match after suffering from a heart attack.
#7 Iker Casillas - Real Madrid
Iker Casillas couldn’t control his happiness when his side were closing in on a record 10th European crown against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final held in Lisbon.
Atletico went into defensive mode and kept their opponents off from scoring for the first 92 minutes. However, Sergio Ramos tied things up with a header in the 93rd minute to send the match into extra time.
Real Madrid then finally won the game 4-1 after Atletico were exhausted in extra time and Los Blancos celebrated their 10th European crown – La Decima.
Of course, we all remember the last time he cried for Real Madrid – when he was asked to leave the club he thought he would retire at.
#6 Jack Wilshere - Arsenal
Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere wept with frustration when Arsenal conceded an 89th-minute winner against Birmingham City in the 2011 Carling Cup final after an extraordinary mix-up between Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny. The goal effectively ended Arsenal’s dreams of ending a trophy drought
The players, as well as the manager, were devastated following the loss. It had been six years since they last won a trophy and this was certainly a very hard pill to digest.
#5 Mario Balotelli - Italy
Mario Balotelli was reduced to tears in the Euro 2012 final after Italy lost to Spain. What really hurt the Azzurri was not just the loss but the 4-0 scoreline.
It was rather a frustrating evening for Balotelli and his team who had done so well to get to the final with wins over England and Germany in the knockout stages. After the match, the ugly side of his game came to the fore once more after the striker clashed with members of Italy's backroom staff.
He later collected his medal but broke down in tears as soon as he returned to the pitch.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo could not hide his tears when Portugal lost by a solitary goal to Greece in the Euro 2004 final. The 19-year-old was left distraught by the defeat, especially considering that Portugal were the hosts and one of the favourites to win the title.
But home ground advantage proved to be worthless as Portugal stumbled and fell at the final hurdle.
“Now I have to move on, I have to look forward. There will be many other opportunities to win in Europe throughout my career, and make up for this huge disappointment.” Ronaldo said after the final.
It would take another 12 years for Portugal to reach another final and this time they beat hosts France in Euro 2016 to lift the title.
#3 David Beckham - PSG
The tears, the embraces, and the standing ovation was what we witnessed in David Beckham’s final game. An emotional Beckham hid his face on the shoulders of Paris Saint-Germain teammates as they embraced him.
He wiped his face on his shirt, waved to his family in the stands and fell into a hug from the bear-like figure of manager Carlo Ancelotti as he walked off the pitch for the final time in his career.
When he returned to the field after the final whistle, his teammates picked him up and threw him in the air to celebrate a glorious career.
#2 Luis Suarez - Liverpool
Luis Suarez walked off the pitch crying inconsolably after his dream of winning a Premier League title was shattered towards the end of the 2013/14 season.
Crystal Palace scored three times in the last ten 10 to come back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3 with Liverpool. It effectively ended the Anfield side’s hopes of winning the league and it was a punch in the gut they simply couldn’t recover from. This was the closest Liverpool had ever been to winning a title in the Premier League era.
“I was so sad to miss the league. You can never concede three goals in 10 minutes. That was my frustration on the pitch,” Suarez said after the match.
#1 John Terry - Chelsea
Chelsea captain John Terry was so distraught following his side’s 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final that he openly wept on the field after the game. Both teammates and opponents consoled the Chelsea captain.
After going 1-0 up against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg match, the Spanish side came back and scored three goals to seal their place in the final.
Perhaps at some point on the night, Terry was beginning to believe he might finally play a part in a victorious Champions League final after slipping up in 2008 and playing no part in 2012. Sadly, it was never meant to be.
