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Football is often a catalyst for some amazing things to happen, whether it is the acceptance and help of Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe or providing a platform for the superstars to reach out to those who put them on a pedestal week in and week out. It’s often a rollercoaster ride, sometimes facilitating the happiest or rage-inducing moments while other times it’s just plain bizarre. This week of football was weird in its own way, there were a number of odd things that came to the fore this weekend that are screaming for some attention.Here are 6 of weirdest things from this footballing weekend in images:
#1 Everton fan in swimming trunks
As Arsenal temporarily went top of the Premier League table this weekend with their 2-1 win over Everton at the Emirates, there was a bizarre occurrence in the away stands. An Everton fan had made it in dressed only in swimming attire. He was wearing a blue speedo, swimming glasses and a blue cap on a chilly day in North London.
It was an act that not only attracted eyeballs but cameras as well. The fan became a sensation as he appeared on television screens across the world. He kept up the act, pretending to dive and swim while also posing for the photographers. But why go out in the freezing cold with little more than a speedo on?
This guy had a cause in mind. He was there, ridiculously dressed in the cold trying to raise funds for Woodlands Hospice, which is an independent charity dedicated to providing palliative care to those who need it most.
#2 Jose Mourinho sending off
The cracks in Chelsea’s season started to appear long back, it seemed to be building up to this moment when one of those cracks would give way to a big gaping hole right through the middle and leaves Jose Mourinho suspended in mid air as his future seems more uncertain that it has done so far this season.
The upcoming week is supposedly crucial in the Chelsea management’s book in making the decision on whether to part ways with the Portuguese manager or to let him attempt to wel this ragged ship back together for some more time.
This past week was the trigger, as it saw Chelsea lose for the fifth time this season. With the loss came a few sending offs, Nemanja Matic was given marching orders on the stroke of half-time, Silvino Louro was also sent to the stands soon after. The most intriguing, however, is the case of Mourinho.
The Chelsea boss went into the tunnel at half-time but did not re-emerge for the second half, he was seen standing high up in the stands for what was later reportedly and altercation between referee Jon Moss and Mourinho. It isn’t something we’ve witnessed before but they must have been some choice words from the Portuguese to invoke such a response form the official.
#3 Wayne Rooney\'s stapled head
Wayne Rooney ran back onto the pitch with his scalp stapled back together and the blood cleaned off his head and neck on the touchline. Almost sounds like an action film, it wasn’t any less dramatic, let’s rewind.
During the Manchester Derby, the captains of the two sides came up against each other and in a collision between Vincent Kompany and Rooney, the Englishman came off worse with a cut on the back of his head and the blood was immediately visible running into the back of his matching kit.
He was sent to the touchline by the match officials and received treatment for the head injury. Part of the treatment was getting the gash stapled on the side before running back onto the pitch to try and help his side to a win. Despite his best efforts though, in the face of injury, Wayne could do little as the match ended 0-0.
#4 Chelsea No Goal
Well, it was one of the dramatic games of the weekend and this one was a massive point in the game that literally saw Chelsea go centimetres away from getting themselves back in the game. Beginning with the end, Chelsea lost the game 2-1 to West Ham in a London Derby at Boleyn Ground as the Hammers claimed a winner through Andy Carroll after Gary Cahill cancelled out Mauro Zarate’s early strike.
There were also a few other significant events sandwiched between all the goals, many of them coming around the 45th minute when Nemanja Matic, Silvino Louro and later Mourinho were all sent to the stands. One of them was slightly before as the Blues went looking for an equaliser. It was from a corner that Kurt Zouma rose high and headed towards goal but the ball had poor contact on it.
Manuel Lanzini who was on the line chested the ball and in that moment appeared to have put it over the line before kicking it away, but now with the advantage of goal-line technology, referees are well equipped to deal with such situations and in this case Jon Moss correctly did not rule that one as a goal. The margin by which Chelsea were denied though, barely anything. It was in the counter that followed this melee that Matic got his first yellow of the game.
#5 Kai Rooney wears Cristiano Ronaldo shirt
We had an inkling that Kai Rooney was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan when at the end of last season he come onto the pitch as a mascot with his father and there was temporary tattoo on his arm depicting the Portuguese star.
Wayne Rooney’s son was spotted in Barbados with Colleen and Klay Rooney wearing a Real Madrid kit with Ronaldo’s name and number marking it. This was the day before the Manchester Derby as the rest of the family went on a vacation.
The two former team-mates are also good friends since their time together at Manchester United. There was a rumoured rift between them after Ronaldo seemingly had Rooney sent off in an international clash between England and Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, however, Ronaldo has insisted that there was no drama between the two when they returned to club duty.
#6 Lionel Messi at Barcelona v Eibar
Barcelona emerged 3-1 victors over Eibar on the weekend with their talisman Lionel Messi watching from the stands as he's currently sidelined by injury. The Catalan side did not take the easy way to the win as they’ve done so on numerous occasions this season, they went behind before coming back through a hattrick from Luis Suarez.
We’re used to seeing Lionel Messi in the stadium, but looking at him sitting in the stands was a whole different sight altogether. We saw him last season benched for a game and that was weird enough, but this was a new level.
The incredibly odd bit about the whole affair was his reaction to everything Barcelona did, including the cringe on his face when his side trailed. The Argentine seems raring, almost impatiently waiting to get back onto the pitch, he looked uncomfortable surrounded by alien habitat as he sat through the match watching the side he's grown to love play without him running amongst them.
