10 strangest injuries in football history

#4 Paulo Diogo

Paulo Diogo lost half his finger in an injury that could have been avoided.

Here's the most horrific one on the list. Paulo Diogo's account will teach other footballers that running wild and stepping outside the playing area to celebrate when your team scores a goal isn't the best thing to do.

After squaring the ball to a teammate to tap into an empty net, Diogo decided to go beyond limits in his jubilation. The midfielder decided to jump onto the metal fencing, catching his wedding ring on the end and tearing off half of his finger.

Paulo Diogo severed his finger after a goal celebration when his finger got stuck on a fence. pic.twitter.com/G1w3osXlTN

— What The F*** Facts (@WhatTheFFacts) July 2, 2014

To rub more salt on his wound, the Swiss international was also booked by the referee for excessive celebration. Losing half of his finger and having his name taken down by the official left Diogo with two avoidable problems to rue within just a few seconds.

#3 Chic Brodie

This funny injury eventually led to the end of the goalkeeper's career.

If the stories mentioned on this list are hilarious, this one takes it even a step further. How would anyone believe that a footballer was injured on the pitch by a dog in the middle of an official game? Well, that actually happened.

It was during a match between Brentford and Colchester in October 1970. Chic Brodie, standing between the sticks for Brentford, collided with a pitch-invading dog, and had his knee shattered. Many couldn't believe what their eyes had seen.

The injury eventually led to the end of the goalkeeper's career. When he was asked about the incident, Brodie responded:

"The dog may have been small, but it just happened to be solid."

Of course Brodie!

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#2 Alex Stepney

This is one of the weirdest injuries recorded in the history of the game.

Goalkeepers are known to be vocal on the pitch, as they are required to shout orders at the defenders deployed in front of them. However, Alex Stepney apparently took it too seriously, and had to pay a price for it during a game against Birmingham in 1975.

Alex Stepney - Shouting 🗣️ In 1975, the #MUFC goalkeeper dislocated his jaw whilst shouting at his defenders during a match against Birmingham. But it may not have been entirely his fault. A collision earlier in the game clearly left its mark. pic.twitter.com/3Md7v1t5Tu

— Dream Team (@dreamteamfc) November 18, 2020

The then Manchester United guardian dislocated his jaw while shouting orders at his teammates. He had to be taken off the pitch immediately for medical attention, with centre-back Brian Greenhoff replacing him between the sticks.

#1 Leroy Lita

Wait, how on earth could this lead to an injury for a footballer?

It doesn't get more hilarious than this. Former Reading striker Leroy Lita injured his back for stretching too much - not on the pitch, not during a training session - but on his bed. The account left the football world in awe, as many didn't believe what they heard. However, his manager jumped to his defence to avoid mockery being made of the situation.

Speaking about the injury, then Reading boss Steve Coppell said:

"Leroy (Lita) is in a great deal of pain. It is not an injury that should be ridiculed or made light of."

This is obviously the strangest injury on this list. It remains to be seen if we'll see another one that will be weirder than this in the future.