5 Weird Incidents in Football that capture the imagination

2) Roberto Rojas – The Razor treatment

As the clock ticked past the 70th minute mark and down 1-0 against hosts Brazil, a reaction was needed by the Chilean side on the brink of missing out on a World Cup 1990 spot. What followed though was unthinkable and in truth unforgivable as the Chile’s keeper Roberto Rojas deliberately cut himself with a razor hidden in his glove and went off bleeding, pretending that he was struck by a firework from the crowd thrown a few yards away. His teammates then staged a walk-off deeming conditions unsafe to continue and hoped that FIFA would either award them the result or place sanctions on Brazil, situations which would see them then qualify. However, Rojas’ disgraceful crime was caught on camera soon and FIFA took a tough stand on the issue dismissing the country from playing any part in the 1990 and 1994 World Cup. The keeper in question was banned for life (subsequently lifted in 2001) and the team’s coach, captain and doctor were meted out with a similar treatment albeit for a shorter period of time. Amazingly, the fan (Rosemary de Mello) who threw the firecracker was identified and subsequently asked to pose for Playboy!