We received some bloody fantastic news here at Football Circus this week: We’re one of the finalists under the ‘Best Sports/Recreation Blog’ category for the 2014 Blog Awards Ireland! So once again, thanks to everyone who has given their support!
Indeed it would seem quite apt to this week regale you tales of celebration. Our Italian Football Story of the Week includes a celebrating granny, while we also report on a Brazilian player whose celebration did not turn out as planned. 1860 Munich have been celebrating Oktoberfest with a kit that may make your eyes bleed. Alas, it’s not all stories of celebration this week on Football Circus, as we also report on a well known player denying a murder and a fan shocked to death by Frank Lampard. So if it’s celebrating and death you’re after, look no further than this week’s Football Circus…
Football Circus Clown Quote of the Week
"We know we need to threaten the goal with goals".
- Alan Pardew
Kits going from Bad to Wurst as 1860 Release Lederhosen Strip
We thought we’d seen the worst offenders for horrific kits this season when Napoli revealed their new denim number two weeks ago (http://www.football-circus.blogspot.ie/2014/09/napoli-501.html). However 1860 Munich may have just outdone them. The Munich side have released a kit to tie in with this year’s Oktoberfest…and it’s designed to look like lederhosen!
The eyesore is made up of a blue and white checkered jersey (which resembles a tablecloth) and some not-so-dashing brown shorts. Uhlsport, hang your heads in shame.
Ugandan Fan Dies following Lampard Goal against Chelsea
Many viewers were a little shocked to see Man City midfielder Frank Lampard score an important equaliser against former club Chelsea on Sunday, but none moreso than Ugandan Fahad Musana, who fainted, then died after the goal went in!
The 24 year old was known to be a huge Chelsea fan and after fainting having seen his former hero Lampard score, was taken outside for some fresh air. Musana, who also played football himself for his local team Simba FC, was then taken to hospital, but sadly passed away before arrival.
Friend and teammate at Simba FC, Gerald Bagoole, recalled his friend in an interview with Ugandan sports website, Kawowo:
"We trained with him on Sunday morning, had lunch together.
"When the Premier League matches commenced, he went to watch them in a video hall near his house while I went to a different video hall.
"Musana has been a great defender, committed to the game and was a great friend to many.
"He has been a passionate fan of Chelsea and would do anything for the club, apart form gambling".
Coritiba Striker Scores Goal, Promptly Falls Down Stairs
We’re not sure what’s going on in Brazil these days, but after we last week reported on a fan injuring himself during a celebration, this week it’s the turn of a player.
Coritiba striker Joel had some bittersweet feelings after scoring in his side’s 3-1 victory over Sao Paolo last week in the Brazilian Campeonato. Joel in fact scored a brace in the win, but having scored his second, ran off towards the fans to celebrate. To get to there, it required him to jump hoarding, which he did with aplomb. However, unbeknownst to Joel, was the fact that on the other side of the hoarding was a stairwell used as a tunnel!
Television footage hilariously captured the moment the player jumped the hoarding, though his failure to reappear immediately raised concerns as the stairwell was not visible on camera. The unfortunate scorer eventually resurfaced, though was clearly a little shaken after his fall. Luckily, he did not pick up any serious injuries and went on to completed the full 90 minutes. He was however, booked by the referee for time wasting!
Murder on Gy-an’s Floor? Ghana Star Denies Killing Friend and Rapper Castro
Ghana captain and former Sunderland frontman Asamoah Gyan has bizarrely had to release a statement this week, denying the murder of rapper and friend, Castro, along with Castro’s girlfriend Janet Bandu. The couple vanished in July while jetskiing on a holiday they spent with Gyan and his family. Some media outlets subsequently suggested that the Gyan family had perhaps been responsible for the disappearance and that they may have killed the pair as part of a ritual sacrifice.
Gyan however this week tweeted a link to a lengthy statement from his family whererin they vehemently deny murdering Castro and Bandu.
The Gyans have stated:
"What sells in the media, and what indeed sold and is still selling in the media in Ghana are wild allegations and rumours directed especially at Asamoah Gyan – ranging from the absurd – of the imputation of criminality to him in the sense that he either murdered Castro or had him kidnapped – and ending with the ludicrous – that he sacrificed him spiritually to enhance his career.
"We have been silent while these wild allegations and rumours have been peddled in the media. We have been silent not because we are concealing anything or that we do not feel the need to fully state what, from our reckoning, had happened in Ada. We have been silent because we did not want to interfere with police investigations.
"We have been totally dismayed by the fact that the platform was provided for the peddling of these wild and ludicrous allegations and rumours against us. Those to whom the platform was provided offered no evidence whatsoever to back their statements. And indeed, the allegation of spiritual sacrifice can by no stretch of the imagination be propped up.
"Now, we take the opportunity and state without the slightest doubt in our minds that we are not blamable for the disappearance of Castro and Janet Bandu. We had no hand in that occurrence. We have no moral or legal culpability whatsoever".
What’s Mad Mario Upto this Week?
Balo turned out twice for Liverpool in the past week and neither outing was particularly fruitful. The Reds suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat away to West Ham on Saturday, while mid-week they were held to a 2-2 draw by Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup before winning an astonishing penalty shoot out which finished 14-13. Balotelli, though converting his two penalties in the shoot out, was unimpressive in both games.
Super Mario made more headlines off the field though than on it this week as he was at the centre of a Twitter racism scandal. The striker jokingly posted a tweet following Man United’s 5-3 defeat against Leicester on Sunday, in an attempt to poke fun at the Red Devils.
Numerous United fans replied to the text with racist messages, disgracing themselves and their club. Merseyside Police are now investigating the matter.
No sooner was the racism furore out of the newspapers, than Balo was back making headlines again. Later this week, the Italian was the subject of criticism from QPR midfielder and all round cretin, Joey Barton. Barton took to Twitter to slate Balotelli and claims Balo does not compare to former Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez. Who asked him? Probably nobody. Who cared? Probably nobody.
In more pressing Balo news, the striker has revealed his new hairstyle on Instagram. As usual, Balo has not held back with his latest dodgy do.
Italian Football Story of the Week
- Grandma Mia! Florenzi Celebrates Goal with Grandmother
Roma midfielder Alessandro Florenzi celebrated in style on Sunday after scoring for Roma against Cagliari. Having assisted Roma’s first goal, Florenzi went on to score the second in a 2-0 win and immediately ran to the stands to embrace his grandmother who was in attendance.
Florenzi was booked for the celebration, however he will have taken it on the chin as his grandmother was so overjoyed that she burst into tears.
Speaking to Sky Italia, Florenzi stated:
"My gran’s fantastic.
"It was her first time here. She never came to watch me play even when I was a kid and it would have been easy. This time she’s come all this way at the age of 82.
"She told me after I missed that chance for the national team that she would come to the stadium just to see me, but that I had to go and say ‘hi’ to her".
In addition to the booking, the scrooges at Florenzi’s club Roma will impose a fine upon him for his actions, though manager Rudi Garcia has suggested his player will be unperturbed.
Said Garcia:
"He’s going to pay a fine.
"But he will be happy to pay it.
"It was a beautiful image, to see his grandmother so delighted and moved. I love to see moments like this".
Artist’s Impression of the Week
- ‘Fall from Grace’; Brazilian player leaps hoarding, not knowing a stairwell was waiting for him
Football Recommendation of the week
- VICE: Football’s Most Dangerous Rivalry; A very interesting VICE documentary filmed in 2012, which gives an insight to the Old Firm rivalry. Perhaps not quite as relevant today given Rangers’ financial woes, the 45 minute short is entertaining nonetheless.
Non-Football Recommendation of the Week
- A Prophet (Un Prophete); “Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena can not read or write. On his arrival at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. He is 19 years old. The prison falls under the control of a group of Corsican prisoners who rule the laws in the prison. The young man quickly learns”.
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