In the modern world, with such great technological advancements and easy access to information, you may think that the age of superstitions is in the past. But you may be surprised to know that pre-match rituals and superstitions are more than common within players and fans. Players who are globally popular have been known to have some strange pre-match rituals. At the end of the day, football is not just a mere game, it’s both social and personal at the same time. Over time, the sport has turned into something more than what it actually is, it’s an emotion that brings together millions of people all over the globe, uniting them with one common passion: the passion for football. The sport means something different for everyone, it affects them emotionally and psychologically, sometimes even shaping their identities. With football having such a huge impact over players and fans, it is only natural that they do the best they can to achieve the outcome they want.
At its base, pre-match rituals are just a form of hope that the outcome of the match meets their expectations, which is understandable, players and fans want the best for their team or player. It isn’t limited to the stadium or galleries, but even fans who are watching matches on television or bettors placing bets on their favourite teams or players through their mobile casino or betting website of choice have their own special pre-match rituals. Researchers claim that pre-match rituals could actually help calm down anxieties, give players a bit of reassurance that maybe the match could go well.
Some of the world’s most popular football players are famous for their pre-match rituals. Here are some of the strangest of them:
Johan Crayuff
He has been given the titles of one of the greatest players in history and as the greatest Dutch footballer ever. However, this great footballer was known for his peculiar pre-match rituals too. When he was playing for Ajax, he would slap the stomach of the goalkeeper, Gert Bals, and then chew and spit chewing gum at the opponent’s side of the ground before the match officially kicked off. When he was asked about this ritual, he said, “It’s odd I know, but it seems to work for me. Once I’ve gone through with my little system before the game, my mind is fully focused on what we have to do to be successful on the pitch.”
George Best
This Northern Irish legend made his name in the 60s and 70s to be known as one of the greatest players ever. He was a winger for Manchester United and pretty legendary at it too. Back then, footballers didn’t have nutritionists and dieticians, and they were allowed to be pretty liberal with their diets. Apparently, George used to have whole chocolate bars before each match. It used to give him a sugar spike to perform well.
Gary Neville
Now he is known to be a football pundit, but in the past, he was one of the best players in the Premier League, acting as an important player of various title-winning teams. You may think that maybe it is his warmup routine, motivation by the coach, or his diet that helped him become a great player. But no, at the end of the day, it was just sitting on a toilet for 15 minutes, in full kit, going through the matchday programme. It does sound pretty strange, doesn’t it, but he had mentioned it himself when he had written on United’s website, “When the boss finished his team-talk, I’d get my kit on and sit on the toilet, with the lid down, and read the programme in complete peace for 15 minutes. Tranquility. I did that for every game.”
Photo Of Wales National Team
It is a pre-match ritual for every team to take a photo before they play international games. It was in the Euro match of 2016 that the Wales National team realised that they are not really great at standing organized for the photo, most times, the front line would not be in sync with the back line. But they were able to reach all the way to the semi-finals of that tournament, and since then the irregular arrangement for the team photo has become sort of a ritual.
Of course, if you look at the internet, you may find even more strange pre-match rituals. But at the end of the day, it’s all for the passion of football, and most football fans will understand the importance of a good pre-match ritual.