I met Marco Tardelli once, during his time assisting the Republic of Ireland, and couldn’t properly concentrate on what he was saying because I was reminiscing in my mind the Italian’s “Gol, Gol” scream and sprint from 1982. What makes a memorable goal celebration? Tardelli’s wild emotion? That has to be No 1. Or Bebeto’s baby rocking? Facundo Sava’s mask of Zorro? Jimmy Bullard’s team-talk? Erling Haaland’s meditation? Humour? Uniqueness? Anyway, I got asked by BBC 5 Live this week to list the top five celebrations I’ve covered.
When I got on air, the presenter Adrian Chiles was understandably more focused on Hugo Ekitike’s celebration for Liverpool against Southampton at Anfield on Tuesday night. This involved Ekitike ripping his shirt off and making a point of the name on the back of his shirt. A touch of ego? Adrian, who knows his football, highlighted Arne Slot’s correct comment that Ekitike should have been focusing on thanking his team-mate, Federico Chiesa, for his glorious assist. Ekitike, of course, got booked for taking his shirt off, a second yellow leading to a red, a ban for this weekend’s important game at Crystal Palace, and a lecture from his manager. A rather expensive goal celebration.
Anyway, as I’d mulled over the most memorable five goal celebrations I’ve covered, I thought I’d list them here for your amusement/judgement...
1990: eel-hipped Roger Milla dancing around the corner flag at Italia 90. Unforgettable. I was in Naples for Cameroon versus Colombia and was treated to the marvellous sight of Milla’s famous celebration.
The Cameroonian made a very significant point when reflecting later on the joy-bringing nature of his celebration. “Today’s goalscorers aren’t celebrating for the spectators but for their egos,” Milla told SuperSport television. “The fans come to the stadium to have fun, to dance. Playing football and celebrating is the same – it is dancing.” He’s remembered most widely for his celebrations but Milla was also a supremely intelligent striker; he’d watched how Colombia’s keeper Rene Higuita liked to dribble the ball out, and occasionally dawdle in possession, so he pounced. As Higuita memorably lamented, it was a “mistake as a big as a house”. And Milla profited – and gyrated.