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Football

04th Nov 2018

Treat your eyes to the best own goal in absolutely ages

Wayne Farry

Emanuele Giaccherini

Sometimes the best things in football are the worst things

A poorly timed and aimed attempt at a pass which leads to the opposition walking through on goal, a goalkeeper trying to be smart and performing a Cruyff turn in his box before being dispossessed and made look a fool; each of these things warm our hearts.

Yes, we love good football, but there is an inherent comedy that comes from watching people who are truly excellent at what they do make absolutely cataclysmic errors.

On Sunday, one man and his own goal did just that during Chievo Verona’s Serie A match at home to Sassuolo.

That man was Chievo midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, and what he did was score one of the all-time great own goals.

Already trailing by a goal with less than a minute of injury time remaining, Chievo were under pressure from Sassuolo, when forward Domenico Berardi found himself just yards from goal.

The 24-year-old unleashed a rasping shot at Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino, who impressively saved it. The ball then bounced up into the air as Giaccherini found himself close to the six-yard box.

In a strange move, Giaccherini opted to chest the ball back to his keeper, who was still lying on the ground. What happened next was pure poetry, which cannot be justified with human words. So sit back and enjoy.