When the red mist descends...
Kepa Arrizabagla’s refusal to make way for Willy Caballero in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup Final defeat was the talking point in an otherwise anticlimactic Sunday of football and may have cost his much maligned boss, Maurizio Sarri his job.
Caballero was poised to take position for the imminent penalty shootout to replace Kepa, who was reportedly suffering with cramp. The former possessing both invaluable knowledge of his former teammates at Manchester City and a credible penalty record.
This act of incredible self-importance and petulance led us to look back on other times where goalkeepers have thrown their toys out the proverbial pram. Here are a couple of ‘keeper paddies and outbursts…
Bruce Grobbelar & the ‘Face Grab’
From battling on the frontline in the Rhodesian war in his native Zimbabwe to European Cup winners to being embroiled in match-fixing scandals, few can boast a more eventful life than Bruce Grobbelar.
Grobbelar has never been averse to confrontation, but a spat with teammate Steve Mcmanaman in a Merseyside derby in 1993 was more resembling of handbags than what you would expect from a military veteran.
Grobbelar, at this point sporting a Rodrigo Palicio-esque rat’s tail to accompany his trademark moustache, took exception to the England international’s lacklustre defending from a corner which allowed Mark Ward to put Everton in front against their Stanley Park rivals.
The young Scouser must was met with the stalwart’s glove grabbing his face as a swarm of hapless swings and pathetic face pushes followed ensure that Liverpool’s set piece defending paled into insignificance in the eyes of history
Jens Lehman v Manuel Almunia
Jens Lehman is not a man you would like to cross on the best of days, but Manuel Almunia who was understudy to the stereotypical German ‘keeper before nabbing the number one spot, poked the beast and should not have been surprised to how that was received.
During a training session, Almunia had apparently been complaining about Lehmann's physicality during training and then and shouted from the sidelines that Lehmann was being awarded soft free-kicks, which could not have stunk more of rancid jealousy towards the man who was first choice in the majority of the time the pair were team mates at Highbury.
According to Lehman’s autobiography, he confronted the Spaniard in retaliation to the heckling. This is the segment from the book:
‘What do you want, bastardo?’
‘What are you saying? Why are you insulting me?’ I shot back.
‘Shut the f*** up, bastardo!’ came the reply. ‘Ah, at least now you’re openly saying what you really think of me,’ I said. ‘This is your true character – insulting colleagues!’
