Less-Known Sports Rituals Of Professional Football Players
We see a lot of star persons of football confessing to their very own rituals or habits. You can see more athletic superstitions here.
A lot of people believe that depending on superstitions for the win makes the athletes concentrate more on remembering them than the actual game.
However, we find that rituals do improve the self-confidence of the athlete as every action involved in that ritual is preparing him for the next level.
Read on if you want to see more athletic superstitions here
Cristiano Ronaldo
With a worldwide fan following, Cristiano is one of the biggest stars of football. The player admits that he follows a ritual of starting with the right side first when getting dressed up. Also, he doesn’t change his place on the bus on his way to the match.
Edu Frías
In an interview, the former Marcet goalkeeper highlights the psychological aspect of the thing, “Before I used to disconnect a little, my mind would wander off during games and during training sessions.”
He adds, “I had to have sessions with the sports psychologist at RCD Espanyol, who advised me on some special routines to keep me focused. And it worked”.
Pelayo Pérez
Superstitions are not limited to professional players. You can find them during junior and infant leagues too. Pérel has started to follow these two rituals lately:
- The player will cross himself and skip upon the pitch with his right foot.
- During the coin toss, he will look straight ahead and touch his laces just before the whistle goes.
Pepe Reina
The keeper for the Spanish national team, Pepe Reina, has also admitted to following a ritual before each match. The player says that he always gets his tank filled before a game and parks it in the same place.
Hang on. You’re going to see more athletic superstitions here.
Les Miles
Out of all, the LSU coach has the weirdest ritual to follow. Les Miles has been seen munching on the grass that he would bring from the football field during pre-game activities.
Miles says that his pre-game ritual humbles him as a man, and it lets him know that he is part of the field and part of the game.
Thibaut Courtois
Courtois is another great football player who has a series of weird rituals. The player admits that on each match day he follows all of these habits:
- He enters the corridors of the stadium at a specific time.
- He texts his girlfriend that he’s changing his clothes and that she shouldn’t message him until the game is over.
- Next, he clicks a selfie while sitting on the potty and sends it to four friends.
- Then, he wears his left shoe and sock first because he’s a lefty.
- Next, he wets the tip of his glove before entering the field.
- Last, he hits the goal post with his boot and then punches the goal net in its middle
Phew! That’s a lot.
Kevin Rhomberg
The retired major leaguer Kevin Rhomberg has been found to be an exceptionally superstitious football player.
The former pitcher Rich Mahler confesses that Kevin is the most superstitious player he has ever encountered.
Mahler said that whenever anyone would touch Kevin, he would touch him back. Also, Rhomberg always refused to take a right turn on the diamond.
Luis Suarez
Have you ever noticed that Luis Saurez always wears a blue-colored band on both his hands during all his matches?
Well, yes! The player always puts them on. He believes that the blue tape brings lucky charm for him and his games.
Cesc Fàbregas
The current Spain midfielder has a habit of kissing a ring four times just before he gets onto the pitch. The ring is given to him by his wife.
He says, “I’m not superstitious at all, but there is one thing that I started doing four years ago – it went well, and I didn’t stop doing it.”
Wayne Rooney
Rooney never eats that traditional meal of chicken or steak before his match. Instead, he prefers a bowl of cereals. “I tend to just have cereal before a game, probably a bowl of Coco Pops. The normal ones, not the Moons and Stars.”
The player insists that he isn’t superstitious at all and that he doesn’t have any other pre-game ritual.
Neymar
One of the most talented players of his generation, Neymar is a very religious person. He always has a little talk or chat with his father just before his game. He believes that this brings good luck to him.
Also, Neymar has a very close relationship with his fans, and so, before each match, he posts a picture of himself on social media.
John Terry
During his days, John Terry had a series of pre-game rituals that he never missed to follow. He used to sit on the same seat on the bus and make the team use the same urinal.
He even used the same shin pads for over ten years, after which they got lost.
Also, he used to make sure that he always taped his socks exactly three times around.
According to the player, “I am very superstitious and, for me, if we win a game, then I add it onto my next superstition.”
So, here were some of the craziest superstitions of the top footballers around the world. Hope you had a fun time reading this article and have known a few more things about your favorite football players.