In the world of football marketing, many athletes are recognized by names that may not be their own. “How?” they will ask. And yes, it is due to the nicknames they receive for kinship, origins or a host of reasons.
Next, we review the 20 players with the funniest and most missed nicknames in the world of football:
The Uruguayan former Atlético de Madrid player received the nickname ‘Cebolla’ when he was a member of Peñarol in Montevideo. And it is that it was said that with his dribbles he made rival defenders cry, who were often unable to snatch the ball from him.
He is probably the Peruvian player with the most international poster. The veteran player has always been nicknamed ‘The little seal’ Farfan. A nickname that comes from his family, since his uncle Roberto Farfan was also a footballer and was usually called ‘La foca’.
He currently plays for FC Barcelona. There a while ago he did it with his compatriot Umtiti, precisely the defender was in charge of renaming Dembélé as ‘The mosquito’. A nickname that is fundamentally due to his appearance as a thin, fast player who stings you without realizing it.
The origin of Franck Ribéry’s nickname is more tragic. The French footballer had a very complicated childhood. He was abandoned in a convent at birth and at two years old he had an accident that almost killed him and left a scar on his face for the rest of his life. Hence the nickname ‘Scarface’.
Everyone knows that Leo Messi had growth problems when he was a teenager. He had growth hormone deficiency, something that did not prevent him from dismantling rival defenses. He was always the shortest of the 22 players. This is why they nicknamed him in Argentina as ‘The flea’.
The Athletic Bilbao player was always nicknamed in the locker room as ‘Bart‘ in reference to the son of the Simpsons in reference to his appearance as a naughty boy who does mischief on and off the pitch.
Alfredo Di Stéfano was one of the best players of all time. The nickname of ‘Blonde Arrow’ He received it at the end of the 40s when the Argentine journalist Roberto Neuberger, from the ‘River Magazine’ baptized him that way due to Di Stéfano’s speed (quick as an arrow) and the blond color of his hair. .
In this case, it was not his colleagues but the journalist Manolo Lama who started calling him ‘The bug’ in broadcasts for his goalscoring ability at Real Madrid. The Lama himself explained that for him a bug “it devours you, it even scares you”. Since then, his teammates and the whole football world have known him by that nickname.
Carles Puyol was a very important man for Barça and the Spanish National Team. His strong character and his way of going for it all led him to earn the nickname of ‘Shark’. And also for his great resemblance to the James Bond villain.
He was a player for Villarreal and Arsenal, among other teams, he earned the nickname of D’Artagnan in reference to the protagonist of the ‘Three Musketeers’. Robert Pires was always a very aesthetic soccer player whose game he reminded of a swordsman.
Without a doubt, Maradona was one of the greatest of all time, but the controversy always accompanied the Argentine. His best known nickname is ‘Fluff’ although he also came to be called as ‘cosmic kite’ as a result of some statements by Menotti that were misinterpreted.
Another of the greatest nicknames enjoyed in Spain is the one given to Dertycia, who was an Argentine player for Cádiz, Tenerife and Albacete, among other teams. He was known from the start as ‘Mr Proper’ for his kinship with the protagonist of the famous brand of cleaning products.
Pablo Alfaro and Javi Navarro formed one of the most feared central pairings in Sevilla due to their aggressiveness on the pitch. Many think that this is why Alfaro was nicknamed ‘surgeon’but the truth is that he is a real doctor, since he has a medical degree.
The former Milan or Atlético de Madrid midfielder had a great ability to manage the team and have weight in the game. In Italy he was nicknamed ‘Il Metronomo’. And yes, he was unique when it came to timing the game.
He was one of the most famous Swedish players of his time. He played for Arsenal and starred in a campaign for a famous underpants brand that led him to be known in Spain as ‘Mr Gayumbos’nickname with which the journalist Andrés Montes baptized him
Wayne Rooney was always a great striker, but his physical appearance was never the best. The shape of his body and his face are reminiscent of the most famous ogre in cinema, Shrek. This is why the battering ram is known by that nickname.
Granero has been accompanied by the nickname of ‘The pirate’ since long before being professional. The Spanish player was originally known that way because he used to not comb his hair and not shave. Since then, the footballer himself celebrates the goals by covering one eye in honor of the patch that many pirates wear.
It was coming to Spain to play for Cádiz and everyone compared him to the great bologna, a well-known character created by Francisco Ibañez together with Filemón. And it is that his resemblance is more than evident and he could have starred in any ‘Mortadelo y Filemón’ movie.
He is currently better known as ‘The King’, but originally -something that not everyone knows- he also had a much more fun and original nickname. When he was a member of Colo Colo, Vidal had a partner who renamed him ‘Celia Punk’. This is a mix between the mane that Celia Cruz wore and the later Mohican hairstyle most used in the ‘punk’ culture.
The former Norwegian footballer was always characterized by having the same childish face despite the passing of the years. This is why in England they nicknamed him baby face killer (assassin with baby face). A nickname not literal, but very successful.
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