The Олимп-2 pitch in Rostov-on-Don was frozen. It was wonderfully patchy and Jose Mourinho wondered if you could even call it a field at all. His desire to have the venue changed was laughed off by a UEFA official, Mourinho claiming the official told him “the players are insured, so if something happens, no problem.”
Have you ever been told you look familiar? Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Join the club, because it happens to the best of us. It’s common for people to look like a famous celebrity or someone’s long-lost cousin. But have you ever been told you look like an animal? It’s not something you hear often, but it's also not the most ridiculous comparison since we are animals after all! Take a look at 15 footballers that channel something other than human.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s quest to win trophies for Manchester United is being realized with stunning proficiency. After scoring late for Man United in their FA Community Shield victory over Leicester City to mark his Red Devil Wembley debut, Zlatan has continued his act by scoring twice, including an 87th minute winner, to lift United over Southampton in the EFL Cup final, 3-2.
In direct defiance of former Manchester United hard man Roy Keane, Paul and Florentin Pogba again displayed feelings of brotherly love on the soccer pitch Wednesday: giving dap, exchanging jerseys, strolling around the pitch postgame, applauding everyone and refraining from threatening to murder each other and calling each other
Whenever a big side like Manchester United get played close by a smaller club, there's inevitably talk of the "Magic of the FA Cup", and, though that usually refers to some plucky underdog dethroning one of the elite, rich clubs, sometimes the magic of the cup is just watching Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic do something cool.
Case in point:
All eyes were on the Pogba brothers as Florentin’s Saint-Etienne took on Paul’s Manchester United in the Europa League. In the tunnel, they exchanged daps and marveled at the brilliance of each other’s hair.
Eleven-year-old Samuel suffers from cerebral palsy and cannot walk without assistance, but he doesn’t let his condition stop him from pursuing his dreams. Manchester United inspires the young goalkeeper, but at the end of the day, Samuel is an inspiration to all of us.
Sam revealed, “Having cerebral palsy is very hard, and playing football is a bit difficult but I don’t really take that as a big issue, I just get on with it.”
Leading up to the Super Bowl, Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a conversation with retired NFL player Osi Umenyiora, who asked the Swede what position he would play if he were in the NFL.
Here's Zlatan's answer: “The guy who makes the difference. I’d be the one who catches the ball. Maybe I wouldn’t be so fast but I would be like a bull and run through all of them.”
Keep scrolling for pictures and information about each footballers Instagram. Follow The18 for more lists: