Every footballer has his own story, his own playing style, and his own attributes. Some even have their own special personalities, or unique hairstyles. But one of the most fascinating aspects of football could be the special goal celebrations, when a player who’s in the middle of his euphoria after just scoring a goal, is able to maintain his composure and deliver his own signature celebration, much to the delight of his supporters.
Whilst we’ll make sure to deliver at least two more lists from the previous era, here are the our Top 10 Serie A signature goal celebrations from the modern era (2010 – 2020):
#10 – Paul Pogba – The Dab
Once upon a time around the year 2015, a dancing move called “Dab” suddenly became popular around the globe – and especially with the younger generations – and perhaps it is still considered popular to this very day (we’re not really sure about that, just ask someone who cares)
Now while we, at the Cult of Calcio, are not exactly famous for being “dabbers” (is that even a word?), this had to be included on this list after being so enthusiastically adopted by Paul Pogba at a time when he was considered as one the brightest young stars worldwide. The Frenchman was occasionally joined by his supporting cast composed by fellow Juventus stars, including Paulo Dybala and Dani Alves.
#9 – Dries Mertens – The “Tongue-Out Dance”
Ok, so this is where we have to thank our very own Neapolitan co-founder Diego Ottaviano for spending half a day explaining the meaning behind this one. So basically the creepy celebration made famous by Dries Mertens – later joined by Lorenzo Insigne – was a dedication for Napoli’s favorite kit-man and urban legend Tomasso Starace who owns the original copyright for the “tongue-out” dance move.
But the fact that “Ciro” Mertens pulled it off after scoring a Champions League match against Barcelona, and becoming the club’s historical top scorer in the process, makes this awkward celebration an immortal one for the Partenopei.
#8 Andrea Belotti – The Rooster’s Crest
So here’s another celebration involving a moving tongue. Apparently Andrea Belotti has a friend with the last name of Gallo which is the Italian word for “rooster”, so the Torino striker decided to celebrate a goal he scored by putting a hand on his head similarly to the rooster’s crest (aka that big red thing on his head which enables us to separate him from the chickens). Oh, and of course crowing like a rooster.
From thereafter, Belotti opted to fully adopt the celebration and “il Gallo” became his nickname. So if money and fame weren’t enough for the Italy international, he also stole his poor friend’s name and made it his own.
#7 – Mario Balotelli – The Refusal
Wait, how can a player who refused to celebrate most his goals end up on the best Serie A celebrations list? Well, simply put, Mario Balotelli is a living enigma and he’s allowed more rights than regular footballers.
While his epic posing after scoring for Italy against Germany at Euro 2012 remains his most famous, the former Inter and Milan striker was known to never even break a smile after scoring, and just acting like nothing happened at all – although lately he began to occasionally put his finger on his ears as if asking the crowd to make some noise.
When Mario was asked about the reason behind his un-celebratory mood, his answer was brilliant as ever. “Scoring goals is my main job. Have you ever seen a postman celebrating after delivering a letter?“. Genius!
#6 – Paulo Dybala – The Gladiator Mask
Serie A fans around the world recognize the infamous Paulo Dybala gladiator mask celebration by now. It’s simple, catchy, and all Juventus fans can safely try it at home each time their Argentine star scores a goal. But few know the meaning behind it, so here’s the explanation from the man himself:
The celebration was born after a match against Milan in the Super Cup.
I missed a penalty and was really upset afterwards.
I went on holiday and was watching Gladiator on TV and that’s when I decided that, my next goal, to celebrate as a gladiator.
So in conclusion, the gladiator mask was born after the traumatic experience suffered by La Joya resulted from his failure to score against a struggling Milan side in the year 2016. Who said life’s easy?
#5 – Giampaolo Pazzini – “Can You See Me?”
Ten years ago, Giampaolo Pazzini was considered as one the most lethal strikers in Italy, especially during his time at Sampdoria. Although his stints at Inter and Milan weren’t very successful, his goal celebration is one of the most recognizable in Serie A, as he’d point two fingers to his eyes. So what exactly is the cryptic dark meaning behind this signature ritual? Here’s what the former Verona Captain had to say about it:
When I played with Luca Toni at Fiorentina, he always celebrated by gesturing to his ears to say ‘hey, you hear me?’ So in contrast, my celebration [pointing at my eyes] was born — I say, ‘hey, you see me? “
Well, that’s a bit disappointing really. I actually thought it meant something a bit more wicked, like “Look at my eyes if you dare“, “With these eyes I’ve seen your demise” or even “I got myopia but I’m still good enough to score in your net“. Anyway, this is why we shouldn’t do research. Though, it’s still a cool celebration.
#4 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic – The Statuesque Pose
The magnificence of simplicity. When the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores a goal, he often stands his ground, while his younger and shorter teammates would run towards him in a race to earn a warm place as close as possible to his majesty’s strong hugging hands.
A very simple celebration, and yet when the Swedish giant pulls it off – with his Greek god attitude – it makes for a glorious sight.
#3 – Mirko Vucinic – The Striptease
We often see players earning a yellow card for removing their jerseys during a goal celebration, but Mirko Vucinic, one of the most recognized Serie A strikers in the past decade, decided to take it a one step further by removing his shorts and wave it in the air like a white flag. And he actually pulled this act on a few occasions to make it his own signature move, but why is this possible law breaking offense on our list in the first place?
Well there’s something quite fascinating about a grown bearded man running around the pitch in front of tens of thousands in a pair white undies. And he did it all while sporting a Juventus jersey, the same club that tries its best to maintain a very formal, professional, and serene image of itself.
P.S: The picture below was cropped by our editing team for obvious reasons. But if you’re interested in viewing the original image… Then what the heck is wrong with you?!
#2 – Cristiano Ronaldo – The 180-Flip
Yeah you knew this was coming. Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who is possibly more famous than football itself, had to possess his very own cheesy, over the top and excessive goal celebration to fit with the rest of his image. So every time CR7 scores a penalty goal, he would run, jump, perform an almost 180-flip mid-air, and then have this ground shattering landing of some sort while screaming his now trademark “Siuuuu!”
So after Ronaldo’s infamous move to Serie A in 2018, the Juventus fans were delighted to see him pull off this marquee celebration without having to concede some sort of an overhead-kick goal prior to it.
#1 – Krzysztof Piątek – The Double Gun
Yes you’re reading right, Krzysztof Piątek is on top of a Serie A list – and it’s not even the one-season wonders list- and it’s all thanks to his epic double gun sliding celebration.
Even though we here at The Cult of Calcio are avid supporters of gun control, we do believe that the former Genoa and Milan man should be allowed to maintain his two guns while he would effortlessly slide along the green pitch while “shooting” people left and right.
And the best part about it is the fact that the Polish striker, with his clean shave and formal haircut, could be mistaken for a museum guide, but nonetheless decides to unleash his inner gangster persona every time he scores.
Goals can get a person mad indeed!
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