By the sound of it in Italy, AC Milan keeper Dida could end up in as much trouble as the Celtic fan who hit him.
Celtic had just gone 2-1 up in the last minute of their Champions League group game on Wednesday when a celebrating supporter ran on to the pitch and gave the Brazilian keeper a slap. Dida initially gave chase before dramatically collapsing to the floor and being carried off.
Dida was accused by the Italian media both of faking the injury and of being at fault on the two goals, while even Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said he had gone down too easily.
“Didastro,” was the main headline in Thursday’s Gazzetta dello Sport, a play on the Italian word for disaster. Gabriele Capasso at Calcio blog said Dida’s sudden fall was “the show of the century”.
The episode reminded many of Rivaldo, another Brazilian, who spectacularly fell to the floor clutching his face at the 2002 World Cup having been struck on the legs by a ball angrily kicked by Turkey player Hakan Unsal.
Dida was struck by a flare in a Champions League quarter-final second leg with Inter Milan in 2005. That abandoned match was handed to AC Milan but Milan were quick to say they would not be asking for a replay or to be given the points.
Ancelotti said: “It does not seem serious. Perhaps he has exaggerated.”
The defeat for the European champions and Dida’s antics pile more pressure on Ancelotti, whose side have made a poor start to the Serie A season.
“Milan on the floor like Dida,” ran an inside headline in Gazzetta.
Down, but not out, surely?
Mark Meadows, Milan
PHOTO: Dida is stretchered off during Milan’s Champions League defeat by Celtic in Glasgow, October 3, 2007. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis
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8 comments so far
Out for the count mate, too many ageing players with no hunger or fuel left in them to win another scudetto or champions league. The Athens fluke was their swan song.
- Posted by Red Devil[...] Antunes Coimbra wrote an interesting post today on Dida the Milan fall guy?Here’s a quick [...]
- Posted by Itsrev.Com » Dida the Milan fall guy?Disgusting display of gamesmanship. The delayed reaction clearly indicates it was a cynical and pre-meditated attempt to cause a repeat of the Inter decision and atone in some way for his own personal blunders.
Celtic will rightfully be fined but UEFA must surely come down on Dida too. Perhaps he should read up on the fate of Roberto Rojas before he next attempts to act out a pantomime scene.
- Posted by Steve WilsonDidn’t see it but just watched it on youtube & I have to say it is far more comical than the reports I heard on the radio this morning. 80 Kilo’s of highly trained athlete pole axed by a playful brush across the chest. Tremendous, the parents of perpetrator and victim must be very proud
- Posted by Jim[...] to him, give him a good reason to go down, and stay down. The only good thing about it all is the first paragraph of this story about the incident. This entry was written by kidpurple and posted on October 4, 2007 at 10:17 pm and filed under [...]
- Posted by Only In Italy | kidpurple.comWell it was really disgusting to see Dida go down like that n try to get the man abandoned.
- Posted by MANISHI hope UEFA amply punishes him.
[...] 20th floor apartment and being carried off. I wonder how much time is wasted for that incident.Did Dida collapsed on purpose? Only he knows it [...]
- Posted by Dida , give him an Oscar please at Square Tan dot ComI have to agree with Jim: it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen on a football field for a long time. What a tit!
- Posted by Rafa