- The Polish striker in the match against Schalke Gelsenkirchen showed a beautiful play, the so-called a cross, which brought a goal for the team of German champions
- Lewandowski, however, aroused criticism from one of the German journalists, who accused him of disrespect
- The feat of “Lewy” was not a premiere. Indeed, in previous years, the rabona raised the pressure, but also delighted the fans
- More such stories can be found on the Onet.pl home page
The inaugural Bundesliga match for the Bavarians was more than successful. Hansi Flick’s charges smashed their rivals, leaving them no illusions. With the score of 5: 0, Robert Lewandowski decided to play a very effective game, the so-called rabona, he scored the ball to Thomas Mueller, who scored the sixth goal for Bayern. However, not everyone liked the behavior of the Pole.
Although “Lewy” certainly showed great technique and ingenuity, according to Lothar Leuschen from “Westdeutsche Zeitung” it was not the right behavior. “Lewandowski lacked decency and respect,” he said in the journal. According to the commentator, Lewandowski showed off his arrogance and insensitivity, and this should cost him a chance for the Golden Ball. “Robert Lewandowski is a great footballer, he is the top scorer and footballer of the year in Germany. And he still has a chance to compete for the World Player of the Year. If decency and respect play a role in this election, he should have missed his chance on Friday” – he wrote emphatically Leuschen.
Isn’t it an exaggeration to put the matter in such a sharp way? And did Lewandowski really deserve criticism?
Rabona is one of the most effective football games. It consists in kicking the ball with the leg behind the standing leg, i.e. the Teutonic Knights. Ricardo Infante, who showed it in the match between the Argentine teams Estudiantes de la Plata and Rosario Central in 1948, was recognized as its contractor and informal inventor first. Since he had too little time to translate the ball into a better right leg, he decided to improvise and … from about 35 meters he surprised the goalkeeper in front of the line. “I hit the top corner, although I couldn’t aim precisely, I didn’t think it would be so effective,” he recalled his hit in 1998, on the 50th anniversary of his “magic” achievement. He did regret one thing, however. – This shot did not gain the well-deserved popularity. At that time, there was no broadcast or even descriptions in the media of every match – he added.
Perhaps this meant that in Europe, where information about Infante’s feat did not reach, Giovanni Roccotelli was considered the initiator of the rebirth in the 1970s, who used it for crosses, but also for long shots.
Although fans love football tricks, this one can irritate them – of course, we are talking about fans of the opposing team. Players usually decide to do it when they are very relaxed, with a high lead of their team or to deceive their opponent in an effective way. The very name of the play strongly suggests its interpretation. “Rabona” in Spanish means “truancy”, which can also be read as “childish prank, insolence, disrespect”.
And in fact, a rabona could delight as much as irritate. In 2011, when Cristiano Ronaldo was still shining in the colors of Real Madrid, Betis Sevilla players complained about his play. The royals easily created situations for themselves in this match, and with a score of 4: 1, the Portuguese decided to shoot with a rabona. Although the goalkeeper caught the ball, Ronaldo found himself under the heat of criticism. – Some situations really make me furious. They won by far and in my opinion such behavior was inappropriate. I got angry and told him about it – said Antonio Amaya after the meeting. – I do not understand what the end of this action was for. Cristiano is a great player, of course I like such games, yes, but not in such situations – added Iriney, who also said a few words to his rival already on the pitch.
A few years later, West Ham United player Dmitri Payet aroused similar emotions, who in the match against Watford showed an assist with a Rabona, giving his team a 2-0 lead. – Well, it was definitely effective, but as professionals we could not agree to such treatment. The score was 1-0, we were in the game all the time and I think Payet was disrespectful to us because such fun is good for children and we are adult men. It’s not a playground, said Watford captain Troy Deeney, who admitted that it made him and the whole team very nervous. Effectively, because the guests won this match 4: 2, biting off Payet’s behavior. He defended his play. “It was instinctive, I just thought it was the best solution, I didn’t want to offend anyone,” he said.
Eric Lamela, who stood in the penalty area in 2014, defeated goalkeeper Asteras Tripolis in a Europa League match. This hit was considered by the fans to be the most effective in the whole competition.
Last season, Eran Zahavi also aroused admiration, scoring the decisive goal in the match against Tianjin Quanjian in the Chinese Super League match for Guangzhou.
So is there anything to crush the copies for?
English journalist Nick Elliot, commenting on Payet’s performance, said that people who tell him to apologize for the rabon, probably do not love football. And it’s hard to disagree with him.
Although after the rabon, the irritation of the opposing team can be particularly overwhelming, especially if nothing goes wrong on the pitch … it is difficult to blame a player who has enough skills, ease and courage to make such a difficult play, under the pressure of the fans. It is possible to imagine that the executor of the failed rebound would risk a lot of mockery on their part, deserved in a way.
In February this year, a French judge shocked the public when he admonished Neymar in the Paris Saint-Germain vs Montpellier game for assuming the so-called nets to the rival. He considered it a senseless provocation and, after discussions with the surprised player, gave him a yellow card. This behavior surprised everyone, because … what’s wrong with showing the games that fans love?
Effective plays are an inseparable part of football, also for them fans come to stadiums, sit in front of TV sets and watch hundreds of times on the Internet replays of beautiful goals, amazing assists or other feats. Why should it be any different with a rabonu?
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