Celebrations are par for the course during football matches. One has seen players running into the stands, and one has also witnessed stars removing their jerseys after scoring a goal for their respective teams. But have you ever seen a player falling into a tunnel in the middle of his celebration? Well, well, that happened recently. A Brazilian defender, Jacy Maranhao, while playing for Coritiba, was made to endure a bizarre twist to his goal celebration. The cameras picked him jumping over the advertising boards and accidentally falling into a tunnel at the Couto Pereira Stadium.
The incident happened when the 29-year-old centre-back gave Coritiba what appeared to be a 1-0 lead against Chapecoense in the Brazilian top-flight competition after he headed the ball into the net in the 41st minute. Caught up in the excitement of scoring, Jacy then sprinted towards the supporters and leapt over the advertising hoardings.
However, Jacy disappeared from view after falling into a passageway leading towards the away team's dressing room. The defender eventually managed to climb out, but the incident left him nursing an ankle injury. Despite the setback, Jacy initially attempted to continue. He was eventually replaced shortly after half-time as the injury prevented him from carrying on.
Reflecting on the unusual incident, Jacy admitted that the excitement of scoring had taken over. "I twisted my foot there. It's a bit sore, but I'm fine," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Reflecting on the unusual incident, Jacy admitted that the excitement of scoring had taken over. "I twisted my foot there. It's a bit sore, but I'm fine," he said.
{{/usCountry}}The defender also explained why he had become so carried away by the moment.
"Centre-backs hardly ever score goals. So when you do score, I just got carried away," Jacy said.
There was an additional sting to the incident. Jacy's header did not ultimately count, with the goal overturned following a VAR review. Coritiba, however, still managed to secure the points, eventually beating Chapecoense 2-1.
For Jacy, what began as one of the biggest moments of his match quickly turned into an unwanted trip down the tunnel. With the goal eventually ruled out and an ankle injury forcing him off, the defender's celebration proved considerably more memorable than the header itself.
Unusual celebrations
The unusual celebration has also added another chapter to a strange history at the Couto Pereira Stadium. Jacy is not the first player to discover the hazard beyond the advertising boards while celebrating a Coritiba goal.
A similar incident occurred in 2014 when Cameroon striker Joel also vaulted the barriers during Coritiba's match against Sao Paulo. He subsequently fell into the same passageway during the home side's 3-1 victory.