Goal celebration takes wild turn as player falls in hole, VAR intervenes

A goal celebration in Brazil’s top football competition took an unexpected and frightening turn after he disappeared down a hole on the side of the pitch and injured his ankle.

Coritiba defender Jacy Maranhao’s had just tapped the ball into the back of the net to put his team in front 2-0 against Chapecoense when he decided to jump over an advertising board to celebrate closer to the fans that had travelled to attend the game.

But when the 29-year-old footballer got his legs over the advertising board, he fell into an uncovered tunnel hole that led to the away team’s dressing rooms.

The tunnel had been opened early, in readiness for the half-time break.

Teammates stood on the other side of the advertising board worried about Maranhao, with a nearby stadium staffer running down to help him back up.

Maranhao eventually did make his way back up the stairs and onto the field, although it was clear that he had injured his ankle during his celebration.

To add salt to the wounds of his nightmare celebration, the defender’s goal was rubbed out by VAR due to a foul in the build-up to his strike.

Maranhao failed to return to the field for the second half. He was seen sitting on the bench icing his ankle while his teammates went on to claim a 2-1 victory.

It is not the first time a player has been injured falling into a tunnel hole at Couto Pereira (Coritiba’s home stadium). In 2014, Joel Tagueu, a former striker for Coritiba, fell and injured himself in the same tunnel hole as Maranaho.

Tagueu did manage to play out the full 90 minutes plus additional time, though.

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