It’s not uncommon to come across stories of players taking a swig of beer in the supporters’ section after scoring a late goal or after a victory, but it’s extremely rare to see it casually done in the 29th minute of a Europa League playoff with the scores level at 0-0.
Perhaps Vereya defender Ivan Bandalovski needed a little hair of the dog following last night’s session or maybe it just irked him to see his favorite brew go to waste like that, but the Bulgarian used the barley pop like it was a Cool Blue Gatorade, a move usually reserved for intramural games in college.
This would be a fine video but it gets even better. In the 93rd minute, with his side trailing 1-0, Bandalovski sprang up to show everyone that not only was he still motoring around the field with the sauce coursing through his veins, he was actually capable of keeping his side’s Europa League dream alive with a late equalizer.
Bandalovski and his Vereya teammates would ultimately lose on penalties to Levski Sofia, leaving a very bitter taste in their mouths.