Social Media

Footballers using social media is a blessing and a curse that keeps on giving. Thanks to some questionable use of Instagram stories by Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, fans received some insider info on who the tourtoises and the hares are at the London club. According to a leaderboard listing the team’s fastest players based on the categories of “Max Speed” and “% Max Speed,” the Gabon striker is the speediest Gunner of them all. 

If one were asked to sum up Manchester United right now using just an emoji, it’s probably:

No one — we repeat, no one — is immune to initiation rites in soccer. Not a 40-year-old legend of the game and not even one of the best players of all time. Although after watching the Cristiano Ronaldo initiation song with Juventus, maybe these embarrassing displays need to stop — for the children.

Earlier this month, Gianluigi Buffon was seen belting out a glorious song for his PSG initiation rites. He earned a rousing ovation from his new teammates.

Tottenham scraped past Newcastle United 2-1 in its opening match of the 2018-19 Premier League season, but it wasn’t just the game, or the lack of transfers from Spurs, that had everyone talking. Instead, it was the goal celebration from Dele Alli, which has given rise to the Dele Alli challenge. 

His goal restored the lead for Tottenham, and despite it being a pretty neat header, his celebration was the focus. Fans and footballers (and even managers) alike have tried to do it, and many have failed.

For clarification, the Balotelli Challenge does not refer to a competition in which you try to piss your coaches and teammates off with questionable behavior on and off the pitch. Nor does it mean trying a fancy finish when you’re clear on goal or wielding goal celebrations that are nearly obnoxious enough to get you punched in the mouth. Ah, enough I suppose. Mario Balotelli has been through the ringer these past few years.

If you’ve perused Facebook, Twitter or Instagram in the past few weeks, you've perhaps witnessed the #InMyFeelingsChallenge, arguably summer’s most popular dance craze given rise by the release of rapper Drake’s new album. The viral sensation started about a month ago after Instagram user and comedian @theshiggyshow shared a video of himself doing what he deemed “the shiggy” dance, which lined up perfectly with Drake’s song “In My Feelings” from his hit album Scorpion.