Tricks and Football: Why We Laugh at the Most Serious Game in the World

Football is drama, tragedy, epic, and comedy all at once. Millions of people cry from defeats and go crazy from victories, but laughter is not canceled. Moreover, humor is an integral part of football culture. Fans, players, coaches, referees, commentators — all become the object of mockery and enjoy making jokes themselves. Why do we love laughing at football so much? Because it is too serious to take it seriously. And also because in this sport, more than in any other, there is an incredible amount of absurdity, absurdity, and funny moments. Let's figure out how football humor lives, who its main characters are, and why a joke is the second thing after a goal that unites fans worldwide.

Football and Humor: An Unbreakable Pair

Football is a game where in 90 minutes so much strange happens that it would be enough for ten comedy series. Think of own goals, clumsy falls, referee mistakes, coaches running along the touchline and making faces, commentators confusing names, and fans crying in the rain. This is a natural environment for humor. Not for nothing, there is even a special show \"Soccer AM\" in England, where the main content is jokes and funny moments from the world of football.

Humor performs an important function: it reduces tension. When your team loses, it is sometimes easier to laugh at the goalkeeper's mistake than to cry. And that's great. Laughter unites fans, even those who are at odds, if the joke is good. There is a well-known principle: \"A true football fan can laugh at his own team.\" Because only those who truly love can laugh at their shortcomings.

But football itself also makes fun of us. Random penalties, bounces, goals in the last minute — these are such scenarios that no comedian could think of. Football writes a comedy every day, it only remains for us to notice it.

Who Becomes the Hero of Jokes More Often

The first on the list are, of course, referees. Their decisions cause more disputes than the tactics of the best coaches. Jokes about blind referees are a classic. \"The referee at the match: he didn't see the goal, didn't see the penalty, but he perfectly saw how someone on the stands ate a hot dog.\" Or: \"The referee is a person who never makes a mistake in 90 minutes. He makes mistakes for 90 minutes in a row.\" These jokes work everywhere, regardless of country and language.

The second are coaches. Their jackets, shouting on the touchline, strange substitutions — this is a gold mine. Especially coaches who run onto the field or argue with the fourth referee. \"The coach is so emotional that even his jacket is crying.\" Or: \"The coach made a substitution on the 89th minute. Perhaps he wanted the audience to remember something.\"

Third are goalkeepers. They are either heroes or clowns. Unfortunately, in humor, they are more often the latter. \"The goalkeeper is a person who catches the ball only when it is not flying at him.\" Or: \"Why are goalkeepers always alone? Because no one wants to stand next to someone who can't catch a ball.\"

Fans also regularly become the heroes of anecdotes. Especially fans of clubs that are always dissatisfied. \"The fan of Zenit is the one who is not happy with the victory because it could have been more beautiful.\" And if you are a fan of CSKA, then you are already accustomed to jokes: \"CSKA is a team that struggles for the championship... in every season.\"

National Features of Football Humor

In each country, there are favorite topics for jokes. In England, the classic is irony over their own team, especially if it is the national team. \"England is the only team that can lose the final and still say they were better.\" Or: \"Englishmen believe they will win the World Cup. And so for 60 years. This is the longest prank in history.\"

In Brazil, they joke about how football is more important than life. \"A Brazilian dies, goes to heaven, and they say: 'Sorry, we are full, come back in the next life.' But the Brazilians are not offended — they know that their football is a celebration, and humor is part of it.\"

In Germany, they joke about discipline. \"The German national team is a machine. But sometimes the brakes fail.\" Or: \"Why do the Germans always leave the group? Because they can't break the schedule.\"

In Italy, they joke about theatricality. \"An Italian falls to the ground — this is not a foul, this is a performance.\" Or: \"Italians win the World Cup once every 10 years to have time to rest from the festivities.\"

And in Russia, jokes are a way to survive. \"In winter in Russia, they don't play football. They play hockey on the grass.\" Or: \"Russian football is like Russian roulette: you never know who will lose.\"

Famous Football Memes and Jokes

The internet is full of memes about football. Who doesn't know the legendary photo of the crying boy after Brazil's defeat? Or the meme about Ronaldo fixing his hair before the penalty? These images have become part of pop culture.

One of the most popular jokes is the phrase \"Offside is when the referee blows the whistle and you don't understand why.\" It reflects the general confusion in front of the new VAR rules. By the way, VAR is an entire universe for humor. \"VAR is when the referee watches a replay and still makes a mistake.\" Or: \"VAR works as reliably as GPS in the forest.\"

There are jokes about commentators. \"The commentator said the goal was inevitable. He also said that rain is water.\" Or: \"Some commentators talk so much that you start to understand why football is a silent game.\"

And also about the physical condition of players. \"The football player runs so fast that even his shadow is left behind.\" Or: \"He has trained hard over the summer, now he is not only slow but also big.\"

Football Anecdotes: The Genre Classic

Without anecdotes, it is impossible to do without. Here are some that are floating around the internet and never lose their relevance:

— \"Two football players meet. One says: — You noticed that we lost six matches in a row? The other: — Yes, but we didn't lose the seventh.\"

— \"The referee asks the football player: — You didn't see me wave my hand? Football player: — I saw, but I thought you were saying goodbye.\"

— \"What will happen if you cross football with chess? No one will move the pieces because everyone is waiting for a pass.\"

— \"The teacher asks the student: — Who invented football? Student: — The English, but they haven't learned to play it yet.\"

— \"The coach says to the player: — You are playing poorly. Player: — And you train well?\"

Football and Self-irony: How Stars Laugh at Themselves

Interestingly, footballers themselves are not against making fun of themselves. Especially this is known among the English and Brazilians. For example, Ronaldinho loved to say: \"Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing, but it turns out beautifully.\" This is both modesty and a joke.

Harry Kane once joked about his corners: \"I serve so that even my grandmother doesn't know where the ball will fly.\" And everyone jokes about penalties. \"If you don't score a penalty, you are still a hero because at least you decided to approach.\" This helps to relieve tension before important shots.

Coaches are also not falling behind. Jürgen Klopp is known for his sense of humor. Once he said: \"If we lose, I'll say we played better. That's my job.\" And José Mourinho: \"I am the best coach in the world because I think so.\" This is irony over his own reputation, which he himself created.

Jokes about National Teams and Stars

A separate genre is jokes about specific players and teams. For example, about Messi and Ronaldo. \"Who is better? Messi is a genius, Ronaldo is a machine. But neither of them knows how to play football in the rain because water ruins the hairstyle.\" This is of course banal, but such jokes gather millions of views.

About the English national team: \"The English invented football and then decided not to play it.\" About the Brazilian national team: \"They lost 1:7 to Germany, and now it is a day of national mourning in Brazil and a day of laughter in Germany.\"

About the Russian national team: \"When Russian footballers come to the stadium, even opponents cry from compassion.\" But we love our players, even when we joke about them. Because without humor, football would be too sad.

Conclusion: Laughter Is the Best Ball

Football and humor are not just neighbors, they are relatives. Laughter helps us cope with defeats, share joy, laugh at absurdity, and simply relax from seriousness. When you watch football, remember: even if your team loses, you can always laugh at its awkwardness, the referee, or the commentator. And this is not cynicism, this is a healthy attitude towards the game.

Humor is an integral part of football culture. It unites nations, languages, and clubs. It makes football more human, accessible, and understandable. And if you haven't smiled at least once during a match, it means you didn't watch the right match.

So laugh, joke, and enjoy football. Because as one famous coach said: \"Football is just a game. But humor is a way to make it a game forever.\
© elib.ng

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