London, England — The Premier League is considering disciplinary measures for players whose goal celebrations are deemed provocative or damaging to the sport’s reputation.
This follows criticism of several players whose celebratory antics were seen as mocking opponents or inciting opposition fans.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye was booked after flapping his arms like a seagull following his winner against Brighton. In contrast, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly faced no punishment for mimicking Erling Haaland during their 5-1 victory over Manchester City.
While former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott praised Lewis-Skelly’s confidence, pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher called the act disrespectful. The celebration was in response to Haaland’s taunt in September, when he dismissed the young Arsenal player with a mocking “Who are you?” after a heated 2-2 draw.
Other controversial celebrations include Jamie Vardy’s eagle gesture against Crystal Palace, Neal Maupay imitating James Maddison’s darts routine, and Phil Foden and Joshua Zirkzee pretending to fire guns after scoring. Unlike the NFL, where such actions result in heavy fines, the Premier League has yet to enforce penalties for these gestures.
Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes acknowledged the issue, stating: “We all enjoy celebrations, but when they cross into mockery or provocation, we must intervene.”
The league is now evaluating the possibility of introducing stricter guidelines to regulate goal celebrations.
By Taiwo Olatinwo|February 6, 2025
Discover more from DnewsInfo
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
