Player Apologies – stupid but all the rage these days! These three were definitely due one though

Sven Ulreich took to Instagram after his costly error in the UEFA Champions League semi-final saw Bayern dumped out at the hands of Real Madrid. It got us thinking – who, if it was trendy back in the day, would have apologised for their costly mistakes via social media?

Now, first off – this is a disclaimer. Nobody should ever apologise for doing something wrong on a football pitch. For so many reasons. The main reason is that it’s embarrassing. It’s never especially wholehearted and it’s usually just a vehicle for a few likes. It takes away from the genuine apology given in the dressing room and just adds a weird sense of false reality to any situations. Sven – you’re alright, son.

Steven Gerrard – (v Chelsea, 2014):

The worst part of all this is that he probably thought this would be the low point in his career. Then he landed at Ibrox. As if you need a reminder, but I’ll bring you through it again.

Liverpool were on the verge of an unexpected Premier League triumph. They were within touching distance. They had Chelsea well and truly measured. Then, a square ball into the feet of Stevie G caused all sorts of problems for the midfielder’s boots as they decided to go for a quick spin and the Reds captain hit the deck. This is seen as the turning point in the eventual title loss.

Now, Gerrard’s far too much of a bruiser for that nonsense, but we reckon he would have gone along the lines of – #neednewbloodybootslol.

John Terry – (v Manchester United, 2008):

Ah, another English hardman left on his arse in a trophy-deciding clash. This time, in Moscow. The pitch was very contentious leading upto the final and indeed most of the coverage focused on the artificial surface rather than the actual game itself.

With the Champions League trophy within his grasp, captain John Terry stood up to take the spotter (not like him to want the limelight). We reckon the ball is still travelling as Terry slipped and Edwin van der Sar was left to save Nicolas Anelka’s penalty kick to hand United their third Champions League title.

‘Sorry to all my geezers out there – it were slippy. I’ll make amends #crossthatbridgewhenicometoit’.

Robert Baggio (v Brazil, 1994):

In case you’re not aware of Baggio’s story, he was arguably one the most technically-gifted players of his generation. So, in 1994, when Italy needed him, down 3-2 in a shootout against Brazil – he seemed the logical choice. He was an expert dead ball specialist and was the poster boy for Italian football. On the biggest stage of them all, he blasted over the bar to hand Brazil yet another gong on the world stage.

In a recent interview, Baggio recollected:

“I take that penalty with me always,” Baggio said on TV show Tiki Taka.

“There’s nothing I can do about it.

“I always dreamed of playing in a World Cup final since I was a little boy, but I never thought it could end like that.

“I still find it hard to accept what happened that day. However, it has helped me to stay humble because life is a continued challenge and you can’t beat yourself up.”

Indeed, Roberto. Given the Instagram didn’t exist back then, he presumably would have sent a telegram out to various supporters clubs with all sorts of Italian swear words in dramatic fashion. Good on you, Roberto.