Five memorable times footballers failed to hold back the tears

After CR7 turned on the waterworks against Valencia, we look back at five other players who opened up the tear ducts...

On Wednesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo burst into tears during Juventus’ Champions League clash with Valencia.

The Portuguese forward had just been sent off for the first time in the competition, and rapidly switched on the waterworks in order to make the world aware of his displeasure.

To be fair to CR7, the dismissal seemed a little harsh, especially since it’ll rule him out of a return to Old Trafford when Juve visit Manchester in October – unless the card is rescinded, of course. Perhaps the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to lap up the applause of the United crowd on his ‘homecoming’ was part of the reason those beautiful, salty droplets started flowing down those sculpted cheeks.

But he’s far from the first player who’s failed to keep the tear ducts clear. Here are five of the most memorable examples.

Nani versus Liverpool, 2011

“You won’t believe it, he’s crying.”

The words of Wayne Rooney to Jamie Carragher shortly after a tackle from the Liverpool defender drew tears from the eyes of Man United’s winger, Nani.

If that sounds like it was some sort of a horror challenge, well, it wasn’t. After being scythed down by Carragher, Nani had actually got off the ground and run over to the referee, Phil Dowd, before theatrically throwing himself to the floor again and bursting into tears about as real as pink unicorns.

It was a performance worthy of a BAFTA from the Portuguese player, but his fake tears could only bring a yellow card from Dowd, who was having none of the amateur dramatics.

David Luiz, Brazil 1-7 Germany, World Cup 2014 semi-final

This match will go down as one of the funniest and most mind-boggling World Cup games of all time.

Minus their injured star Neymar – who, in fact, had been reduced to tears against Colombia in the previous round – Brazil were absolutely smashed by a wonderful Germany side in Belo Horizonte.

Within 30 minutes of kickoff, the hosts were already 5-0 down. Most people watching spent the match either in fits of laughter or gasping with disbelief at the sheer incompetence of the Brazilian performance – and the majesty of the Germans’.

Following the final whistle, a dejected David Luiz fronted up and faced the cameras, but couldn’t hold back the salty rivulets. What resulted was one of the most memorable post-match interviews in recent times.

Loris Karius, Champions League final 2018

Poor old Loris Karius. He’ll go down in history for his display in the Champions League final this year, and for all the wrong reasons.

In case you’ve been on Mars for the past five months, or have the memory of a particularly unintelligent fish, the Liverpool keeper chucked in a brace of ridiculous errors, which cost his team the game against Real Madrid.

After the match, the unfortunate keeper approached the travelling Liverpool support to offer his apologies, with tears dribbling down his cheeks. It was an agonising scene for Reds fans, and a hilarious one for pretty much everyone else.

Gazza versus West Germany, World Cup 1990 semi-final

One of the most iconic scenes in English football history.

Partly it was the tears, partly it was Gary Lineker’s warning to Bobby Robson.

Words don’t really do justice to this moment. Watch it instead:

John Terry, Champions League final 2008

One man’s misery is nearly everyone else’s joy.

It’s a cruel world, eh?

Head over to paddypower.com for the latest football betting