Sometimes it’s for the best that footballers let their feet do the talking – with Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and now Marc Cucurella among the high-profile stars that have been made to eat their words.
By and large, footballers are pretty media-savvy, often leading to boring post-match interviews that sound as though they’ve been read off a script. But sometimes they slip and say things that they later come to regret.
We’ve identified five times that footballers probably wish they’d kept their mouth shut.
Marc Cucurella
We’d have said that fate had conspired to throw up Chelsea vs Manchester City in the wake of Cucurella drunkenly blabbering on about paella and Estrella and how “Haaland trembles because Cucurella is coming”, but the date had already been set by that point. Brave boy.
We have a feeling that a visibly inebriated Cucurella hadn’t quite thought through the implications of the freshly released 2024-25 Premier League fixture calendar when he took to the mic in the wake of Spain’s Euro 2024 celebrations.
Inevitably, Haaland scored City’s opener in their 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, with Cucurella left eating his dust as he wheeled away in celebration. Ouch.
To be fair, it could’ve been worse. The Chelsea left-back could’ve caused a minor diplomatic incident by declaring Gibraltar Spanish… a chant which earned Rodri and Alvaro Morata a one-match suspension.
Michail Antonio
On the one hand, it’s refreshing we live in an era in which you’re able to listen to the unfiltered(ish) thoughts of professional footballers on social media platforms and podcasts.
On the other hand, you can just imagine the winces of their managers, knowing they’d rather their players said as empty media-trained platitudes as possible.
West Ham’s Antonio isn’t afraid to speak his mind on his Footballer’s Football podcast, which also features Newcastle striker Callum Wilson.
“You know what, I think we are going to finish higher than Liverpool this season,” Antonio said in September 2023 after Liverpool’s fairly unconvincing start to the campaign.
“I’m putting it out there. I watched the game (Wolves 1-3 Liverpool) because it was before our game and Wolves could have run away with it.
“They had quite a few opportunities. We’ve got them this weekend and it’s a six-pointer. We’ve got them!”
Liverpool completed a routine 3-1 victory over the Hammers and went on to finish third, having been in a title race and top of the Premier League as late as April.
Klopp’s final season ended with them finishing third in the end, but that was six places and 30 points above West Ham.
Neymar
A slightly tenuous one, this – but Neymar paid the price for underestimating Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool back in 2018.
“Who will win it? Woah that’s difficult,” responded Neymar when asked to give his Premier League predictions ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
“It’s very hard, very difficult, but Manchester City will win it. Second will be United, third is Chelsea. Fourth is Tottenham.”
“No Liverpool,” the Brazilian emphasised when pushed, a big shout given that Jurgen Klopp’s Reds had finished runners-up in the Champions League the season before.
To be fair to Neymar, he did get the City shout right.
Pep Guardiola’s side ended up retaining their Premier League crown that year, but they were pushed all the way by Liverpool, who finished runners-up on a ludicrous tally of 97 points… 25 more than Chelsea, 26 more than Tottenham and 31 more than sixth-place Manchester United – who Neymar had tipped to finish second.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Liverpool beat Neymar’s PSG 3-2 at Anfield in the group stage and went on to lift the trophy, while PSG went out at the Round of 16 stage to Manchester United.
At least Neymar can’t be accused of underestimating them.
Jack Grealish
You can just imagine the migraines suffered by club press officers when they see the combination of alcohol and a microphone.
Cucurella isn’t the only Premier League star to ill-advisedly let his guard down after one too many. Back in 2022, Grealish joked that team-mate Riyad Mahrez “played like Almiron” as a dig – a hilariously unnecessary drive-by on the Newcastle winger.
“I do some f*****g stupid stuff sometimes that I do regret,” Manchester City’s record signing later admitted.
“It was the day after the season finished and obviously I’d had a few drinks. Then I remember I was in Ibiza and it (the video) had obviously come out.”
The following season, Almiron went on to enjoy the best form of his career. He was named the Premier League’s Player of the Month in October and played a key role in Eddie Howe’s Magpies qualifying for the Champions League.
The Paraguayan has also outscored Grealish since those comments were made.
“Jack is a great player and I wish him all the best, as I always do,” responded Almiron, to his credit.
“But this success is down to work, more work and even more hard work.”
Cristiano Ronaldo
This one’s just funny.
Eagle-eyed lipreaders noticed Ronaldo mouth to himself “I’m the best” in Portuguese before a recent free-kick attempt – before skiing it miles over the bar.
