Mourinho’s "Fans Score a Goal" Claim: Fact or Fiction?
Jose Mourinho is known for his fiery personality and bold statements, but his latest claim has left many scratching their heads. The self-proclaimed "Special One" recently stated that he’s only seen "fans score a goal" once in his entire career – and that infamous moment was during the 2005 Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea.
For those who may have forgotten, the match was marred by controversy when Luis Garcia scored what many believed to be an offside goal, dubbed the "ghost goal." The goal sparked a heated debate, with Mourinho himself labeling it as a "goal that came from the moon – from the Anfield stands."
Fast forward to 2019, and Mourinho doubled down on his claims, telling beIN Sports that the crowd at Anfield had essentially scored the goal. He even joked that it wasn’t Garcia who scored the goal, but the fans themselves. This time, he credited the noise and energy of the crowd as the reason for the goal being awarded.
But is Mourinho’s claim more than just a clever quip? We took a closer look at the stats to see if there’s any truth to his statement.
According to data from Opta Sports, the average number of goals scored per game in the Premier League is around 2.7. However, when it comes to goals scored directly from the crowd, the numbers are much lower. In fact, since the introduction of VAR in the Premier League, there have been only a handful of instances where a goal has been awarded due to crowd noise or pressure.
So, what’s behind Mourinho’s claim? Is he simply trying to deflect attention from his team’s performance or is there something more to it? One thing’s for sure – the "ghost goal" remains one of the most infamous moments in Champions League history, and Mourinho’s comments have only added fuel to the fire.
What do you think? Have you ever seen a goal scored directly from the crowd? Let us know in the comments!
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