Follow pitch-side reporter Leeza Mangaldas as she takes you behind the scenes this Hero ISL season. New posts every week exclusively on indiansuperleague.com.

Match Week 10: Why I love goal celebrations

Goals are a rare and special thing. Modern football doesn’t usually see a huge number of goals being scored per game — but fans are willing to wait for them with great anticipation. And when they come, they can be sublime to watch. Great goals can be breathtakingly beautiful. Plus, goals win matches, and victory is among the best feelings in the world.

It’s no wonder then that many footballers celebrate their goals and wins with such incredible passion and emotion.

From fist pumps, backslaps, hugs, and high fives to back flips, cartwheels, and dance moves; from kissing their jerseys to writing messages on their undershirts; from making the heart sign to pointing to the heavens above; from running with arms extended in jubilation to sliding with joy; from pointing to dabbing to jumping on top of each other with unencumbered joy, celebrations often provide a unique and unfiltered window into players’ personalities: are they aggressive or gentle? Serious or light-hearted? Self-centred or team-oriented? Flamboyant or understated?

What makes celebrations so interesting is that the tone and emotional intensity tend to vary depending on the player’s personality, the nature of the goal, its likely impact on the result, and the context of the match — a last gasp winner, the third in a hat-trick, or a consolation goal! Is the player making his debut or is he an established hero? Is there a bone to pick with the opposition?

The answers to questions like these are sure to impact the significance of each goal scored, and therefore, each resulting celebration.

Often goal celebrations will evolve or change through the course of a season or through a player’s career. And while most players do something to express themselves after scoring, a few prefer to simply continue on with business — which in itself also reveals something about the nature of the player.

This season, the Hero ISL has witnessed some very memorable celebrations.

My personal favourite is Miku’s wonderfully playful signature move, where he wiggles his hands on either side of his face.

What makes this even sweeter is the fact that his celebration was created to amuse his adorable little daughters — they love it, and it makes them laugh.

Another especially memorable celebration move has come from Robbie Keane, who customized his trademark cartwheel and forward roll routine for India, adding a rather charming Namaste in the end. While it’s clear that he’s a footballer, not a gymnast, the sheer effort he puts in to his celebration makes it beautiful.

Then there’s Jeje who has adopted the sharp shooter celebration, which is perfect for him, given that his accuracy on the pitch has even earned him the nickname “Mizo Sniper.”

Alongside goal celebrations, some teams also have victory celebration rituals – Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC orchestrate the Viking Clap with their fans after a win, and it is a truly powerful spectacle.

While some players and teams have signature celebration moves that they always use, others have celebrated different moments differently.

Some players even put special messages on their compression undershirts for particular matches in the hope that they will score and be able to reveal the message in celebration – who can forget Mario Balotelli‘s iconic “Why Always Me” celebration?

Our very own Lallianzuala Chhangte had a special Bible verse written on his undershirt which he revealed in celebration after his goal at home against Bengaluru. The win against an in-form BFC would have felt like redemption for bottom-of-the-table Delhi Dynamos.

Unique circumstances also call for unique celebrations. When Coro scored in Goa’s away match against ATK – where kickoff had been delayed due to the unusually severe flight related setbacks they faced getting to Kolkata – he made an airplane-like gesture with his hand to celebrate his goal.

And early on in the season, when Mohammed Rafi scored for Chennaiyin FC against NorthEast United, he celebrated by putting the ball under his shirt and sucking his thumb – as players around the world often do when there’s a baby on the way. His wife was pregnant at the time and has since delivered a lovely baby girl.

Like celebrations, tattoos too are often unique and personal, and several players across the world celebrate goals and wins by kissing their tattoos of personal significance.

I was very moved when I saw Zequinha kiss the portrait of his father on his arm after scoring the solitary goal that won ATK their away match against NorthEast United. His father had passed away a year earlier, and he dedicated his goal to his dad.

Players don’t always plan their celebrations, often simply going where the moment takes them. For example, when I happened to ask CK Vineeth about how he celebrates, he explained, “Sometimes, Rino and I have a celebration set before the game in case I score, either reflecting the mentality in the squad, maybe something in our personal life, something from a movie, or something in society. But I rarely decide how to celebrate my goals. Most of the time, I’m happiest just running towards the fans, wherever they are.”

Whether intricately thought out or totally spontaneous, what I love most about goal celebrations and victory rituals is that they are often both intense and intensely personal.

In interviews, you rarely see a player let down his guard and share genuine emotion, you rarely get much insight into their true nature, their hopes and fears. But when a player scores a goal or when a team celebrates a victory with its fans, you get a glimpse of players’ true emotional compasses. Beyond the masculine aggression and bravado, in their exultation you might just find a tiny window into something vulnerable and raw and human.