Diego Perotti is your new favourite footballer. You might not know it yet, but within a few minutes you’ll wonder why you ever doubted it.
If the Roma winger’s name sounds familiar, it might be because you remember his penalty against Viktoria Plzeň in this season’s Europa League. You know, the one where he decided to change his run-up to a walk-up.
https://twitter.com/AlexTruica/status/776538669482143744
It seems as though the Argentine enjoys playing against the Czech side, which is a shame seeing as he represents an Italian club.
However, if you want to look at it another way, he’s fitting all the memorable goals into two Europa League group games against Viktoria just in case he never gets another chance to play against them.
The penalty in Plzeň wasn’t enough for all three points, meaning that Roma’s European fate remained in the balance for the reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico.
By this stage Perotti had decided walking-pace penalties were a bit passé. He needed to go with something that will always be cool.
Even a chip would be too easy, especially with Wayne Rooney doing the same for Manchester United against Feyenoord. But a rabona chip? Yeah, that could work.
https://twitter.com/SVQBiris/status/801918504169455616
Teammate Mohamed Salah thought about trying to get the final touch, but Salah’s a smart man. Salah values his life and he’s not going to anger a man with this neck tattoo.
Not NBA whatsoever, but I'd be remiss if I didn't bring to attention Roma midfielder Diego Perotti's neck tattoo. pic.twitter.com/NEVx5yBURE
— Renato Pagnani (@rennavate) October 18, 2016
Roma won the game 4-1 to seal their progress to the knockout stages as group winners, with former Manchester City striker Edin Džeko scoring a hat-trick to bring his tally for the season up to an impressive 15.
Normally, that would be the talking point of the night. But Džeko didn’t chip the keeper with a rabona. Sorry, Edin, but this is Diego’s night.
Dick Clerkin makes his GAA Hour debut to talk about a wonderful career and argue passionately with Colm Parkinson over Sky Sports GAA. Subscribe here on iTunes.
