Lent.az
Players have their own traditions, some for decades...
Anyone who watches a football game to the end has seen players perform an interesting ritual on the field after the final whistle. Do you know why football players swap shirts and why they do it?
Footballers swapping shirts after the game - the history of the tradition
According to Lent.az, the first such game is believed to have taken place in 1931 when the French team beat the founders of football, the English, 5:2 at their home ground in Paris. At that time, the countries were rivals not only on the field, but also in real life, and France was considered a weak country. Therefore, the victory caused a storm of confusion and joy - no one expected such a result. Athletes wearing tricolor uniforms rejoiced and asked the England team for their uniforms to remember their victory. The opposing team's footballers were surprised, but agreed. FIFA has admitted that this is the first such case in history.
Since that day, other footballers have adopted the tradition and started applying it occasionally, and in the 1970s, exchanging uniforms became a common occurrence. It was popularized by Pele and Bobby Moore after the 1970 World Cup Brazil-England game. In this way, football legends respected each other, and others followed them.
Do teams now encourage swapping shirts?
There are several reasons why footballers still swap shirts after the game. They not only respect their rivals, but also see this gesture as a symbol of friendship. Although the participants of the ritual are considered rivals on the field, they are still masters of their craft in the same sport, and thus the players demonstrate their unity. Also, the practical purpose should not be missed: if you manage to get the uniform of a legendary footballer, you can keep it in your personal collection or sell it at auction.
Understanding this, world football stars such as Messi and Ronaldo can negotiate a preliminary agreement, taking into account the desire of lesser-known players to own their idols' clothing items. For example, Pele once did a smart thing: at the end of his career, when he played for the New York Cosmos, he ordered up to 30 uniforms before each game. He did this so that every player on the opposing team would have a uniform, and the Brazilian player would distribute the remaining uniforms to the ball boys during the game.
Are footballers fined for swapping shirts?
In addition to the positive side of the issue, there is also a less rosy side. For example, not all fans know whether footballers are fined for swapping shirts and whether all teams are allowed to perform this ritual. It turns out that everything depends on the club and the league.
The Premier League pays for the change of uniform, because the uniform costs money and such a gesture causes additional costs. Lower-level clubs may fine players for swapping shirts or even deduct the value of the uniform from the player's salary.
