Catania create a goal by displaying their fabulous underwear

Torino visited Sicilian Serie A side Catania on Sunday, and became of the first victims of a stunt that would be better suited on the playground. In order to block the goalkeeper’s view of a free kick, three Catania players, including de-robed forward Gianvito Plasmati in the picture above, dropped their keks around their knees. The trick worked brilliantly, as Giuseppe Mascara’s free kick sailed past keeper Matteo Sereni to secure to 3-2 victory for the home side:

“This is a strategy that (Catania coach Walter) Zenga tries continually in training,” the club’s chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco told RAI state radio yesterday.

Former referees coordinator Paolo Casarin called the move “unsportsmanlike and in bad taste.

“It’s a trick that should not be tolerated anymore by the referees,” Casarin said.

Lo Monaco responded: “A trick? I wouldn’t say so. It’s up to the re­fe­ree to decide if it should be pena­lised, otherwise I don’t see where the problem is … Good taste is relative.”

Good work fellas, if a little unsporting. Check out video highlights of the match after il jumpo…

German captain sends the hosts packing

While dismissed Germany coach Adrien Brody Joachim Loew was kickin’ it with German chancellor Angela Merkel in the stands, Michael Ballack was busy blasting a 30-yard free kick won by Philipp Lahm.

Speaking of Philipp Lahm, why not enter our competition to win yourself a copy of Jumper here.

Attempts to emulate Alan Shearer’s World Cup netbuster. Fails. Remember when Alan Shearer rifled this indirect free kick into the back of the net in a 1998 World Cup qualifier against Georgia?

He may not be any good at punditry, but there was absolutely no