Obscure football terms in different languages

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by Tom_W, Jul 5, 2017.

  1. Tom_W

    Tom_W New Member

    Colwyn Bay
    Wales
    Jun 23, 2017
    London
    Hi everyone,

    My name's Tom Williams and I'm a journalist from the AFP news agency.

    I'm writing a book - a global football glossary - which is due for publication next year and I'm hoping to tap into the collective knowledge of the Big Soccer community as part of my research.

    I'm looking for obscure, little-known football words and phrases from around the world. Does anyone have any personal favourites?

    I'm already familiar with the well-known ones - chilena, rabona, sombrero, petit pont, Wembley-Tor etc. - so what I'm looking for now are more unusual terms from far-flung places. I basically just want to make sure I don't miss any gems.

    Any contributions will be greatly appreciated.

    Many thanks,

    Tom
     
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  2. comme

    comme Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 21, 2003
  3. comme

    comme Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 21, 2003
  4. comme

    comme Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 21, 2003
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  5. giles varley

    giles varley Member+

    Oct 8, 2013
    nottingham uk
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Trivela - outside of the foot free kick technique made famous by brazilians branco, éder, nelinho, roberto carlos etc)
    It means to hit the ball with three toes..
     
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  6. Tom_W

    Tom_W New Member

    Colwyn Bay
    Wales
    Jun 23, 2017
    London
    Thanks both.
     
  7. The problem with "obscure" words is that there is no one to one translation, so it is difficult to clarify what it means.
     
  8. This one though is clear:
    "Een Bep Bakhuys doen"
    From wikipedia:
    "In zijn eerste interland na zijn terugkeer, op 11 maart 1934 tegen België, maakte hij zijn beroemdste doelpunt: een vallende kopbal. Een dergelijk doelpunt wordt in Nederland nog altijd een goal à la (Beb) Bakhuys genoemd."
    It was a diving header and Robin van Persie's famous goal against Spain in WC 2014 was referred to it.
     
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  9. "Krijt aan de schoenen hebben"
    refers to classic 4-3-3 wingers that stick to the line, in contrast to what are called inverted wingers, that move inwards.
     
  10. Tom_W

    Tom_W New Member

    Colwyn Bay
    Wales
    Jun 23, 2017
    London
    Thank you @feyenoordsoccerfan - those are both new to me (although we have the second expression in English).
     
  11. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005
    This was my initial go-to, although how could you not mention Quaresma? :D

    Another popular term is "Craque" (Portuguese spelling) used in Portuguese/Spanish-speaking football discussion to reference a top player. Spanish spelling goes by "crack". More popularly used (I believe) in Portuguese/Brazilian dialogue relative to Spanish, however.
     
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  12. giles varley

    giles varley Member+

    Oct 8, 2013
    nottingham uk
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I was just mentioning the players that made the trivela famous... I'm sure there are lots of other players that used the technique..
    Yes, the term 'craque' is a popular word to describe great players in Brazil.. I have never heard the Spanish use the term 'crack'.. but it is sometimes used in the english dialogue to describe certain things..
     
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  13. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005
    Yeah, I suspect that it originated in Portuguese and gradually moved towards Spanish as footballing cultures continued to overlap, along with the obvious language commonalities.

    It is definitely used, albeit not to the extent it is in Portuguese.

    Examples of its usage in Spanish article titles:

    https://www.google.com/search?q=cr7...7.2378j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

    http://www.marca.com/futbol/2017/04/28/59022fe0e2704e5d608b4614.html
     
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  14. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    John Foot his Calcio book has also a glossary with a few Italian terms in it. Not all of them particularly relevant but some are.
     
  15. Pipiolo

    Pipiolo Member+

    Jul 19, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    You are correct, I believe the Portunhol speakers in Uruguay took it from their big neighbors and made it popular throughout the rest of Latin America. It's been a popular term in Spanish for decades, hopefully it remains.
     
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  16. Pipiolo

    Pipiolo Member+

    Jul 19, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    A nutmeg is called "caño" in the Southern cone nations. It is called "tunel" in the rest of Latin America. In Brazil is called "caneta".
     
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  17. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    Is there a source for this etymology?

    That is in general interesting.
     
  18. Pipiolo

    Pipiolo Member+

    Jul 19, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
  19. NRC in 2014 had a series of articles about football terms:
    https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2014/06/28/uit-brazilie-folha-seca-1393706-a170618

    taken from the 28th of june 2014 article:
    Bananenschot = a shot that appears to mis the target, but suddenly drops down
    according to the NRC source the Brasilians call it folha seca, which means dry leaf.
    Ziekenhuisbal= a pass that is made in such a way, that the receiver risks iinjury in trying to get that ball.
    Stofzuiger= a player, most of the times a midfielder, that sucks up the passes of the opponent, to nutralize danger
     
  20. Dwarrelschot= a shot that swerves and changes direction, thus making it difficult for the keeper to judge where it ultimately will end
    Stiftje=lifting the ball with a slight punching kick against the under part of it, so it goes over the goalie in a humiliating slow curve.
    akka-panna=special form of what is called in the usa a nutmegg. See the video of Elia vs Arias
    . The special nature of it lies in the fact that it isnot just playing the ball between the legs of the opponent, but to play it in one direction, which makes the defender go in that direction, but use his leg to bounce it in the opposite direction.
     
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  21. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005
    There is also "cueca"/"cuequinha", was what I grew up with. Tunel I heard often too.
     
  22. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    Good finds.

    'Betonvoetbal' is also such word. 'Cement concrete football' literally.
     
  23. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    Yes, the vacuum cleaner. Then they meant someone like Willy van de Kerkhof or Wim Jansen. Not Neeskens or Rijkaard who were too dynamic (although Rijkaard played a little bit more like it while back at Ajax between 1993 to 1995).
     
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