THE Atomic Ant, anyone?
Footballers are often given nicknames – in his heyday the late Diego Maradona earned the moniker El Pibe de Oro which means the golden boy.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo’s was cool, often being labelled The Sultan of the Stepover by the press, which sounds more like a band than a term of endearment.
But nicknames haven’t always been that favourable, as SunSport can happily testify.
Here’s ten prime athletes at the top of their game that have been given some, quite frankly, bizarre handles.
Alexis Sanchez A.K.A. The Squirrel
His current nickname, which is obviously favourable given his current star status, is El Nino Maravilla. That translates as the wonder child.
But we prefer that he was called La Ardilla, which means the squirrel.
He was given that gem because as a kid he loved climbing trees.
Sebastian Giovinco A.K.A. The Atomic Ant
The former Juventus player, currently playing in Saudi Arabia, was christened Formica Atomica by the Turin faithful.
Meaning The Atomic Ant, it was a reference to a famous cartoon character that the Juve fans thought he resembled because of his stature, pace and dynamic abilities.
The name has stuck ever since.
Cesar Azpilicueta A.K.A. Dave
When Chelsea signed the Spanish defender from Marseille in 2013, many of their players struggled to pronounce Cesar’s name.
So, according to the man himself, they affectionately called him ‘Dave’ simply because it was easier on their tongues.
It’s a clear reference to Trigger’s famous name for Rodney in Only Fools and Horses.
Sergio Aguero A.K.A. Kun
For years the Argentine forward has had the name Kun on the back of his jersey.
But the Man City striker’s name isn’t Kun at all, it’s just a nickname.
When he was a small child, his grandparents called him Kun because he resembled the character Kum-Kum from his favourite Japanese cartoon.
“I have grown to appreciate it because it’s unique,” he said. “It’s not every day an athlete is nicknamed after a cartoon character!”
Lionel Messi A.K.A. The Flea
The Barcelona fans have always supported Messi, but giving him the nickname La Pulga isn’t complimentary at all!
Fleas are considered filthy specimens, which just isn’t fair on the free-scoring Argentine whizz.
The nickname stuck because he’s a pest to the opposition, not to mention his diminutive size.
Paul Pogba A.K.A. The Joker A.KA. Il Polpo Paul
The French midfielder has two nicknames, the first one is La Pioche, which in English is The Joker.
But it’s got nothing to do with Batman and his evil nemesis at all.
Pogba explained: “I took it. It’s from a movie, but it wasn’t used the same way (as Batman).
“In the film, it’s a con man who tricked the village. I’m tricking you now. I’m doing the Pog Trick.”
When he starred at Juventus he was also known as ‘The Octopus’ because of his long limbs and gangly frame.
Philipp Lahm A.K.A. The Magic Dwarf A.K.A Wireless
The sign of a true worldy, the now retired Bayern Munich legend has TWO weird nicknames.
Lahm was first called Wireless, not because he had 5G capability, but because he could play anywhere on the pitch.
He has former Mehmet Scholl to blame for that.
The Magic Dwarf is a reference to his size. Despite being a giant on the pitch, he’s only 5’6″ tall.
Givanildo Vieira de Sousa better known as Hulk
He’s gone by the name Hulk wherever he’s gone.
Even commentators call him by that name, but it’s a nickname with his real last name being de Sousa.
However, he was given the strange moniker because of his resemblance to Lou Ferrigno, who played The Incredible Hulk in the TV series from the 70s.
It does help that he’s built more like a boxer than a footballer too.
Fitz Hall A.K.A. One Size
Probably the funniest nickname, and well worth a mention for its comedic quality.
The former Crystal Palace defender’s mates gave him the ultimate nickname.
Obviously, because One Size fits all, it stuck with the stopper ever since he was a small child growing up in Leytonstone.
Mind you, Fitz was a big lad at 6’4″ so it necessarily isn’t totally true, is it?
Sead Kolasinac A.K.A. The Tank
When Arsenal added the Bosnian left back to their ranks they thought they were adding some real heavy artillery.
After all, Kolasinac was nicknamed De Panzer (The Tank) in Germany by the Schalke fans because of his bulky frame.
He’s now back at Schalke, where he’s probably looking for a war… on the pitch.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
