LALIGA star Ante Budimir was left red faced after failing to score a last-second penalty for Osasuna last night.
However, it was not simply the fact he missed, but rather the manner in which he had done it.
The Croatian stepped up to the spot kick in the 98th minute of last night’s match against Valencia.
André Almeida’s strike for the visitors after 18 minutes had separated the sides, before Budimir was fouled in the penalty area by Hugo Guillamon, with the decision confirmed by VAR.
Budimir, joint second with Jude Bellingham in the Spanish top flights goalscoring charts with 16 goals and only behind Artem Dovbyk’s 17, had previously scored three in three from 12 yards this season.
However, as he stepped up to take the decisive kick at the El Sadar Stadium, he appeared to be caught in two minds.
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Budimir looked set to strike the ball to his left before feinting, managing to send goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili down to the floor in that direction.
But the 32-year-old seemed to get his feet all tangled up and only managed to produce a tame chip directly towards the hands of the goalkeeper as he regained his balance.
Budimir, like the thousands watching in the stadium and at home, was in disbelief at the gaffe that was only the third penalty miss of his career – and first since 2015.
And it ended up costing Osasuna a point as they lost the match 1-0.
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Reacting to the miss, the commentator declared: “It’s the worst penalty you’ll see, certainly this season and maybe ever!”
One fan wrote on social media: “Oh no. What’s he even trying?”
A second said: “That’s what you get for being too cute with it!”
A third added: “As time expires as well, LMAO.”
Another said: “Bloody hell. It’s even worse than Diana Ross,” in reference to the singer’s shocker as she shot miles wide of the target at the World Cup opening ceremony when the USA hosted in 1994.
Though one fan added: “To be fair his was on target… eventually. The Ross kick went at 45 degrees!”
Osasuna fans were also noted to be fairly forgiving for their Player of the Season, giving him some applause despite the miss.
And it would later turn out that Budimir had a very reasonable excuse for the tame effort.
Following the match, a Osasuna revealed that the Croat had been playing with three BROKEN RIBS.
A club statement read: “The footballer Ante Budimir suffered a trauma in tonight’s match against Valencia CF for which, once the match was over, he was transferred to the University of Navarra Clinic.
“The tests carried out have determined that the red striker suffers chest trauma with three rib fractures in the right hemithorax.
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“The player has been admitted to the University of Navarra Clinic for observation of progress and analgesic treatment until further evaluation in the next few hours.”
The Premier League saw it’s own penalty excitement on Monday as Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke argued over the taker of a penalty eventually dispatched by Cole Palmer in a 6-0 drubbing of Everton by Chelsea.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
