Football idioms from different countries
An impressive shot into the top corner of the goal was likened by the French to "sweeping away the cobwebs".
The Germans say "gras fressen", which translates to "eating grass" in English, to mean playing football with the aim of winning, fighting hard and making a lot of saves. The passion and determination of the team is like wanting to eat grass on the field.
In English, "a fox in the box" refers to a very good striker who scores a lot of goals, especially in the penalty area.
The Spanish say "to shower someone" when describing defeating an opponent in a completely convincing manner.
The French have an interesting metaphor for "sweeping away the cobwebs" when talking about a powerful shot that hits the top corner of the goal.
Polish football fans say "the referee is a Wellington boot" to express their dissatisfaction with the way he makes decisions on the pitch.
In Swedish, "Zlatanera" means to play an impressive move like the country's famous player Zlatan Ibrahimovic often does.
If a goalkeeper makes a serious mistake like letting the ball go between his legs, the Portuguese describe it as "getting a chicken".
The Italian expression "a pre-called shot" refers to a very bad shot whose trajectory is predictable, as if the striker had phoned the goalkeeper to tell him exactly where to shoot.
