Goalscorer Granit Xhaka briefly frightened the medical department of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen with his extraordinary celebration.
“I already felt them on my back,” Xhaka joked after the 2-1 (1-1) home win against Mainz 05 on Friday evening. The Swiss scored his first goal for Leverkusen to make it 1-0.
The midfielder then grabbed his thigh and indicated an injury before celebrating. A brief shock for the physiotherapists, who were immediately alarmed.
“I think after nine months they must know me. I’m a boy who likes to have fun and it’s not the first time he’s done something like this. I do it more often in training when I score,” said the goalscorer.
The whole thing was so rehearsed and “planned for weeks. I was of course put under pressure by my teammates and the staff about when my first goal would come,” explained Xhaka.
Coach Xabi Alonso also confirmed this: “I wasn’t involved, but I know Granit. It wasn’t the first time he did that. When the physios arrived, I said: Take it easy!”