Tottenham’s Erik Lamela netted one of the most audacious goals in recent memory on Thursday night, scoring with an astonishing ’rabona’ kick from 20 yards out.
The 22-year-old’s effort set social media alight and is a strong contender for the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.
The replays of Lamela’s goal have gone viral and, in honour of that, here are some lesser-known facts about the rabona.
The first reported rabona was by Ricardo Infante, who scored from nearly 40 yards in a match between Argentinian sides Estudiantes and Rosario Central in 1948.
Many, though, credit the move as being created by Italian striker Giovanni Roccotelli, who played in the 1970s and 1980s and was nicknamed ’il padre della rabona’ (the father of the rabona).
The rabona’s impact has also seen the move adopted into tango dancing, with www.tangoafficionado.com describing it as a “walking step with a syncopated cross”.
The rabona has also made it into gridiron last year when Rice University kicker Chris Boswell used his football knowledge to pull off an onside kick which nearly helped overcome rivals Houston.
Remarkably, Lamela’s strike against Asteras Tripolis was not the first time he has scored with a rabona. The attacking midfielder, in fact, used the same skill to score for the River Plate youth team five years ago.