Joshua Zirkzee could find himself in hot water after he performed a lewd gesture during Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Southampton last night.
Most of the match proved disastrous for Man United, who found themselves 1-0 down in their own backyard against the team at the foot of the Premier League table.
It took some last-ditch heroics by Amad Diallo to rescue Man United from humiliation with a hat-trick.
Although Amad was the star of the show, Zirkzee proved highly effective off the bench, playing a crucial part of the build-up for the opening goal and proving his talent at passing.
Sadly, his efforts could be overshadowed by one regretful moment.
TalkSPORT reported this morning that Zirkzee could be facing a fine and perhaps even a ban due to one controversial moment.
“Zirkzee’s emotions may have got the better of him as he celebrated one of Diallo’s strikes,” the report explained. “Facing the stands, the Dutch international grabbed his crotch with his right hand.”
“Similar gestures have previously landed players in hot water with governing bodies,” the article noted, providing examples.
“At last summer’s Euro 2024, Jude Bellingham was fined £25,000 and handed a suspended one-match ban for grabbing his crotch during England’s win over Slovakia. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was slapped with a one-game ban for gesturing towards fans whilst playing for Al Nassr in 2024. The same issue also saw the five-time Ballon d’Or winner fined €20,000 for imitating Diego Simeone’s ‘cojones’ celebration in 2019.”
Should Zirkzee’s actions result in a ban, this could prove highly problematic for United.
Aside from the Dutch forward, the only striker at Ruben Amorim’s disposal is Rasmus Hojlund, who has proven to be a consistent underperformer, even against strugglers Southampton.
What’s more, United have been quiet in the transfer market, and with over half of January over, time is running out to recruit reinforcements.
Amorim will need to act quickly in order to overcome United’s lack of firepower up front. Still, Ineos will need to acknowledge the need for transfers before United’s squad is further depleted.
Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
