"Sure, volleying a can of Tin from the bath straight into the bin feels good, but have you ever felt the rush of successfully slipping a foreign word in a sentence? Whether Football Daily is subtly and frivolously deploying a merci at Pret a Manger or winning hearts and minds at Football Daily Towers by describing an overcome hangover as the greatest remontada since Barcelona's 6-1 win over PSG in 2017, there is simply nothing like the smugness one feels after borrowing a word or two from our European brethren."
"In recent years, German words have, rather pleasingly, crept into the football lexicon. Have you even played Football/Championship Manager if you don't know what a raumdeuter (translation: space investigator or space invader) is? Readers, just wait for the reaction from your peers when you successfully drop bananenflanke (banana-shaped cross) or gurkenspiel (cucumber game/boring game) into casual conversation."
"In this week's deep dive into the more unusual corners of the internet, Football Daily happened upon a new term kacktor, which literally translates as sh!t goal when perusing a compilation, made by German broadcaster WDR, of the worst goals scored in 2025. Some of the efforts are truly mesmeric. It possibly doesn't get better than our opener from Borussia Dortmund II's Franz Roggow, who somehow manages to convert a wild own goal after a goalmouth scramble for the ages. A penny for the thoughts of Jan Himel, of SG Oberense 2, who decided (under almost zero pressure) to pick out the top corner of his own goal when attempting a clearance. And please enjoy Patrick Bruns' towering header for Alemannia Salzbergen, converting the rebound into his own goal coming just seconds after an equally spectacular miss from opponents ASV Altenlingen."
Borrowing foreign words creates a sense of smug satisfaction among football fans. German vocabulary has entered the football lexicon to describe roles and types of play, exemplified by raumdeuter, bananenflanke, and gurkenspiel. The German term kacktor literally means "sh!t goal" and describes spectacularly calamitous finishes. A WDR compilation of the worst 2025 goals showcases dramatic own goals and errors, including Franz Roggow's wild own goal, Jan Himel's top-corner clearance into his own net, and Patrick Bruns' rebound header own goal after an opponent's miss. Stockport County also contributed a notable goalkeeper blunder against Rotherham.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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