Football Glossary

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R

Referee: The person who is in charge of the game, he or she controls the match

Example: Last season Premier League referees came under fire for some poor performances.

(to be) Relegated: To move down a division because of poor performances

Example: Derby were relegated from the Premier League in 2008.

Relegation: When a team is relegated it has to move down a division

Example: The three new clubs in the Premier League this season will all be hoping to avoid relegation.

(to) Retain: To win a cup, league or title again

Example: Inter retained the scudetto once again in 2008.

Rival: An opponent that is either challenging your team in the league or is a team that you do not like much

Example: Tottenham’s biggest rivals are Arsenal but the Gunners’ rivals are Manchester United or Chelsea.

S

Back to Top Scapegoat: This word is used as a metaphor for someone who is blamed for something bad happening. Blaming this person hides the real cause of the problem

Example: Steve MacClaren was made the scapegoat for England not qualifying for Euro 2008 though the players should take some blame too (EFF: podcast 5).

Scissor kick: While in mid-air a kick that moves the ball so that it travels behind you – usually a shot (bicycle kick)

Example: Hugo Sanchez scored some amazing scissor kicks for Real Madrid

(a) Screamer: A really hard shot, an unstoppable shot that usually results in a goal.

Example: Steven Gerrard scored a thirty-yard screamer against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final

Scudetto: Name for the Italian league (Serie A)

Example: Inter Milan have won the last three scudetto titles in Italy.

(to) Seal a deal: To complete a deal or transaction. In football we use it when talking about player transfers, the movement of players between clubs

Example: Manchester United are trying to seal a deal with Tottenham over Dimitar Berbatov (EFF: podcast 2 2008-9).

Season: The season in England lasts from August till May with 38 games in total

Example: All football fans are hopeful before the season starts.

(la) Seleccion: Nickname for the Spanish international football team

Example: La Seleccion are the new champions of Europe after beating Germany in the 2008 final.

(to) Send (s.o.) off: If a player receives a red card he has to leave the pitch

Example: The Argentinian referee sent Zinadine Zidane off in the World Cup final in 2006.

(to be) Sent to the stands: to be sent off, to receive a red card

Example: Roy Keane was sent to the stands for blowing his top at the referee in a friendly match.

Serie A: The Italian top league

Example: Inter have won the Serie A title for three years in a row.

(a) Set piece: A free kick, corner kick or penalty (usually the first two)

Example: Aston Villa scored more goals from set pieces than any other team in the Premier League last season.

(to) Sign (s.o.): When a club buys a new player from another club

Example: Liverpool signed Robbie Keane from Tottenham.

Signing: The new player at a team: he has come from another team on a transfer

Example: Fernando Torres is Liverpool’s record signing

Sitter: A really easy chance, usually in front of goal.

Example: Michael Ballack missed a sitter in the final of the European Championship final against Spain and his team went on to lose.

Skipper: The captain or leader of the team

Example: Steven Gerrard is the Liverpool skipper.

(a) Slump: A bad run of form, a time of bad luck or bad results

Example: Inter came out of their slump – three successive defeats – to eventually win away at Fiorentina

(to) Sneak something – to get something without deserving it, to obtain something in a sneaky way

Example: England did sneak a 2-2 draw, but it was a poor performance against The Czech Republic.

(to) Spark: to start, to incite

Example: The trouble at Stamford Bridge was sparked by a possible racist comment.

Squad: The squad is the number of payers at the club (i.e. more than simply the 11 in the team), the whole complement of players

Example: Chelsea’s squad is the most expensive in the Premier League.

Squeaky-bum time: This phrase was made famous by Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson in 2004. He used it to describe the very tense, nervous, finish to the league title race

Example: It was squeaky-bum time for Manchester United fans last season as they were unsure of the title until the final day.

Stalemate: A 0-0 draw (scoreless)

Example: Modric broke the stalemate with a goal from outside the box.

(a) Stalwart: This refers to player that has stayed at a club for a long time.

Example: Manchester United are hoping that their stalwart defender Gary Neville returns from injury this season.

Stoppage time: The time added on by the referee after the 90 minutes have finished (injury/added time)

Example: Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time in the Champions league final in 1999.

Surprise package: In football this expression refers to a team that unexpectedly does well despite the fact that not many people think that they will do well in a competition.

Example: The Greek team was the surprise package at Euro 2004 – no one expected them to win the tournament (EFF: 14).

Sweeper: A position in defence – usually behind the centre halves

Example: It is hard to say who was the better sweeper, AC Milan’s Baresi or Bayern Munich’s Beckenbauer as both were such quality players.