From Eurosport:
Manchester United winger Nani caused a few palpitations on the bench when he launched into an acrobatic goal celebration after scoring against Shenzhen in a recent friendly.
Nani be warned; somersaults are a risky business. One false move can leave you looking a fool and facing months on the treatment table, a fate that befell Babayaro after finding the net in a pre-season game for Chelsea against mighty Stevenage; the Nigerian slipped and broke his leg. LuaLua knew the dangers during Portsmouth's battle against relegation in 2005 and vowed to celebrate sensibly until Pompey were safe. He broke his promise after scoring against Arsenal, and his tumbling antics resulted in a sprained ankle.
- Martin Palermo -
Cruel fate always seemed to intercede whenever Palermo appeared to be on the brink of greatness. This is the man who once missed three penalties in the same Copa America match in 1999, and in the same year suffered a cruciate knee injury. When he finally got to La Liga, things got even worse when he marked a goal for Villarreal in 2001 by jumping on a concrete wall separating the stands from the pitch. The wall collapsed, breaking both the tibia and fibula in Palermo's left leg.
- Shaun Goater -
erybody remembers Temuri Ketsbaia's frankly insane goal celebration for Newcastle, when he kicked an advertising hoarding to within an inch of its life. At least the Georgian escaped unscathed, which is more than can be said for Manchester City's Shaun Goater, who knacked his knee kicking a hoarding in the aftermath of a Nicolas Anelka goal during the 2002/03 season. That's right, it wasn't even his goal. Earlier in his career, Goater broke his arm celebrating a goal against Stoke City.
- Steve Morrow -
Morrow's misfortune is possibly the only example of a career being wrecked by a celebration. The Northern Irishman scored the winner for Arsenal against Sheffield Wednesday in the 1993 League Cup final - his first and only goal for the club. After the game, Gunners captain Tony Adams lifted the hero aloft, at least for a couple of seconds, before losing his balance (a fairly common occurrence at the time) and dropping Morrow, who broke his arm and was never the same player again. He now coaches MLS side FC Dallas.
- Hernan Crespo -
Crespo's thigh strain, suffered in this summer's Copa America, was not exactly a result of a celebration, but it was pretty embarrassing nonetheless. The Internazionale man belted home a penalty for Argentina against Colombia, but in so doing injured himself and was mobbed by team-mates while standing, anguished, on one leg. It should have been a special moment for the striker, as it was the goal that took him past Diego Maradona in the list of all-time scorers for Argentina.
- Paulo Diogo -
Perhaps the most harrowing of all self-inflicted injuries belongs to Paulo Diogo, who scored for Swiss side Servette against Schaffhausen in 2004 (a game always sure to get pulses racing). The midfielder leapt onto the advertising hoardings and grabbed the fence separating him from the crowd. On dismounting, his wedding ring got caught on the metal railings and ripped half his finger off. The Swiss referee, a stickler for both the rules and national stereotype, booked Diogo for excessive celebration.
