Colo Colo’s Cristian Zavala has received support from his manager following his unusual miss of a ‘Panenka’ penalty and subsequent limping off with what appeared to be an injury during a shootout on Wednesday.
In a friendly encounter against Uruguay’s Peñarol, where Colo Colo triumphed 4-3 on penalties, one particular spot-kick gained notoriety for its strangeness.
Just days after Brahim Díaz’s notorious Panenka miss in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Zavala attempted a similar chip but sent the ball directly at the goalkeeper. Shortly after, he dramatically went down with an injury, leading many on social media to question the authenticity of his situation.
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Colo Colo manager Fernando Ortiz, however, affirmed that Zavala was dealing with an injury prior to the penalty. “Zavala had a problem,” he clarified. “I understand the desire to take a penalty; that’s just the kind of passion and anxiety Cristián has. But I believe his emotions got the best of him. Now they’re evaluating it, and hopefully it’s nothing serious.”