Joshua Zirkzee ‘Facing Potential Ban’ for Gesture During Man Utd 3-1 Southampton.
Joshua Zirkzee might have landed himself in hot water and potentially facing a ban following his actions after one of Amad Diallo’s goals on Thursday night, talkSPORT have reported. Manchester United staged a dramatic comeback to cancel out Manuel Ugarte’s own goal, with Southampton initially leading at Old Trafford up until the 82nd minute.
Diallo emerged as the hero of the night, netting a stunning 12-minute hat-trick, including goals in the 90th minute and deep into stoppage time, to secure a 3-1 victory and all three points. This marked the Red Devils’ first Premier League win since December 15th and etched the Ivorian’s name in history as the club’s second-youngest hat-trick scorer, following Wayne Rooney.
The thrilling performance ignited jubilant celebrations among his teammates in front of the home fans. However, Zirkzee’s passionate reaction during the celebration of one of Diallo’s goals may have crossed a line.
Joshua Zirkzee’s Gesture Could Have Consequences
The Dutch forward seemed to get caught up in the heat of the moment
After one of Diallo’s goals, Zirkzee could be seen facing the crowd, holding his crotch with his right hand. Gestures like his have previously landed other footballers in sticky situations with governing bodies.
During last summer’s Euro 2024, for example, Jude Bellingham was fined £25,000 and handed a suspended one-match ban for grabbing his crotch during England’s win over Slovakia. Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez was suspended for two matches after the Argentina goalkeeper held a replica Copa America trophy by his crotch after a 3-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Chile in September. See Zirkzee’s gesture below:
https://x.com/UtdFaithfuls/status/1880159061955735786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1880159061955735786%7Ctwgr%5E93207fc498c0f1413ccba1c1d88cac90340888cf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.givemesport.com%2Fjoshua-zirkzee-reportedly-facing-potential-ban-man-utd-southampton%2F
https://x.com/utdreport/status/1880018109345722673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1880018109345722673%7Ctwgr%5E93207fc498c0f1413ccba1c1d88cac90340888cf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.givemesport.com%2Fjoshua-zirkzee-reportedly-facing-potential-ban-man-utd-southampton%2F
Should the FA view Zirkzee’s gesture as similar to those that have been punished in the past, the Dutchman could well face time on the sidelines. This comes after the former Bologna striker’s start to life at Old Trafford has ebbed more than it has flowed. Since scoring on his debut against Fulham on the opening day of the season, the Dutchman has only found the back of the net twice more in 20 further Premier League appearances.
His 30-minute performance against Newcastle United saw him booed and jeered by his home supporters before heading down the tunnel, but there were flashes of hope in his most recent display against Southampton. He looked more willing to run at defenders and linked play well to create two big chances, and the Old Trafford faithful will be hoping he can realise a redemption arc in coming weeks.
