There’s only one Ju-nin-ho! There’s only…
Olympique Lyonnais’ Brazilian midfielder Juninho goes by the sobriquet Pernambucano. This cunning piece of South American nomenclature lets us know that he was born in Pernambuco state in the northeast of Brazil. It also helps to distinguish him from his namesake, Juninho Paulista.
Paulista found fame in the Premiership with Middlesbrough as… well… a Brazilian midfielder. Not so long ago, there was a need to avoid confusion between one Juninho and the other. How things change. The last time Paulista appeared on my radar - in front of a permanently disappointed crowd at Celtic Park - he was struggling to trap the ball, let alone knock it into the net from forty-odd yards like this.
AC Ajaccio were the little Brazilian’s Ligue 1 victims on Saturday. Keeper Stéphane Porato may be in need of a full-frontal lobotomy, but that shouldn’t detract from the free-kick. Is there another player in the world who would have the nerve to shoot from artillery range and still be able to put the ball on target? One name is enough when you’re the only person on the planet who can do it.