Football’s notion of inclusivity, at least in terms of physical stature, often leads to some truly fascinating images. Where else are you gonna find an image of a 6-foot behemoth squaring off against a 5’6 trickster, and potentially losing?
Such is the beauty of the game, as, on the pitch, no vertical advantage can trump majestic talent.
Nevertheless, the sights remain baffling, and even a touch hilarious sometimes, the latest example comes to us from BT Sport’s coverage of Liverpool’s game against Watford.
As part of their pre-match segment, a panel of Premier League legends was assembled, invoking the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gianfranco Zola and Peter Crouch.
While the trios’ achievements in football can be compared and contrasted, in terms of verticality, the former Chelsea man stood no chance.
Despite his 5’6 stature, Zola terrorized defences with lightning displays of skill during his heyday, however, he really stood no chance here. Sandwiched between Rio (6’2) and Crouchy (6’7!), the Italian looked minute.
“Where will we ask Zola to stand?”
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) April 2, 2022
“Next to Crouch, of course.” pic.twitter.com/rxx8e2PyqW
The image of the trio soon went viral and fans couldn’t help but think that the Italian was stationed in the middle on purpose.
While it may seem a tad cruel at first, the producers probably thought Zola wouldn’t stand out if he was pushed to this side, after all, his giant colleagues can take up much of the screen space.
