Kevin Tanza

Sunderland Trio Turn Heads With Ice-Cold Handshake Celebration

Football Celebrations, Football Culture, Sunderland

Sunderland AFC have recently been promoted to the English Premier League after 8 long years in which they experienced a lot of things, most of them bad, but hard times are what breed better men, right? They finished fourth in the 2024/2025 EPL Championship and thanks to the playoff win over Sheffield United in the final, the “Black Cats” finally returned to the top tier of English football and they are ready to impress everyone in England and, obviously, to stay away from the relegation zone because it’s usually the newly promoted teams that are most likely to be relegated.

Sunderland AFC’s return to the Premier League also brought new signings in this transfer window, which will significantly improve the team. These include Arthur Masuaku, Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo, Habib Diarra, Omar Alderete, and Granit Xhaka, who was named the new captain for the season that is just getting underway. Chelsea striker Marc Guiu also joined the team, but on loan until May 31, 2026, which will be good for him because he will gain experience and for the team because he is a good substitute.

The team’s new acquisitions have certainly paid off, as they’ve already started winning. In their first Premier League match back, they beat West Ham United 3-0, a renowned mid-table side that has caused problems for many other teams in recent years. This start to the season will undoubtedly lift their spirits a lot. The goals were scored by Eliezer Mayenda, Daniel Ballard, and Wilson Isidor.

Besides the surprise victory over West Ham United, there was another thing that surprised Black Cats fans, and many British fans as well. It was the celebration of Eliezer Mayenda’s 61st-minute goal, which would be Sunderland AFC’s first goal.

After celebrating the goal with some of the team, Diarra and Sadiki approached the Spanish striker and gave him a rather firm, serious and cold handshake, while they looked into each other’s eyes and then returned to the field to continue the game. This handshake was widely discussed on Twitter (now X) as it was called a rather cold moment, something that Sunderland AFC fans agree with.

But there are also other fans who aren’t too surprised, as it’s a handshake that closely resembles Paul Pogba’s with Anthony Martial during their time as Manchester United players. Theirs is more of a friendship and with more style, while Mayenda’s with Sadiki and Diarra is more serious and with much more respect.

But we can’t deny that it’s a somewhat unusual celebration, as many others celebrate by jumping and hugging their friends. Seeing a handshake, without saying a single word, is enigmatic and also different from the usual. We like it; it’s a good celebration. Let’s hope we can see it again in the future.

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