2018 was our last hours - tomorrow the new year will begin, which promises a lot of intrigue and even more incredible moments in football. These years were especially generous to football fans - almost half of the world's population were glued to their television screens during the World Cup in Russia. As always, the UEFA Champions League final received a lot of attention, with controversial episodes. This year, the number one football news portal in Lithuania, "EuroFootball.com," presents ten memorable football events of 2018. Neymar's dives and "that" ball throw The World Cup in Russia not only provided a load of positive emotions and amazing goals but also sparked controversy in the social space. In June, Brazil's football star Neymar became a subject of mockery as he spent about 14 minutes lying on the ground during the tournament. Internet users particularly remember Neymar's dives during the match with Switzerland, where after a foul, he rolled several meters forward. This moment created a wave of meme creation in the social space. Also, widely discussed in the world media was Iranian defender Milad Mohammadi's kiss on the ball and the subsequent failed ball throw from outside the touchline. Julen Lopetegui tragedy If you think 2018 was your worst year, you probably haven't heard about Julen Lopetegui's story. The 52-year-old coach lost two of the most prestigious jobs in his professional career in just over six months. Lopetegui was dismissed from the Spanish national team and Real Madrid's coach position. J. Lopetegui, who had not experienced any failures with the Spanish national team in two years, decided to accept the offer from Real Madrid just before the start of the World Cup. The plan was for the coach to arrive in Madrid immediately after the World Cup, but the Spanish Football Federation had a different opinion and decided to dismiss the coach just before the tournament began. J. Lopetegui immediately became the coach of Real Madrid. The start of the season promised a lot, but later, the team faced a huge crisis, recording the worst results in the club's history, and the coach lost another prestigious position. Germany's exit from the World Cup Germany's journey to the Russian state borders ended without success - Joachim Low's team went to Russia hoping to defend the World Champions title, but their dream ended in the group stage. The tragedy caused in Germany by the national team's performance in the World Cup began with a defeat against Mexico. Later, the Germans achieved a dramatic victory against Sweden, keeping their chances alive, but in the final group stage match, the former world champions suffered a fiasco against South Korea, losing 0-2 and bidding farewell to the tournament. This early exit of the German national team from the World Cup caused a tragedy not only in Germany but also became one of the most unexpected football events of the year. The end of Jose Mourinho's era in Manchester The most recent event of this year, causing a huge stir in the football community and the world media. After a season with very poor results, "Manchester United" announced on December 18 that they had parted ways with coach Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would take his place until the end of the season. Achieving 84 victories, 32 draws, and 28 defeats during his career at "Man Utd," J. Mourinho had recently become a nightmare for the "Red Devils" and a target for journalists. J. Mourinho's career in Manchester was marked by loud phrases, arguments with Paul Pogba, controversial goal celebrations, and the surprising news of his dismissal. "Roma's" comeback against "Barcelona" Undoubtedly one of the most astonishing moments in football not only this year but also in the entire history of the UEFA Champions League. After losing the first leg 1-4 in Barcelona in the quarter-finals, "Roma" was close to being eliminated from the tournament, but the support of their fans and a nap of the "Barcelona" team created a real sensation in the Italian capital. "Roma" won the second leg with a score of 3-0, and the true hero of the match was Kostas Manolas, who scored a goal with a header in the 82nd minute, leading his team to the semi-finals. "Barcelona," who had one of the most incredible comebacks against PSG, surprisingly left the Champions League. "Roma" reached the semi-finals and had a historic chance to play in the final, but the "Liverpool" barrier proved too strong for the Italians, although in the second leg, the "Romans" were close to causing a sensation. Kylian Mbappe's performance and France's triumph 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe was already well known in the football community before the World Cup, but his performance in Russia immediately sparked comparisons with the legendary Brazilian footballer Pele, who also led his country to triumph in the World Cup at Mbappe's age. Mbappe scored four goals in the World Cup, including one in the final, when France defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the tournament. The Frenchman, scoring one of the winning goals, became only the second 19-year-old after Pele to score in a World Cup final. Mbappe's performance in Russia also made headlines, especially in the match against Argentina, where he scored a double. His performance in Russia led him to appear on the cover of the famous "Times" magazine, which is not common for a footballer, especially at his age. Arsene Wenger's departure April 20, 2018, will be forever remembered by fans - on that day, London's "Arsenal" announced that after 18 years as a coach, Arsene Wenger would leave at the end of the season. This was undoubtedly one of the most significant events of the year, which changed the pages of both the "Arsenal" club and the entire football history. Since arriving in London in 1996, Wenger essentially built the club and a new stadium from the ground up, led to famous victories, and earned respect in the entire football community. Wenger coached the "Arsenal" team 1,235 times, won 707 matches, suffered 248 defeats, and ended 280 matches in draws. With his famous victories and painful defeats, A. Wenger became a three-time English champion. A goal that overshadowed the hearts of Cristiano Ronaldo and "Juventus" fans Few could have imagined that Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the most beautiful goal of his career on April 18, would move to the team that severely punished him in the Champions League quarter-finals not even half a year later. After nine years, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to leave Real Madrid and continue his career with Juventus in Turin. The Portuguese ended his career in Madrid on the highest note - winning the UEFA Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo's impeccable shot at the Juventus stadium on April 18 not only impressed the "Real" team but also captivated the hearts of "Juventus" fans. Despite "Juventus" already trailing 0-2 after Cristiano Ronaldo's fantastic goal, the home fans did not hesitate to rise from their seats and applaud the Portuguese for a true masterpiece. The fates of both Cristiano Ronaldo and the "Juventus" fans soon brought them together. Luka Modric ends Ronaldo and Messi's dominance Luka Modric could be envied by almost every footballer this year, except perhaps the players who represented the French national team at the World Cup. The little Croatian miracle did not achieve his greatest career victory with his team, but Croatia's journey in Russia left no one indifferent in the world. Having won the Champions League with Real Madrid and played in the World Cup final, L. Modric fought for all possible individual awards this year - he won the UEFA and FIFA Player of the Year awards and ultimately ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's dominance in the "Ballon d'Or" awards. For the first time in ten years, the "Golden Ball" did not go to Messi or Ronaldo. At the age of 33, L. Modric deserved the top football journalists' and athletes' appreciation in the center of the football world. Karius's tragedy marks the Champions League final Undoubtedly the most memorable and most discussed event that caused much controversy in social media this year in football. "Liverpool" reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in 11 years, but their dream was not meant to be realized - Gareth Bale's individual show led Madrid's "Real" team to the football summit in the Old Continent for the third time in a row. This final had everything - own goals, intense battles, controversy between Mohamed Salah and Sergio Ramos, and Loris Karius's career tragedy. Karius, possibly experiencing a concussion after a collision with S. Ramos, made a mistake at the beginning of the second half, which is simply unimaginable at this level. Holding the ball in his hands, the goalkeeper forgot that Karim Benzema was in front of him and trying to pass it to a teammate, he hit the striker's extended leg, from where the ball rolled into the goal, and the score became 1:0. " Liverpool" managed to come back and equalize the score, but then G. Bale scored a goal, and after not being able to recover from the first mistake, Karius comically missed the third goal when the same G. Bale shot from about 30 meters. Karius was comforted by G. Bale himself and other football stars, but no one will erase the hellish night in Kiev from his memory.
Aivaras Katutis
