We just don’t get this new phenomenon.
Fair enough, players might want to take a keepsake away from important games but why on earth can’t they wait until after the final whistle?
It’s easy to understand why managers get frustrated at the sight of a player treating an opponent’s jersey as more of a priority than getting into the dressing room at half time for some much-needed instructions.
Mario Balotelli has done it. Yaya Toure has done it. Mesut Ozil has done it. And these are just some of the higher profile offenders.
You can now add two more to that list after Eden Hazard and Angel di Maria traded tops as they walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch at the break during tonight’s Champions League tie.
Hazard swapped his shirt at half time with Di Maria!
Should he be doing this??pic.twitter.com/ACTe15VDb5— Football Accumulator (@footballacca) March 9, 2016
The Blues were trailing on aggregate so Guus Hiddink will not have been a happy camper to have seen one of his charges more focused on exchanging jerseys than on the game at hand.
The internet, too, was not a fan of the act.
Hazard swapping shirts with Di Maria at half time. Somehow I can't see that happening at Anfield tomorrow! #CHEPSG #Liverpool
— Martin Dillon (@MDillon40) March 9, 2016
Hazard swapping shirts with Di Maria at the break. So desperate to join PSG.
— Ifreke Inyang (@Ifreke) March 9, 2016
Making Angry People Angrier:
"Disrespectful" penalties < Not shaking hands < Swapping shirts at half-time < Biting < Spitting#bbcfootball
— Conor McNamara (@ConorMcNamaraIE) March 9, 2016
Hazard swapping shirts with Di Maria at half to is an absolute disgrace. Chelsea deserve to lose just for that..
— Ferg (@ferg_LFC) March 9, 2016
Hazard and Di Maria swapping shirts at half time has just swelled my disgust with the attitude of both of them. 4th worst thing in the game
— Aaron 🔰 (@abradshaw989) March 9, 2016
Why do players swap shirts at half time? Just wait until the end of the game 😒
— Spencer (@spencer_ellmore) March 9, 2016
I hate it when players swap shirts at half time, don't show that respect until after the game 😭
— Harry Knights | Online Coach (@harryknights28) March 9, 2016
You've been poor all season, with your attitude and commitment questioned. Swap shirts at HT in biggest game of season? Nice one, Hazard.
— Natter Football (@NATTERFOOTBALL) March 9, 2016
Hazard & DiMaria swapping shirts at halftime.
Find that wrong.
— AFC GLEN (@AFC_GLEN) March 9, 2016
https://twitter.com/_Robertpayne/status/707665457365557248
https://twitter.com/ChelseaHustla/status/707665441947136000
PepsiCo has kicked off the next phase of its UEFA Champions League sponsorship with a new on-pack promotion that gives you the chance to win prizes every hour with #GAMEREADY Doritos packs.
Prizes include official UEFA t-shirts and footballs to tickets to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in Milan on May 28th.
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