Galatasaray youngster hailed for deliberate penalty miss
Galatasaray U14 captain Beknaz Almazbekov has been hailed for his sportsmanship after deliberately missing a penalty which was incorrectly awarded against Istanbulspor.
Footballer’s are often criticsed for diving to deceive referees, but Galatasaray youngster Beknaz Almazbekov broke that stereotype after deliberately missing a penalty he was incorrectly awarded.
Beknaz Almazbekov lost his footing in the box while trying to evade an Istanbulspor defender, which the referee mistook for a foul and pointed to the spot.
Despite animated protests from Istanbulspor defenders, the penalty stood and Beknaz Almazbekov decided to take matters into his own hands.
The under-14 skipper deliberately sprayed the resulting spot kick well wide of the post, a gesture which draw praise from the opposition and the broader football community.Former England striker Gary Lineker took to Twitter to praise the youngster’s sportsmanship.
Galatsaray went on to win the match 3-0 and Almazbekov won himself plenty of admirers in the process.
