#3 Miroslav Klose admits his handball
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Speaking of German legends, we come to Miroslav Klose. The World Cup’s all-time record scorer also holds the record number of goals for Germany, and being a prolific goalscorer, he was able to find the net in plenty of different ways. Left foot, right foot, with his head, from close range or long range, it didn’t matter for Klose. Unless he used his hand, that is.
In a game for Lazio against Napoli in September 2012, Klose gave his side the lead in the fourth minute from a corner. Immediately Napoli’s players began to protest and a subsequent replay – unknown to the referee of course – revealed that Klose had used his hand to push the ball into the net.
Unlike Diego Maradona, though, Klose did not claim divine intervention. Instead, he immediately admitted his transgression to the referee, who subsequently struck off the goal – and then shook the German’s hand and spared him a yellow card. Klose was then mobbed by the Napoli players, who thanked him for his honesty too.
While Lazio went on to lose the game 3-0, Klose’s actions earned him a Sports Ethics Award from the University of Rome Tor Vergata – an accomplishment up there with all the goals he scored cleanly in his career.
