As Chelsea’s win against United was thwarted by an injury-time equaliser by Casemiro at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, midfielder Mateo Kovacic stripped off his match gear and ran down the tunnel much to the surprise of the fans attending the match.
Chelsea was on their way to a win after Jorginho scored from the spot to put the Blues ahead in the Premier League match that remained goalless for the most part. However, the party was spoiled by new signing Casemiro after the latter scored a header from a Luke Shaw cross in the 94th minute of the match.
Also read: Chelsea vs Manchester United: Watch Casemiro’s extra-time equaliser at Stamford Bridge
Watch his run here.
While it is common for players to get rid of sweaty clothes after a match, what surprised everyone was the Croatian international’s decision to strip down to his loincloths right on the pitch.
It’s not clear why he did it but sure drew a lot of attention from those present at Stamford Bridge. When videos of him started circulating on social media, fans also could not help but feel amused by the incident.
Sky Sports football pundit and former Chelsea player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbain rested his case by saying: “he looks fit”. He watched the player running down the tunnel while at his post-match TV duties at the Bridge on Saturday.
One fan on Twitter posted a photo of the midfielder caught in the act saying: “Mateo Kovacic gave us everything on the pitch today”.
Another fan jokingly said that it was a Mateo Kovacic giveaway at the Bridge. People could not help but notice the midfielder’s bizarre run and neither could they stop joking about it on Twitter.
Also read: Erling Haaland likely to become the first 1 billion pound footballer
Although it was a result that Chelsea would not be happy with, the midfielder put up a good show during the match making it difficult for United to ever take control of the midfield.
After Saturday’s match, Chelsea’s fourth position is now at stake as United is only a point shy from grabbing it away from the Blues. The Blues have 21 points from 11 matches while United have 20 from the same number.