Who is to blame for the Wembley tragedy?Albeit those racist lowlifes pointed their fingers towards Saka, Rashford and Sancho, it’s blatantly clear those three boys are not guilty of another Three Lions nightmare.The responsibility for a dreadful defeat lies, mainly, in Southgate’s horrible tactics, poor set-pieces defending, ‘Kiricocho’, slow build-up… Sorry, wait for a second! Kiri…what?!Huh, it will take us a few minutes to explain the whole story. However, one thing’s for sure – it’s one of the most intriguing tales of modern football.Saka misses the decisive penalty (©Getty images)To thoroughly understand what happened on Sunday night and how that strange word affected the finals’ outcome, we have to go back all the way to 1982 and the Argentine city of La Plata.That was the moment when Carlos Bilardo sat in the dugout of their top-division club Estudiantes. Bilardo was a second to none tactician who guided Albiceleste to the World Cup title in 1986 and runners-up in 1990. Diego Maradona considered him his favourite gaffer ever, albeit it’s fair to say Bilardo’s methods weren’t always conventional.Bilardo and Maradona during the 1990 World Cup (©Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)He was an extremely superstitious man who could not concentrate on a game if, for example, his assistants would change their seats on the bench. So, when a guy of Bilardo’s ilk heard for a ‘Kiricocho’, it was like a date with destiny.Legend has it that it all happened one day when Bilardo was presented with utterly bizarre info – several of his players got injured during various practices, but every single time it occurred when there was one guy in the stands. Yes, it was him, infamous Kiricocho. Apparently, that was the nickname of a then-unknown man, Estudiantes’ fan, whose real name and whereabouts remain a mystery until today.But superstitious Bilardo draws a conclusion regardless of rational facts – Kiricocho brought the bad luck and was the one to blame for those injuries! So, what the Argentine did? Banned entrance to Kiricocho?Messi dedicates Copa America title to family, country and MaradonaOh, no, quite contrary. If this guy is that unlucky, let’s use him against our enemies. Eureka!Bilardo granted him the role of an unofficial club secretary, whose job was to welcome rivals once they reach the stadium. Shaking hands would be enough to spread the curse, Bilardo thought.And guess what?Estudiantes won every home game that year, except for the one against Boca Juniors, which had their own security officer who kept their players on a distance from the home staff. Ha, what you say now?🇦🇷 VIDEO 🇦🇷@Argentina’s #Mexico1986 winning coach Carlos Bilardo talks tournament myths🎥 https://t.co/8v7R5j4lMJ pic.twitter.com/uPxpcw1uo5— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 28, 2016 But what on Earth it has to do with Chiellini and England, you might ask by now. Be patient just a little more; we are almost there…We just need to make a short stop to 1992 and the Spanish city of Seville, where Bilardo and Maradona teamed up once again, only this time at Ramon Sanchez Pisjuan stadium. With two Diegos – Maradona and a young midfielder Simeone – in the lineup, alongside prolific Croatian striker Davor Suker, the Spanish side did well in La Liga.Maradona and Bilardo in Sevilla (©El Grafico/Getty Images)But what struck Bilardo like thunder was the moment when their opponents were rewarded with a penalty during the one league game. While the penalty taker was preparing to strike, several Sevilla’s fans yelled as loud as they could – Kiiiiiriiiiicochooooo!Even Bilardo himself was stunned. He then realized that the Kiricocho’s myth somehow flew the entire ocean and flourished in the Spanish province of Andalusia.Ok, but who spread the word (about it)? Nobody knew, and, quite frankly, nobody cared as long as it worked for Bilardo’s squad. And it did.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Bilardo’s and Maradona’s stint at Spain lasted a sole season. Still, the Kiricocho itself – and its practical usage regarding penalties – became a sort of football heritage for all Argentinians and some Spaniards.What’s even more interesting is that the public in Spain wasn’t fully aware of it until the coronavirus expelled fans from stadiums. Then, with no supporters in the stands and their usual noise, you could hear players loud and clear, screaming “Kiricocho” during penalties.Many Messi’s teammates tried it during the Copa America, too, and other tournaments throughout the years. Juventus star Paulo Dybala was pictured while attempting to pull off the Kiricocho thing on his former teammate Arturo Vidal when Argentina and Chile met a few years ago.And little by little, it spread across the entire Juve team, all the way to none other than who? Of course, Giorgio Chiellini.The experienced Italian defender enjoyed a brilliant tournament at the EURO 2020 but needed all the help he can get once the finals against the Three Lions sank into penalty drama.Maybe this entire story would never be written if there wasn’t one camera focused on Azzurri players hugged in the centre of the pitch. It captured the moment when they were expecting Bukayo Saka to shoot the decisive spot-kick.While his teammates were silently staring at Donnarumma and Saka, the veteran opened his mouth and yelled the ‘mighty’ curse.Kiricocho!Tension → elation💚🤍❤️ An unforgettable moment.@azzurri | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/ea6xED21bn— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 12, 2021 Saka failed, Donnarumma saved it, Italy are the new European champion. Kiricocho did it again.¡Kiricocho!pic.twitter.com/yvdy8kE5X6— Valerio Scalabrelli 🇮🇹 (@riodevale) July 12, 2021 Many years had passed since that day in La Plata when the ‘magic’ word was heard for the first time.Diego Maradona died last year.Carlos Bilardo, 83, spends his retirement days quietly.However, the ultimate and the essential part of that puzzle – the Kiricocho himself – remains a true mystery.Many think that there’s a possibility he never even existed. That he was nothing more than a ghost, a fairytale, a myth, a weird character created in Bilardo’s imagination, the irrational solution to inexplicable problems, hope when all the odds are against you…So, do we imply that maybe there’s no Kiricocho?!Does it really matter, after all?By: Bojan Babić
