Media365
A goal celebration in Brazil’s top-flight football competition took an unexpected turn after Coritiba defender Jacy Maranhão fell into a tunnel beside the pitch and injured his ankle.Jacy, 29, was celebrating after heading Coritiba into a 2-0 lead against Chapecoense in the 41st minute of their Brazilian Serie A match. The defender picked up the ball and ran towards a group of supporters, jumping as he celebrated.However, his celebration ended when he fell through an opening and into a dark passageway next to the pitch.Jacy was able to get back onto the field after the fall and continued playing into the first few minutes of the second half. He was then substituted because of the ankle injury he suffered during the incident.The situation became more frustrating for the Coritiba defender when VAR reviewed his goal and ruled that he had been offside. The goal was subsequently disallowed.Despite losing Jacy, Coritiba went on to beat Chapecoense 2-1.The incident was not the first time a footballer has fallen into the passageway at Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira.In 2014, Cameroon striker Joel also jumped over the barriers while celebrating during Coritiba’s 3-1 win over Sao Paulo. He fell into the same tunnel during that incident.Brazilian journalist Leonardo Mendes Jr later pointed out what he described as an unusual link between the two incidents.“There’s one detail that makes it even more unbelievable,” he posted on social media.“Jacy repeats the jump in Joel’s tunnel: the security guard who tries to prevent the jump is the same one!”
