The focus: how they influence football games

Noel Urbaniak would not have dreamed of being decisive in a goal of the German national team. Actually, the 15-year-old was only responsible for throwing back the balls to the national players at the international match against Italy (3: 3)-and thus ensuring that the game runs smoothly.

It turned out very differently: Urbaniak provided Joshua Kimmich with the play equipment in front of a corner kick, Kimmich carried out the standard before the Italian defense had organized. Jamal Musiala completed 2-0 in the meantime. Student Urbaniak was then celebrated as a preparer, also by national coach Nagelsmann.

However, it was not the first time that ball children intervene significantly. Sometimes they prove to be twelfth players, then they bring the stars to white glow again. A little overview of incidents in the past.

Callum Hynes had a similar appearance in 2019 as Noel Urbaniak. Hynes was also 15 years old at the time and became a preparatory at the Champions League game of Tottenham Hotspur against Olympiakos. He quickly threw the ball back into the game, so Harry Kane was able to compensate for two ball contacts later for the Spurs to 2: 2-Tottenham won 4: 2 after 0: 2 behind.

After the game, Hynes got a hug and an extra praise from trace coach José Mourinho: “He understands the game, he reads the game. He is part of the game and plays it very well.” The coach even wanted to invite the ball boy to the cabin after the final whistle, but that didn’t work – Hynes had to write a math work the next day.

Mourinho can also be very different if he dislikes the use of a ball child. During his time at Chelsea FC, the coach took a ball boy to the chest, because in his opinion he did not quickly get out the ball and thus delayed the game.

Mourinho was out of touch with the teenager, as he himself told himself: “I don’t like it when ball boys provoke the players. I told him that he should not do so, otherwise he will run the risk of being beaten by one of my players.” After draining some steam, the Portuguese hugged the ball boys.

In fact, about a year earlier, a Chelsea player had freaked out towards a ball boy. The blues played against Swansea City in 2013 and were 0-2 behind as favorite. The ball boy Charlie Morgan did not want to move out a ball, instead lay on the play equipment. Thereupon the fuses burned at Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, the Belgian stepped in Morgan in his stomach – and saw the red card. Even the police started investigations.

No glory sheet for both, but Morgan became a small celebrity. Eleven years after the incident, the ball boy and football star met again and spoke out.

Time game is part of the unofficial task of ball children, but three ball boys from Tanzania exaggerated it. In the Africa Cup qualification against Niger, they threw additional balls onto the field so that the hosts could take their lead over time. The referee then referred them from the sidelines.

The use of ball children can be hazardous to health, at least if you believe Manuel Neuer. The Bayern goalkeeper injured itself on the shoulder in 2014, shortly before the World Cup. He saw the blame for this in the ball boy: he threw a ball back too quickly, so Neuer was forced to rescue the sidelines, slipped out and fell on the shoulder.

“I was a little bad luck, but the ball boy also had its part. I also briefly confronted him afterwards,” said Neuer later. In the end everything went well: Neuer was fit again to the World Cup in Brazil in time and became world champion with the DFB team. Unthinkable if that hadn’t happened during a ball boy.

Jens Lehmann met with ball boys several times at VfB Stuttgart. The scene from a game at Hannover 96 is legendary: Lehmann wanted to get a ball back quickly, the ball boy threw the ball over the goalkeeper. The ball even touched Lehmann slightly on the head. The former national goalkeeper then got upset.

“I only did my job. I thrown the ball up and then he came down on his head. Lehmann then asked me: ‘What’s the shit?'” The goalkeeper then complained: “Even the ball boys are fraudsters.”

Lehmann also had trouble with a ball boy from FC Barcelona. The latter had not moved out a ball quickly enough, the keeper tore his ball out of his hands and touched him with his shoulder on his face. Later he scratched his head with the middle finger.