shout. Nikki Everard, who saved two penalties during EC, smears Vaseline on his posts before kickoff.
Before meeting Sweden, the Belgian goalkeeper tries to downplay his rituals.
– It looks like it will be an advantage for us so that the ball can slide into the goal … , says Kosovare Aslani, laughing.
Belgium has reached the quarter-finals of the European Group and will face Sweden. The team came second in its group after 1-1 against Iceland, 1-2 against France and 1-0 against Italy.
The matches were low in the number of goals and this is due, among other things, to the team’s goalkeeper Nikki Evard, who is of great importance to the team.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper saved the penalty shootout against Iceland and France.
After the match against Iceland, she explained her methods for taking the opponent off balance before a penalty kick.
– I have my trick, as all goalkeepers do. I move around and try to disrupt the opponent and make noise. I’m trying to get into the executioner’s mind and change her mind. She said at the time it seemed to have succeeded.
Posts smeared in Vaseline
In connection with the premiere, attention was also paid to the rituals of Nikki Everr. The Belgian goalkeeper smears Vaseline on his base before the match.
I’ve done that since a match against Kosovo in 2021.
– Before every game I used to wear Vaseline on my gloves, and against Kosovo I touched my right position. That match saved two penalties. Since that day, I’ve been doing this routine with Davina Vanmechelen. We put Vaseline at the bottom of my posts. She said after the opening match in an interview with rtbf.se: I know it’s one of those weird things you do, but I did it last Sunday and it seems to have brought me luck.
The Vaseline hoax caused quite a stir and according to Belgian journalists who follow the team closely, Nikki Evard was harassed on social media after her story and she chose to play her part entirely.
Everyone has their own routine.
Her colleague Davina Veltins appreciates her goalkeeper and says before meeting Sweden:
Everyone has their own routine and ritual, so she should do whatever she wants, left back Davina Feltgens tells Sportbladet.
swedish star Indigenous Kosovars Instead, I hope the Belgian goalkeeper’s ritual is in Sweden’s favour.
– It looks like it will be an advantage for us so that the ball can slide into the goal … Kosovare Aslani says:
– I don’t think about the routine of other goalkeepers. Goalkeepers are a bit special, everyone has their own routine. Hedvig (Lindahl, Sweden goalkeeper) is definitely doing something.