Eric Bautheac’s incredible ‘false Panenka’ penalty has had football fans around the world rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Bautheac, 31, dispatched a second-half spot-kick in the most audacious manner imaginable during Brisbane Roar’s 5-3 defeat to Adelaide United last Thursday.
But did he mean it?
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The Frenchman delicately scuffed the ball from the spot, sending Reds shot stopper Paul Izzo down, with the ball dribbling over the goal line in what felt like slow motion.
The cheeky effort has ignited worldwide debate on social media – see the best tweets below – while news outlets including the BBC, BT Sport, Soccer AM and Get French Football News have all been left bamboozled by Bautheac’s bold approach.
The former Ligue 1 man – who on Sunday night was named Roar’s player’s player of the season – has been no stranger to the spectacular in 2018/19, a point that may just bring people to his side when coming to a decision over whether or not his attempt was dead-set deliberate, or a fortunate fluff.
The player himself insists it was all part of the plan, telling the Courier-Mail: “I said to the team before the game ‘if we get a penalty and I take, I will shoot slowly at the middle of the goal’. But it ended up being very slowly.
“It’s what I wanted to do, but not so slowly. A little bit harder would have been better. When I watch the video of it, it’s amazing.”
⚽️ | Eric Bautheac tells @marcothejourno that his penalty shot was deliberate and not a failed Panenka – and he's even given it a new name … https://t.co/Azr8W7zHly @brisbaneroar #ALeague #Bautheac
— Courier Mail Sport (@cmail_sport) April 26, 2019
You be the judge – did Bautheac mean it?
This. Is. Amazing.
A penalty stroked in like you've never seen before! ??
The sheer audacity! ? pic.twitter.com/YAGNADF6DD
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 25, 2019
?Not sure if this is audacious from former Saint-Etienne, Lille, Nice & Evian player Eric Bautheac or just a totally fluffed Panenka? https://t.co/nuaNOOqNfC
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) April 25, 2019
C'est quoi la prochaine étape Eric #Bautheac ? ?? https://t.co/FDJ8LGIlsS
— Dijon FCO (@DFCO_Officiel) April 25, 2019
This has got to be one of the strangest penalties you're ever going to see… ?
It looked like he tried to pull off an Penenka but something very different happened and it worked perfectly! ??https://t.co/wzyVo1G5zq
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) April 25, 2019
Forget Panenka. It's 2019. 'Bauthéac penalty' = a penalty in football where the ball is gently rolled into the goal after the hapless keeper has dived to one side. https://t.co/sXheV0CuNn
— Ned Zelic (@NedZelic) April 25, 2019
Bautheac penalty. pic.twitter.com/TFFGmNUa9y
— Adam Peacock (@adampeacock3) April 25, 2019
The KING DADDY of all Paneka Penalties! Keeper has been absolutely done there ?✨ pic.twitter.com/EJTRqVpCdV
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) April 25, 2019
?? He tried the Panenka and failed, but also succeeded?
Another reason why the #ALeague is the greatest league in the world!
? @btsportfootball pic.twitter.com/wfys7b08sd
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) April 25, 2019
This is an attempted Panenka which doesn't come off, but does… I think https://t.co/L6H5qhk5mH
— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) April 25, 2019
Cheekiest penalty ever from Brisbane Roar's Bautheac? https://t.co/XOYdwtVNDG pic.twitter.com/4kti7uqs5j
— Cleansheet (@Cleansheet) April 25, 2019
La nuova versione del cucchiaio by Eric #Bautheac 😮
L'esecuzione è davvero sorprendente, il VIDEO 📽️👇 https://t.co/JxayfkImkW— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) April 25, 2019
of course, then Bautheac scores a goal like that #BRIvWEL
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) April 12, 2019
Just as well Bautheac had 'God' in the stands, because this could have gone horribly wrong… 😅 pic.twitter.com/8Wb5NgeAwX
— Fox Football (@FOXFOOTBALL) April 25, 2019
Éric Bauthéac claims via Instagram DM that he meant for his penalty to come out like that. (📸 @pseuman) pic.twitter.com/q0hZWLHnye
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) April 25, 2019