The world of Football Twitter can seem like it has its own unique language at times, full of memes, slang, and inside jokes. If you’re not up to speed on the latest lingo, you might find yourself confused by your timeline. Fear not – we’ve put together the ultimate glossary of Football Twitter slang to help you navigate the upcoming 2023-24 season like a pro.
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Key Football Twitter Slang Terms for 2023-24
- Generational – Describes a player who is considered a once-in-a-generation talent. Only the absolute elite players earn this label.
- Fraud – A player or manager who is overrated and fails to live up to the hype. Often used with the manager’s name, e.g. “Fraudiola”.
- Penaldo – Derogatory nickname for Cristiano Ronaldo, implying he only scores penalties. Short for “Penalty Ronaldo”.
- Pessi – Derogatory nickname for Lionel Messi, implying he is overrated or not as good as Ronaldo.
- Lakaka – Another derogatory nickname for a player, in this case Romelu Lukaku, often used when he misses chances.
- Bundesman – Sarcastic term suggesting a player would look great in the German Bundesliga, due to the perception that the Bundesliga is much less competitive than other leagues.
- Ball knowledge – Having deep insight and understanding of football tactics, history, and players.
- Poverty – Used to describe a bad take, e.g. “Lukaku better than Benzema? That’s poverty.”.
- Bodied – To utterly defeat an opponent with skill, either on the pitch or in an argument online. “Haaland bodied Van Dijk with that goal”.
- Ratio – When a reply to a tweet gets more likes/retweets than the original tweet. Used to point out a bad take.
- Siuuu/Sewey – Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic celebration, turned into a meme/catchphrase.
- (Good Heavens) Touch of class – Phrase to describe a gorgeous bit of skill or classy play.
- Dusted – When a player does a skill move that leaves a defender in their dust.
- Low block – When a team sits deep defensively. “Burnley are a low block merchant, Dyche has them play anti-football”.
- Yank – Used by non-American fans to disparage American fans for their supposed lack of football knowledge.
- Merchant – Player who relies on or excels at one skill only, e.g. “pace merchant”, “penalty merchant”, etc.
- Tap in merchant – Player who only scores simple tap-in goals from close range. Used as criticism.
- Tucheliban – Nickname for manager Thomas Tuchel, a pun on Taliban, used when his teams play very defensive football.
- Croupier – Refers to Pep Guardiola’s tendency to overthink tactics in big Champions League matches, causing his teams to lose.
- Eibarman – Disparaging nickname for Messi, implying he only scored against small teams like Eibar and struggled in big games.
More Essential Football Twitter Slang
Here are some other key slang terms and acronyms you need to know:
- Factos – Ronaldo’s way of saying “facts” in agreement with someone, turned into a copypasta meme
- xGoals/xG – Expected goals, referring to advanced stats
- Joga Bonito – Translates to “the beautiful game”, refers to flashy, skillful playstyle associated with Brazil
- Gegenpressing – Intense pressing tactical style popularized by Jurgen Klopp’s teams
- Raumdeuter – Advanced support striker position specialized by Thomas Muller
- Regista – Deep-lying playmaker, like Andrea Pirlo
- Trequartista – Italian term for a playmaking attacking midfielder, the classic #10 position
- Libero – A fluid center-back or sweeper role with license to roam forward
- Enganche – Spanish/Argentine term similar to trequartista, a creative playmaker
- Tiki-taka – Possession-heavy, short passing style associated with Spain/Barcelona
- Park the bus – Playing ultra-defensive, putting men behind the ball
- Farmers league – Disparaging term for leagues perceived as lower quality (e.g. calling Ligue 1 a farmers league)
- Sarriball – Maurizio Sarri’s attacking, possession-oriented tactical philosophy
- Cross and inshallah – Satirical term for simply lumping in crosses and hoping for the best, without tactical nuance
Other common acronyms:
- GOAT – Greatest of all time
- MOTM – Man of the match
- FPL – Fantasy Premier League
- ITK – In the know (someone with inside information, often about transfers)
- HT – Halftime
- FT – Fulltime
- OT – Extra time (overtime)
- CR7 – Cristiano Ronaldo
- LM10 – Lionel Messi
- VVD – Virgil van Dijk
- KDB – Kevin De Bruyne
- TAA – Trent Alexander-Arnold
- AFTV – Arsenal Fan TV
Twitter Betting Slang
With the rise of sports gambling, betting slang is common on Football Twitter too:
- 1X2 – Home win, draw, away win
- AH – Asian handicap
- BTTS – Both teams to score
- DNB – Draw no bet
- O/U – Over/under total goals
- Acca – Accumulator bet
- Banker – A sure bet
How to Use Football Twitter Slang
While it’s good to know these terms, you don’t want to overdo it and cram too many into one tweet. Use them naturally and sparingly – a well-placed “GOAT”, “Touch of class” or “Generational” can be effective shout-outs, but not every player is “dusted” or “bodied” on every play. Too many hot takes like “Penaldo is a fraud” will make you sound biased and obsessed (not a good look).
Most importantly, focus on high-quality analysis and engaging discussion, not just memes and insults. Used properly, slang should add flavor to your Tweets, not replace substance entirely. Ratios speak louder than words, and your ball knowledge will shine through regardless of how fluent you are in Football Twitter-speak. Happy tweeting!
Key Takeaways
- Football Twitter has its own ever-evolving language of slang terms, nicknames, and acronyms
- Knowing the meaning of terms like “generational”, “bodied”, “ratio” and more will help you understand the discourse
- Player nicknames like Penaldo, Pessi, Lakaka are usually used in a disparaging way
- Other terms like “low block”, “gegenpressing”, “Sarriball” refer to common tactics and playing styles
- Betting slang like BTTS and accumulator are increasingly common with legalized sports gambling
- Use slang sparingly to spice up your tweets, but don’t overdo it at the expense of real analysis
- Focus on ball knowledge, tactical insight, and engaging discussion more than just memes and jokes
By learning a bit of Football Twitter language, you’ll be able to decipher your timeline, jump into conversations, and most importantly, enjoy the beautiful game on another level. As the 2023-24 season kicks off, you’ll be ready to banter with the best of them. Factos.
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.