10 Best World Football Tweets of the Week

Twitter: It’s a social networking platform used among hundreds of millions for no other purpose than to make others aware of issues that the user feels they ought to. So, of course, it is widely used in the world of football.

Regarded as one of, if not the most, globally accepted sporting practice on the plant, football’s reach already knew few bounds, and the ability to “tweet” has only shrunk those borders more.

Read on to find this week’s most captivating micro-blogs from the beautiful game, whether it’s interesting, tear-jerking or just downright rib-tickling.

10. Fabrice Muamba

Twitter Handle: @fmuamba

A little over a year ago, it was uncertain as to whether or not Fabrice Muamba would even be with us much longer after the Arsenal academy product collapsed under cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane.

Thankfully, the ex-Bolton Wanderer’s wonder story has made a full recovery—albeit at the acceptable sacrifice of his playing career—and is able to show us just how high his spirits are on a daily basis, thanks to Twitter.

Starring alongside wife Shauna (@ShaunaMuamba), this week’s installment showed the Muamba family posing for some kooky webcam shots. Just thank the stars no duckfaces were present.

"

Beauty then the beast lol. Wifey @shaunamuamba and I goofing around b4 dinner lol twitter.com/fmuamba/status…

— fabrice muamba (@fmuamba) March 31, 2013"

9. Giggs-Boson

Twitter Handle: @Giggs_Boson

One of the more intriguing stories related to alleged drug abuse in the last year or so, Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes is a sports physician implicated in Operation Puerto, a doping case currently underway in his native Spain (h/t The Telegraph).

Giggs-Boson is a pseudonym Twitter account for somebody allegedly close to such matters and is a useful person to follow for what is perceived to be “in the know” information.

"

Zico during his time for Udinese, told how it was normal procedure to give "swapped" urine samples to the testers.

— Giggs-Boson (@Giggs_Boson) April 3, 2013"

Although the account has a steady stream of startling “facts” (believe at your own discretion), this week chucked up its fair share of old-fashioned statistics related more specifically to the great Brazil team of the 1970s.

8. Rio Ferdinand

Twitter Handle: @rioferdy5

Martin O’Neill’s sacking at Sunderland was a surprise for some and was surpassed only days later when Paolo Di Canio, a man who has had to deny being a fascist (per the Daily Mail), was appointed manager of the north-east outfit more closely linked with socialism.

However, despite the fallout and inevitable accusations of racism thrown at the Italian shortly after, Rio Ferdinand, a man involved in several race rows himself, took to Twitter to stand up for Di Canio and his appointment.

"

why has a paper brought out a quote from years ago to try + derail Di Canio?? Lazy journalism again. I wish him good luck in the PL. Simple

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) April 4, 2013"

While social media undoubtedly has its negative connotations, it’s things such as this, the ability to openly stick up for your fellow man in front of the masses, that backs up its modern-day value. 

7. Robbie Savage

Twitter Handle: @RobbieSavage8

A player never far from controversy in his playing career, Robbie Savage’s Twitter account actually paints a far less aggressive picture of the former Welsh international.

This week, the sometimes Match of the Day pundit gave us a glimpse of his past with this nostalgic picture of his first ever football kit.

"

. @bbcsport @mrdanwalker here's my first football kit !lockerz.com/s/288908334

— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) April 4, 2013"

At first glance, it’s just a young child draped in an ‘80s Liverpool kit, but when you consider Savage graduated from the Manchester United academy with the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt, it becomes that much more special.

6. Jamie Galpin

Twitter Handle: @JamieGalpinnnn

One of two members of the general public to make this week’s countdown, one glance at Jamie Galpin’s meme entry really highlighted the lighter sides of Roy Hodgson and Sammy Lee.

In the image, the pair can be seen jiving on the Anfield touchline during their time at Liverpool together and was enough to ensure my weekly quota of laughs was had, and then some.

"

@now__football twitter.com/JamieGalpinnnn…

— Jamie Galpin (@JamieGalpinnnn) April 5, 2013"

Jamie couldn't accept the credit of creating such a jazz-tastic meme himself and mentioned that @BBCSporf might have been those responsible.

Nevertheless, Tottenham fan Jamie brought such comedy to our attention once more, and thus deserves his share of the limelight.

5. Who Ate All the Pies

Twitter Handle: @waatpies

A regular candidate for Twitter hijinks, the guys over at Who Ate All The Pies know how to see the funnier side of sport and do a good job of bringing the pointless, but nonetheless entertaining, into all our lives, as well as other, more valuable material of course.

"

Mario Götze Caught Short, Has Emergency Tinkle In Malaga’s Stadium (Video) » Who Ate all the Pies whoateallthepies.tv/champions_leag…

— Who Ate All The Pies (@waatpies) April 4, 2013"

This time around, WAATP can be thanked for sharing Mario Gotze’s tribute to Jens Lehmann when he opted to relieve himself at La Rosaleda in a training session prior to their Champions League clash with Málaga.

Hey, when you got to go, you got to go.

4. Earth Pics

Twitter Handle: @Googleearthpics

Japan can often be seen at the head of the technology industry, and Adidas have had their fair share of sporting revelations since their rise to supremacy in recent decades, so it’s no great surprise to see the pair collaborating on this modern-day marvel.

"

Adidas Football Ground in Tokyo. twitter.com/Googlearthpics…

— Earth Pics (@Googlearthpics) April 4, 2013"

Thanks to Google Earth’s Twitter activity, we can feast upon this gorgeous shot of a rooftop pitch in Tokyo, proving once more that sport really is breaking its limits on a near constant basis.

3. Joey Barton

Twitter Handle: @Joey7Barton

What? Joey Barton linked closely with a social medium with which he can share his most private thoughts in a no-holds-barred fashion akin to that of a Clint Eastwood western? Outrageous.

This week, the QPR midfielder, currently farmed out to Marseille, engaged in direct conflict with a Ligue 1 foe of his, labelling Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva a transsexual.

"

Secondly, Are you Pre-Op or Post-Op?#transsexual #thiagosaladyboy

— Joseph Barton (@Joey7Barton) April 3, 2013"

Hardy Englishman or not, should this keyboard battle come to actual blows, I know who my money would be on. (Hint: He’s big, Brazilian and used to play for AC Milan.)

2. Paul Reidy

Twitter Handle: @paulreidy67 & @English_AS

The second of our two members of the public to feature on this week’s list, Paul Reidy, brought to my attention this superb photo captured at the Bernabeu earlier this week, illustrating just why the Turkish are regarded as quite a rowdy bunch.

"

What an absolutely top top pic of the Galatasaray fans in the Bernabeu tonight (via @english_as ) twitter.com/paulreidy67/st…

— Paul Reidy (@paulreidy67) April 3, 2013"

Although the picture was first tweeted by the English translated account of Spanish outlet AS, it was Paul that put it out there in simplified form, so the honours are shared.

Football truly strikes straight to the heart of millions across the world—the Gala fans' away passion during their Champions League encounter is wonderfully symbolic of just how much this sport means to some.

1. Alexi Lalas

Twitter Handle: @AlexiLalas

No longer making waves on the pitch, Alexi Lalas is having to settle for entertainment via television, radio and internet, but he is doing a marvellous job all the same.

"

That subtle glance of acknowledgment between redheads when passing on the street. Your soullessness is mine. #RiseOfTheMutantGene

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) April 5, 2013"

In truth, Lalas had a few gems to come out on his Twitter feed this week, but it’s perhaps his stout defence of the redhead gene that gets the nod as the week’s finest.

Am I slightly biased as a fellow ginger, Alexi? Why, of course not.