From Higuita to Taibi: The 10 Worst Goalkeeping Errors of All Time

They may not have to run that much and they get to wear gloves during the chillier months, but being a goalkeeper is one of the toughest positions on the football field. 

Sometimes, the pressure of guarding the net proves to be a little overwhelming, and mistakes are made.

This week, a Swedish goalkeeper goalkeeper was sent off for one of the most blatant instances of handball you are likely to see. That embarrassing bloomer kicks off B/R's 10 worst goalkeeping errors of all time…

Peter Abrahamsson's Scandinavian Surprise

Peter Abrahamsson of Swedish second division side Örgryte went for a standard punch clearance in a recent match against rivals Hammarby. Well, it was standard apart from the fact that it was several yards outside the area.

Abrahamsson received his marching orders after a full 44 seconds on the field. 

Khalid Askri's Premature Celebration

Khalid Askri was defending the net in a shoot-out for his Moroccan side FAR Rabat when he thought he had saved a crucial kick.

Sadly, it crept over the line behind his back without him realising. 

Hans-Jörg Butt's Penalty Vanity

Everybody loves a goalscoring keeper. Not everyone loves a goalscoring keeper like Hans-Jörg Butt though.

In a match between his Leverkusen side and Schalke, he scored a penalty and then signalled that he was ready for play to commence while running back to his own goal. In the meantime, Schalke took a long shot and scored. 

Massimo Taibi's Gift for Matt Le Tissier

[Incident starts at 1.39 in clip]

Massimo Taibi made howling mistakes in three of the four matches he played for Manchester Utd, most notably the goal he gifted to Matt Le Tissier during a 3-3 draw with Southampton.

For this, Taibi was nicknamed "The Blind Venetian" by the press. 

Tim Flowers' Bumpy Pitch

Blackburn keeper Tim Flowers was expecting to collect a soft, long-range shot from Liverpool's Stan Collymore when the ball took a huge deflection from a divot in the penalty area. The confused look on his face was priceless!

Buffon's Buffoonery

Even the best goalkeepers in the world can have bad days.

Gigi Buffon had a tough day at the office on a trip to Atalanta, when he utterly failed to control what appeared to be a risqué backpass. 

Rene Higuita's World Cup Showboating

Known for his epic scorpion kicks, frequent goal-scoring and association with Pablo Escobar, Rene Higuita was madder than a box of frogs.

His on-the-field showboating didn't always pay off though, like the time he got a little too tricky during a World Cup '90 match with Cameroon, only for Roger Milla to dispossess him and score.  

Fabian Barthez's Highbury Howlers

Filling the boots of a world-class goalkeeper like Peter Schmeichel was no easy feat—just ask Massimo Taibi—and Fabian Barthez had a few struggles of his own.

Against Arsenal at Highbury, the Frenchman's brace of errors resulted in two goals for fellow countryman Thierry Henry.

Andy Dibble's One-Handed Wonder

Of all the ways goalkeepers have been made to look foolish, Andy Dibble's error against Nottingham Forest was one of the most memorable.

Holding the ball invitingly in one hand, Coventry keeper Dibble could only watch as Gary Crosby poached it away and put it in the net.  

Peter Enckelman's Finnish Finish

Aston Villa were 2-0 down at fierce rivals Birmingham when keeper Peter Enckelman put the icing on the Midlands massacre cake by letting a simple throw-on slip right past him.

The Finnish shot-stopper insists he never touched the ball—meaning it should not have stood—but that seems like a pretty feckless excuse for such a rookie error.