Biggest World Football Blunders of the Weekend: Gervinho Gaping Goal Gaffe Stars

It's not always being a footballer, where even the elite can sometimes get it wrong.

For example, while Gervinho may have finally flown the Arsenal coop after a mixed period in north London, the Ivorian showed that he's still capable of fluffing his lines in hilarious fashion, regardless of where he's playing.

Then there's the Premier League likes of Jake Livermore and Vincent Kompany, who in their own special ways showed that you don't always have to be smart to make it at the top level.

All that and a lot more lie ahead in the biggest world football blunders of the weekend, where we celebrate the very best performing at their very worst.

8. Manuel Neuer Almost Gifts Another Goal

Via Bleacher Report

Manuel Neuer's 2013 has been as successful as any other Bayern Munich star's, the goalkeeper helping the Bavarian bruisers rake in no less than five major titles.

This weekend saw the German No. 1 help his club add the FIFA Club World Cup to that collection, but not without a bump or two along the way.

Despite being one of the best stoppers in the world, Neuer has been known for his profligacy at times, again gifting the ball to the Raja Casablanca attack from his own area in Saturday's final.

Thankfully for him, the chance was spurned and Bayern would go on to triumph 2-0, but it served as a reminder that the 27-year-old is indeed human. 

7. Vincent Tan Making More Enemies

Vincent Tan isn't pulling many punches in his tenure as Cardiff City owner and this weekend provided another controversial twist in the tale of the Welsh outfit and their hierarchy.

Last week, it became public knowledge that the Malaysian businessman had issued his manager Malky Mackay an ultimatum via email, telling him to resign or face the sack.

However, Mackay was reported on Friday by BBC Sport as saying that he was focused on the matter at hand, that being the success of his side in their Premier League ventures.

Barely 36 hours later, the whole scenario had undertaken a 180-degree turn and BBC Sport then reported that Mackay was to be spared the sack—at least for now.

The entire situation seems a tad unnecessary given that the Scot's two years in charge of the South Wales outfit have been an overall success, City currently sitting 15th in the Premier League and with a decent chance of staying up.

Therefore, the past week of events can be interpreted as nothing other than terrible ownership, drawing an inordinate amount of pointless attention to the club and their murkier matters.

6. Sulley Muntari Sees Red in Milan Derby

Let's set the scene. It's the Milan derby, one of European football's most celebrated fixtures and a crucial encounter between two of Serie A's giants, neither of whom is enjoying the most fruitful period in their histories.

Milan are 1-0 down with mere seconds left to play and need every player they can get to turn their campaign around, so what does Sulley Muntari think is a prudent move?

Why, surging down upon Zdravko Kuzmanovic and pointlessly pushing the Serbian over to earn himself a red card, of course.

Granted, Kuzmanovic picked the ball up and was attempting to run the clock down and anger his opposition in the process, but Muntari was idiotic in giving the midfielder precisely what he wanted.

5. Guangzhou Evergrande Dupes the Wrong Brazilian

Ronaldinho is arguably one of the most unanimously liked footballers in the world.

Whether it's his incredibly frequent scoring prowess from a set piece or the goofy smile that's been the face of many a memorable football moment, it's hard to dislike the Brazilian for the way he plies his trade.

However, Zhao Xuri won't be quite as adored after the Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder helped in getting the South American sent off in this weekend's FIFA Club World Cup third-place playoff.

After Ronaldinho had hit the deck following a challenge, Zhao proceeded to trod on his opponent, instantly earning the ire of millions.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Chinese international then made a meal of Ronaldinho's studded challenge, earning the Atletico Mineiro star a red card for his troubles.

In truth, both players were in the wrong for their respective actions, it just so happens that Zhao was up against a living legend, and never quite stood a chance of coming out as the more favoured.

4. Jake Livermore Hates Technology

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Scoring a goal at the elite level can often inspire a myriad of emotions, and down the years we've seen a lot of weird and sometimes strange goal celebrations.

Jake Livermore gave us one such moment this weekend when, after netting the opener against West Brom, he saw a £6,000 sideline camera as the focus of all his elation.

Naturally, the Hull City playmaker proceeded to terrorise the innocent piece of filming equipment, booting it beyond repair as punishment for having dared film his goal.

There's a happy end to this story, however, as Livermore saw the error of his ways, repaying the owner of the camera for his troubles and donating the same £6,000 amount to Tom Huddlestone's charity cause, per the Mirror's Ben Burrows.

3. Paddy Cregg's Two-Minute Cameo

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It's far from unheard of for a player to come on for a few minutes at the end of a match, helping add some fresh legs to the cause in a bid to either revive or see out a result.

However, what is less common is for a player to come on in the 30th minute but last less than two on the pitch himself as a result of his own stupidity.

Enter, Paddy Cregg.

With St. Johnstone drawing 0-0 at Hibernian, the Irishman just couldn't wait to get back into the changing rooms and initiated an early shower after putting the boot in on his old team and earning a 32nd-minute red card.

The game would finish 0-0, but arguably could have ended up going in the visitors' favour had Cregg managed to stay on the pitch.

2. Gervinho Up to His Old Tricks

During his days at the Emirates Stadium, Gervinho developed a reputation for the odd gaffe or two, infamously slipping up in clutch situations from time to time.

The Ivorian has gotten off to a decent start in the Italian capital since moving to Roma over the summer, but it's good to see the forward hasn't lost touch with his more wasteful side.

Fortunately, the Giallorossi beat Catania 4-0 on the day, but Gervinho offered up this sensational open goal miss against the Serie A strugglers.

1. Vincent Kompany's Defies Physics

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Manchester City's 4-2 win at Craven Cottage was a topsy-turvy affair that saw the scoreline pulled this way and that, a great deal of which was thanks to the Citizens' captain.

Having scored himself to initially help City into a 2-0 lead over Fulham, the Belgian stalwart then contributed a memorable sliced attempt at a clearance, somehow evading the grasp of Joe Hart and edging its way into Kompany's net.

Facing the other direction and with no pressure to be seen, it's remarkable that Kompany was able to even pull off the feat inside the normal realms of science, but the goal served as but another reminder of how City's stopper defies the natural laws of the game.