Why Does A Footballer Shut His Mouth While Talking On The Field?

Paul Pogba and Riyadh Mahrez shut their mouths while speaking in the field (Twitter @premierleague)

JAKARTA - We may often see footballers who often shut their mouths when talking on the field. What is the reason they do that? Not for fear of bad breath, right?

It was not. Covering your mouth is used as a tactic in many sports, especially tennis and badminton. But football players use it in a much wider context.

Reporting from various sources, there are various reasons why a footballer closes his mouth when speaking. First, so that the opponent does not understand a single word of the strategy under discussion.

Second, to avoid cameras so that the media do not juggle the syllables that come out of the footballer's mouth in an arbitrary manner. For example, when Wayne Rooney says "bad luck" and the media understands "fat f ***". Yes, you never know what will happen if you don't keep your mouth shut.

Third, shutting your mouth while talking limits your voice from those around you. This makes people who are some distance away from us unable to hear what is being said. In addition, talking to the referee becomes easier because the referee can understand and keep your perspective on the intended action a secret.

Renowned public relations consultant Phil Hall, who has worked with clubs including Manchester City, West Ham and Crystal Palace and a number of other big names in the Premier League said no one was advised to keep quiet to protect the team's vital plans.

"A player once told me one of the main reasons they do it is, sometimes you do it when you are close to someone, it amplifies your voice so they can hear you," explained Hall, reported the Daily Mail.

"There are a lot of voices around them in the stadium and on the pitch, they need to amplify the sound. In a noisy location, when you speak normally the sound spreads.

"If you put your hand in your mouth and point it at the person you are talking to it is much clearer."

Not Shutting Your Mouth Can Be Punished

Speaking of cameras that can capture the words that footballers say, we must further remember the events in the 2010-2011 Champions League. At that time Real Madrid faced Ajax Amsterdam in the group stage.

Los Blancos coach at that time, Jose Mourinho was caught on camera telling Madrid's second goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to give a message behind goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The two of them were seen talking. Shortly thereafter, Casillas had conversations with Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso.

Ramos and Alonso were then sent off by referee Craig Thomson for stalling for time before the game ended. UEFA conducted an investigation into this case. They considered Mourinho deliberately instructed Ramos and Alonso to stall for time and was sent off by the referee. The coach wanted Alonso and Ramos to be more fit in the last 16 after Madrid won Group G. Both their goalkeepers, Casillas and Dudek, were also judged guilty.

Move back again. Do you still remember the case of Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final? At that time, Zidane gore Materazzi's chest, who had previously provoked him. Do you know the words that Materazzi rebelled?

A number of media outlets, some time after the incident, hired lip-reader experts. BBC radio and the British daily The Times hired Jessica Rees, a certified professional forensic lip reader from Cardiff University.

The woman, who was then 36 years old, could read people's lips in several languages just by looking at the video recording. In revealing the words spoken by the Matrix - the nickname Materazzi, Rees called the Italian defender calling Zidane a "dirty terrorist". Matrix also added the word 'viffanculo' after his words. In English, the word can mean 'f *** off'. Zidane, who has played in the Italian League with Juventus, certainly understands the word.

Meanwhile, another lip-reader, Marianne Frere disclosed more or less the same results to The Sun. Meanwhile, lip-reader hired by Globo Brasil television revealed Materazzi called Zidane's sister a prostitute.

Regardless of whether what Materazzi said - and not intended to support the Matrix's actions against Zizou - keeping his mouth shut when talking on the pitch is the best choice for footballers. However, when emotions run high, who remembers to shut up?