Four of the biggest ‘curses’ in football as Harry Kane's trophyless woes continue

4 months ago 12

Harry Kane’s trophyless woes stole the spotlights again as England lost in the final of the UEFA Euro against Spain
The Bayern Munich and England forward is yet to taste title glory throughout his 13-year-long professional career
Legit.ng looks at some of football's biggest 'curses' as the 30-year-old striker aims to end his lingering title woes

Football can be an unpredictable sport, where even hard work and consistency do not always guarantee the desired results.

Yes, you read that right—sometimes hard work and consistency aren't enough. The truth is that luck can play a significant role in achieving success in football.

Often, players find themselves thrust into the spotlight due to an injury to a key teammate and ride this stroke of fortune to win major titles, even with limited participation.

A recent example is young Argentine midfielder Nico Paz.

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According to Goal.com, the Real Madrid B team star was included in the first-team setup for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign after Carlo Ancelotti’s side faced significant injury issues mid-season. Originally scheduled to play in the UEFA Youth League, Paz ended the season with a UCL winners’ medal.

While life appears to be smiling on Paz, the same cannot be said for Harry Kane. Despite his impeccable goal-scoring prowess and transfers to top clubs across Europe, Kane has yet to taste a title.

Many assumed the English forward’s title drought would end with his summer transfer to Bayern Munich. However, surprisingly, the Bundesliga club, even with Kane firing on all cylinders, experienced their first trophyless season in over a decade.

Kane’s woes were further compounded when he lost a second consecutive UEFA Euro final with the national team.

These seemingly endless misfortunes have led many to speculate that the mercurial forward might be under a 'curse.'

In light of this, Legit.ng highlights some of football’s biggest curses as Kane aims to break his trophy drought someday.

Football's biggest curses

Australia’s World Cup curse

Australia's national football team reportedly sought the help of a witch doctor to beat Zimbabwe and qualify for the 1970 World Cup.

The witch doctor allegedly buried bones near the goalposts, and his 'charm' appeared to work as Australia won 3-1. However, things turned sour when the players failed to pay the witch doctor, who supposedly placed a curse on the Socceroos in retaliation.

Following this incident, Australia lost their next game against Israel and failed to qualify for the World Cup. Although they made it to the 1974 edition, they did not score a single goal and subsequently failed to qualify for the tournament until 2006.

In a bid to lift the curse, media personality John Safran travelled to Mozambique in 2004, where he enlisted another witch doctor to reverse the original curse, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Racing and the black cats

If you thought these 'curses' were bizarre, think again. In 1967, Racing Club, one of Argentina's most successful teams, was reportedly 'cursed' after fans of rival club Independiente buried seven black cats at their home stadium.

Racing struggled to replicate their past successes, even facing relegation in 1983. Despite discovering six of the seven cats over the years, the curse seemed to linger, leading to the club's bankruptcy in 1988.

In 1989, a priest performed an exorcism at the stadium, but this did not resolve the situation. It wasn't until 2001, under new manager Reinaldo Merlo, that a thorough search finally unearthed the last cat. Within months of finding all the cats, Racing won their first title since 1966.

Benfica and Bela Guttmann

In 1959, Benfica successfully lured manager, Béla Guttmann, away from their fierce rivals, Porto. Guttmann quickly settled in, leading the team to back-to-back Portuguese titles and European Cup victories, ending Real Madrid's dominance in the process.

Following his unprecedented success, Guttmann requested a pay rise. However, the club's board not only rejected his request but also fired him.

Legend has it that the legendary Hungarian cursed Benfica, declaring they would not win another European Cup for 100 years. Since then, Benfica has lost all seven European finals they have contested.

Birmingham trophyless curse

Birmingham City reportedly incurred a 'century of curses' after constructing their St. Andrews home ground on land traditionally belonging to Romani Gypsies.

During this period, misfortune seemed to haunt the club. They were relegated in their first full season at the new stadium, and their inaugural home game was delayed by an hour.

Further calamities ensued when the main stand was destroyed by fire during World War II. In the 1990s, the discovery of contaminated waste forced the club to spend nearly 25,000 euros on removal.

Throughout the 100-year span of the curse, Birmingham City failed to secure any trophies, culminating in another relegation in the final year of the purported curse. Five years after its supposed end, the Blues finally claimed their first major trophy, defeating Arsenal in the League Cup final.

While no one explicitly claims Kane is under a curse, it's a notion worth considering, given the numerous finals and titles the English forward has narrowly missed throughout his career.