Chelsea stars received FA complaint for wild superstition that involved urinals

Former Chelsea captain John Terry had a bizarre superstition involving urinals that once drew an FA complaint.

The Blues' remarkable success over the past two decades has often been credited to Roman Abramovich's financial backing, the hiring of top-tier managers, and the signing of elite players. Yet, a former iconic skipper suggests another, more unusual factor played a role in propelling Chelsea into the upper echelons of European football: a certain pre-match ritual.

Terry, who captained Chelsea through all five of their Premier League triumphs, disclosed the peculiar habit that almost got the club into trouble with the FA. In 2016, just before his poignant farewell from Stamford Bridge, Terry confessed: "I am very superstitious and, for me, if we win a game, then I add it on to my next superstition."

He recalled the 2014/15 season under Jose Mourinho's second tenure, which saw Mourinho clinch his third league title with Chelsea, revealing: "Last season, as you can imagine, it built up to quite a lot. Me and Frank (Lampard) started it a long time ago; in the Chelsea dressing room we have three urinals and me and Lamps started weeing in one."

"We won the game and, for me, that was it, the next week there was a queue of me, Frank and Ash. The next week there were four of us, and the week after there were five. And even now, up until today, you have Cesar Azpilicueta and Cesc Fabregas, we are all there in one big queue."

Unbeknownst to them, the club was soon contacted by authorities concerned about Chelsea players repeatedly entering the pitch later than scheduled. Now 43, Terry confesses he was too humiliated to divulge the real reason.

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With an amused recollection, Terry went on: "A few months ago, the club secretary said to me, 'We have had a few calls from the FA complaining because we have been going out late'. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was because we were all waiting to go for a wee."

Looking at the current situation, Mauricio Pochettino's lads might do well to take a page from this pre-match ritual, as the club hasn't secured a league title since Terry's final season. But this unusual urination-focused practice isn't unique to Terry and his former teammates.

In the infamous 1990 World Cup match in Italy, Argentina's goalkeeper, Sergio Goycochea, had no time to make it to the restroom before his team's penalty shootout against Yugoslavia and took the liberty to relieve himself on the field instead. Subsequently, he emerged as the hero, helping his side advance to the semi-finals.

The two teams met once more in the semi-final, with the game again going to a penalty shootout. Goycochea decided to repeat his grass-watering ritual, and it proved successful as Argentina emerged victorious.

The goalkeeper later revealed: "From that moment on, I did it before every shoot-out. It was my lucky charm."