What are the new celebrations of this season?

New jerseys, new coaches and new celebrations. The first official matches of the 2024/25 season immediately showcased many differences compared to previous years, including in terms of celebrations. On one hand, we have those like Kylian Mbappé who remained faithful to the script: for his first brace in a Real Madrid jersey against Betis, the French striker performed the classic slide on his knees and then a powerful jump, accompanied by hands under his armpits. And then there are those who decided to change their celebrations, inspired by current trends, great loves, or new passions.

Nicolas Jackson - Yusuf Dikec

It was only a matter of time, we knew it right away. The question was not if it would happen, but when and by whom. We are talking about the most famous pose of the Olympics, that of Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish shooter who won the silver medal in the mixed team air pistol event at 10 meters in Paris. The iconic image of him with the gun pointed and his hand in his pocket, as if he were doing the most natural thing in the world, quickly became a meme on all platforms.

And now, that image has finally made its way onto the fields of the Premier League, thanks to Nicolas Jackson. The Chelsea forward celebrated in this way after scoring against Crystal Palace. It was a simple goal, a tap-in from a Cole Palmer assist at the end of a beautiful counterattack, but it went viral on social media because of the way Jackson celebrated: running towards the corner flag, close-up shot, staring into the camera, and pointing his gun at the target.

Dani Olmo - Dame Time

As much as the NBA is a constantly growing phenomenon, there is one aspect in which it can be said to have worsened even compared to just a decade ago: the lack of nicknames. The days of The Truth, The Answer, Diesel, Vincredible are gone. With the exception of a few isolated cases, such as The Greek Freak for Giannis Antetokoumpo, today's NBA stars mostly use their first names as nicknames: Lebron, Luka, Steph, and so on. But one player has managed to overcome this obstacle: Damian Lillard and his Dame Time, the name given to his celebration after scoring a decisive basket in the final seconds of a game.

The same gesture has been repeated by Dani Olmo. The new Barcelona player had a difficult start, as the club couldn't register him due to financial problems. But once he got on the field, he immediately made an impact: scoring on his debut against Rayo Vallecano and scoring again in the following game against Valladolid. And on both occasions, Olmo celebrated by pointing at his wrist, as if asking what time it was. And it was no coincidence, as Olmo himself confirmed after the game against Rayo Vallecano: "Lillard is an NBA player I really like, I like his celebration, and I decided to do it."

Another star of the Premier League this season has been Amadou Onana, who has already scored two goals for Aston Villa, celebrating with a gesture similar to that of Lillard and Olmo. The Belgian midfielder pointed to his wrist, as if to symbolize - as he explained in a video for the Premier League - that his time to shine has come. Will this be the year of his breakthrough?

Mohamed Salah - Israel Adesanya

The connection between football and UFC in recent years has mostly been represented by the relationships cultivated over time by Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian fighter is a fan of Real Madrid and also became friends with Cristiano Ronaldo for this reason. But there is a new chapter in this relationship between football and UFC, and the surprising aspect is the character involved: Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian forward started the new season just as he ended the previous ones, scoring goal after goal. But the novelty is represented by his celebration.

Since his first goal of the season, scored against Ipswich Town, Salah has celebrated by putting his hand behind his back, mimicking the gesture of collecting an imaginary arrow and then shooting it. When asked about it, Salah confessed his inspiration: "I was watching the UFC, Alex Pereira against Israel Adesanya. When Adesanya won the second fight against Pereira, he celebrated in this way. I liked it, and that's why I do it."