SOCCER
Santiago Giménez reveals the secret of his goal-scoring form with Feyenoord
The Mexican striker has lit up the Eredivisie this season and believes that a small patch of tape on his nose is helping him perform.
Santiago Giménez is top of the Eredivisie scoring charts after recording ten goals in seven appearances for Feyenoord this season.
The Mexican forward has impressed since making the move to the Netherlands, scoring 23 goals in his debut season as Feyenoord lifted the Dutch title.
He has taken his goal-scoring to even greater heights this year, potentially aided by a new on-field accessory. The 22-year-old has started wearing a nasal patch, which looks like a small plaster, to help his breathing.
In an interview with NOS, the former Cruz Azul striker said that it had helped him to perform on the pitch.
“I’m working on my breathing,” Giménez explained. “The person who helps me with this gave me this patch and it is really fantastic.”
“I have a little problem with my nose, but with the patch my nasal cavity opens and I breathe much better,” he added.
Why does Santiago Giménez wear a plaster on his nose?
Giménez scored a hat-trick last week as Feyernoord put rivals Ajax to the sword with a 4-0 thrashing. He followed that up with another goal against Go Ahead Eagles and is currently attracting the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.
He may also have caught the eye of other players, who might look to copy the nasal patch. In the course of the interview Giménez revealed that it was Feyenoord teammate Gernot Trauner who first suggested that he tries the plaster.
Trauner has subsequently explained: “Once I was a little sick and had difficulty breathing through my nose. So our physical therapist came up with the idea of that little patch and it worked wonderfully.
“Since then I have used it in every game, but maybe it is also a superstition,” the Austrian defender said.
Giménez has become a key player for the Dutch champions but will not be available for this week’s Champions League tie against Atlético Madrid. The Mexican will serve the final game of his two-match suspension after being sent off in last year’s competition.