Football quiz: nicknames from around the world

Which club is this eagle supporting? Photograph: Reuters File Photo/Reuters

1. Where in Europe would you find the Anchovies, the Mattress Makers, the Clockwork Cheese and the Cucumber Growers?

   1. Germany

   2. Spain

   3. Netherlands

   4. Russia

2. What is the not entirely intimidating nickname given to Benin's national side?

   1. The Crickets

   2. The Sparrows

   3. The Squirrels

   4. The Turtles

3. Where in the world can you see The Lepers take on The Rat-Stabbers?

   1. Brazil

   2. Mexico

   3. Argentina

   4. South Africa

4. The South African women's team are known as Banyana Banyana, which loosely translates to ...

   1. Champions, champions

   2. Africa, Africa

   3. The girls, the girls

   4. Here we go, here we go

5. In which major European league might you see The Carnival Club take on The Moody Diva?

   1. Bundesliga

   2. La Liga

   3. Ligue 1

   4. Serie A

6. What is the culinary nickname of Russian giants Spartak Moscow?

   1. The cooks

   2. The flavour

   3. The soup

   4. The meat

7. The nickname of MLS side Houston Dynamo recalls which REM song?

   1. Shiny Happy People

   2. Orange Crush

   3. Man on the Moon

   4. Nightswimming

8. Which European Championship winners were nicknamed 'The Pirate Ship'?

   1. USSR 1960

   2. Czechoslovakia 1976

   3. Denmark 1992

   4. Greece 2004

9. The Mastiffs and the Flying Donkeys contest the derby in which European city?

   1. Valencia

   2. Verona

   3. Vienna

   4. Volgograd

10. Swedish club AIK are known as Gnaget, or The Rodents. Where did they get the nickname?

    1. A title-winning side filled with diminutive, tough-tackling players

    2. An infestation that led to a Uefa Cup game being postponed

    3. The team's black, occasionally dark grey uniforms

    4. The club was formed by players who defected from a struggling rival

11. Which European Cup-winning side are known as "the sons of the gods"?

    1. Ajax

    2. Benfica

    3. Celtic

    4. Steaua Bucharest

12. Finally, in which city would you find the Canaries, the Black Eagles, the Owls, the Apaches and the Victors of Europe?

    1. Athens

    2. Cairo

    3. Istanbul

    4. Rio de Janeiro

Solutions

1:B - Los Boquerones (Málaga), Los Colchoneros (Atlético Madrid), Queso Mecánico (Albacete) and Los Pepineros (Leganés)., 2:C - The Benin FA considered changing the nickname before the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but decided to stick with it. Striker Steve Mounié approved: "We are squirrels, and squirrels are strong.", 3:C - Newell's Old Boys are named the Lepers after playing in a charity match for a leprosy clinic in the 1920s. Estudiantes got their rather graphic nickname from a fan who carried out pest control around the ground., 4:C - The men's team are nicknamed Bifana Bifana (the boys, the boys)., 5:A - You would be watching Mainz v Eintracht Frankfurt., 6:D - The club's "Myaso" nickname can be traced back to their Soviet affiliation with a food workers' union., 7:B - The two-time MLS Cup champions play in orange shirts., 8:D - The opening ceremony before Portugal played Greece in Lisbon featured a giant pirate ship, inspiring one Greek TV commentator to "become pirates and steal the victory". They ended up plundering the trophy., 9:B - Upstarts Chievo took their nickname from an insult aimed at them by fans of rival club Hellas Verona., 10:C - The Stockholm club have belied their lowly nickname to win 12 Swedish titles., 11:A - Named after the mythical Greek warrior, Amsterdam's finest are known as "de Godenzonen" by their fans., 12:C - Fenerbahce, Besiktas, Basaksehir, Kasimpasa and Galatasaray.

Scores

1. 9 and above.

   Back of the net!

2. 5 and above.

   A decent effort

3. 0 and above.

   Better luck next time