Erik Lamela made it look easy. But anyone hoping to emulate the Argentina forward’s brilliant rabona in Tottenham’s Europa League win on Thursday had better start practising.
That’s according to Danny McGhee, a former player for Wolves and West Brom who established his company Global Freestyle in 2008. Based in Birmingham, their recent credits include appearances in a new Pepsi advert and another for River Island.
Lamela is no stranger to the rabona having been captured performing the skill with similar aplomb during his days in River Plate’s youth team. And with wannabes around the globe set to dust down their boots and head down to the park this weekend to try and copy him, McGhee takes us through the three steps to achieving perfection.
Step one - the plant
“The rabona is usually done as a pass or a shot so to see Lamela score from so far out was something really special,” he begins.
“First, you need to plant your weaker foot on the ground next to the ball and it’s vital that it is in a stable position. This requires great core strength to generate enough power when you eventually lean around.”
Step two - the kick
“For the next stage, you need to be leaning back and have your arms stretched out for balance.
“When you bring your kicking foot behind the ankle you are trying to provide as much backlift as possible. Try to connect with the ball at the bottom to provide the elevation. It’s important that you complete this in a smooth action.”
Step three - the follow-through
“This is probably the most crucial part. It’s very hard to follow through properly like you would with a normal shot because obviously the other leg is in the way. Once you make contact, it’s possible that the standing leg also leaves the ground at the same time in order to generate enough power.
“It’s a really difficult technique but if you practise enough then you can make progress. Lamela has obviously been doing it for a long time because he made it look easy. But the most impressive thing for me was his speed of thought - most players would have taken a touch first but it was all instinctive for him.”
