Incredible scenes occurred in Switzerland as former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gael Clichy netted from the halfway line less than 10 minutes into FC Servette’s 5-0 thrashing of SC Sion.
The game saw second in the table Servette take on bottom of the league Sion in the Swiss top flight, with Clichy’s side looking to confirm their spot in the Champions League qualification rounds for next season.
They flew out of the blocks, scoring twice in the first 8 minutes before the left-back took centre stage.
Winning the ball in midfield, the Frenchman took the ball into the centre-circle before launching an effort from the halfway line, having spotted the goalkeeper off his line.
L’incroyable but de @Gaelclichy22 du milieu de terrain face au @FCSion 🤯 🚀
📺Le résumé du carton servettien lors du #DerbyDuRhône est à retrouver ici 👉https://t.co/UQ0voym2L1#NotreVilleNotreClub pic.twitter.com/XivSXCAx3p
— Servette FC (@ServetteFC) May 13, 2023
And, speaking after the game, the former Arsenal man revealed that he had been handed the information on the goalkeeper’s outrageous starting position via an Instagram DM by a fan.
Quizzed on his wondergoal, he explained that “I received a message on Instagram from a Servette fan, who told me that the goalkeeper never thinks about his position”, which inspired his effort.
Règle numéro 1 : Toujours écouter ses fans 😉
La belle histoire derrière le magnifique but de Gaël Clichy hier ⤵️ https://t.co/M2loAJCg5w pic.twitter.com/NyGwZ8UlX5
— Servette FC (@ServetteFC) May 14, 2023
Clichy, now 37 years old, is fondly remembered in both north London, where he made 264 appearances, as well as at the Etihad, where he racked up a further 200 appearances for Manchester City.
During his time in the Premier League, he lifted three Premier League trophies, as well as an FA Cup and two League Cups in a glittering career.
