Donning a mask causes controversy for Raul Jimenez

The Mexican striker unintentionally caused a bit of controversy while celebrating his goal in the English FA Cup semifinal against Watford.

Just days after signing a big new contract with English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, Raul Jimenez and his mates took the field at Wembley Stadium to play an FA Cup semifinal match.

The euphoria of the signing came less than a month after Jimenez’s big game against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals in which he scored the opener in Wolves’ 2-1 upset victory.

Just days after the April 4 transfer announcement (more on that below), controversy and heartbreak would dampen the happy feelings around the club as the Wolves squandered a 2-0 lead in the semifinal and lost 3-2 to Watford in overtime.

Raul scored his team’s second goal with less than a half hour remaining, and it looked like the clincher. Perhaps caught up in the moment, Jimenez chose to don a Mexican wrestling mask gifted to him by famous wrestler Sin Cara.

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Masks have risen to become an unusual method of celebrating a goal for football players, most notably Pierre Emerick Aubamayang of Arsenal who recently donned a Wakanda mask from the movie Black Panther. Jimenez also celebrated a few goals with Benfica by putting on a wrestling mask.

For Jimenez though, the mask had various levels of meaning. It wasn’t just a way to celebrate an important goal, although there was obviously an element of that. Wrestling and wrestlers hold special significance in Mexico and people revere their favorite wrestlers. It is very much a part of their culture in a way that western Europeans might not entirely understand.

Also, we must remember that just days prior, Raul had made arguably the most important move in his career to date, joining a club where he is appreciated and valued on a permanent contract (he is on loan to Wolves from Benfica this season). A club where he has proven himself and a club that broke their transfer record in order to keep him.

We must remember the emotional value of all that. Jimenez was thanking the fans, the club and his teammates for their support and belief in him, in a very Mexican way. The mask was in effect saying “I am Mexican, I am a loyal member of the Wolves family” more than it was a simple goal celebration.

Unfortunately for Jimenez and Wolves they lost the game and his actions were heavily criticized by pundits and Watford forward Troy Deeney, in particular.

Notoriously quick to criticize opposing clubs and call out opponents, Deeney famously suggested that Arsenal Football Club lacked “cojones” on live television.

True to form, Deeney called Jimenez a loser for celebrating in such a way before the game was won, although he did make clear that he respects Jimenez’s abilities.

For a professional player to say such negative things is hugely unfair though, even if you have heard the things he has said in the past. He clearly didn’t understand, or chose to ignore, the emotional and more far reaching reasons for the celebration. Instead, Deeney chose to take the opportunity to kick an opponent while he was down.

For a player who has had very little success in his professional career it is difficult to touch on what exactly makes Troy Deeney feel he has to right to criticize other players so harshly in public.

For now though we can lament a missed opportunity for Wolves’ and Jimenez to lift a prestigious club trophy in his debut season in England and in Wolves’ first season back in the Premier League in years.

However we must remember that Wolves’ currently sit in a potential European spot and have had a brilliant season whereas Deeney’s Watford will find themselves on the lower end of the table come May.

So back to the big new contract. Wolves management announced on April 4 that they signed Jimenez to a permanent, 4-year deal reportedly worth 30 million pounds.

The fee broke Wolves’ transfer record and that fact alone proves his worth to the team and the reaction to the news demonstrates how much he is respected by his teammates and loved by their fans.

Jimenez has 12 league goals so far in his debut season in England as well as a handful of assists, showing that he is more than a scorer. Raul is very much a team player who loves to be included in offensive build-up and does everything he can to help his club succeed by supplying them with goals.