Haaland, Acerbi and the art of the shirt swap

When Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi jokingly asked Manchester City prima Erling Haaland for 2 shirts aft Wednesday night's Champions League match, he whitethorn person been pushing his luck.

Shirt swapping has agelong been a contented successful football, however, pinch galore players taking awesome pridefulness successful nan awesome collections they are capable to build.

Some shirts are, naturally, successful much request than others, pinch 1 squad moreover travelling to matches pinch respective bags afloat to manus retired connected behalf of their prima player.

But what precisely do players do pinch nan shirts they acquire? And are each treated arsenic erstwhile nan exchanges are carried retired successful beforehand of nan cameras?

Many players person shared their proud postulation of shot shirts connected societal media, pinch full rooms dedicated to showcasing nan astir revered.

Lionel Messi, nary alien to garment switch demands arsenic arguably nan top subordinate of each time, posted a photograph of his postulation which showed shirts covering nan walls - arsenic good arsenic being encased successful solid some successful nan ceiling and floor.

Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said he was "sorting done my closet" erstwhile he came crossed a star-studded selection, which includes shirts from nan likes of Messi, Andrea Pirlo and David Beckham.

Pique added he had framed nan garment he exchanged aft nan 2010 World Cup final, successful which his Spain broadside hit nan Netherlands, from Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

But nan grant for nan astir awesome of each collections surely goes to Italy head Luciano Spalletti.

After guiding Inter Milan backmost to Europe's elite nine title successful 2019, Spalletti shared his postulation of "names from nan Champions League", immaculately folded to show nan names of countless giants of nan game.

Some players must woody pinch acold greater request for their garment than others.

Messi knows this arsenic good arsenic anybody, but nan Argentina prima has developed systems for coping pinch that during his illustrious career.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez told Prime Sport that Argentina's nationalist squad kitman prepares 650 Messi shirts for each 2 games, to beryllium distributed betwixt players, staff, sponsors and moreover managers astir matchdays.

It pays to person a friend connected nan inside. Martinez is often inundated pinch requests for Messi shirts and, astatine nan 2022 World Cup, he softened nan rustle of Poland's conclusion by Argentina for Aston Villa team-mate Matty Cash by gifting him pinch one.

But it's not conscionable each astir nan biggest names. Wayne Rooney admitted that his arrogance while playing meant he would ne'er inquire for a garment from an opponent; however, he would ever respect immoderate subordinate who asked for his.

And so, while he does not person a garment from nan likes of Zinedine Zidane, nan erstwhile England and Manchester United prima does person an Andorra garment from Ildefons Lima - who was delighted to observe Rooney had kept it.

"I ever respected immoderate subordinate who came up and asked for my shirt," Rooney told BBC 5 Live earlier this year.

"I've seen players wherever they conscionable propulsion it into nan kit and aren't interested, whereas I'd ever show respect and return it location and support nan shirt."

The contented of garment swapping is said to person started erstwhile France, aft defeating England, asked to speech pinch their opponents to retrieve nan 1931 win.

One of nan astir celebrated exchanges successful history came successful 1970, erstwhile Brazil icon Pele and England awesome Bobby Moore exchanged shirts pursuing nan World Cup group lucifer betwixt nan 2 nations successful Mexico.

Today's garment collections are a root of admiration and pridefulness for many. With retro shot shirts seemingly arsenic celebrated arsenic ever, it is simply a contented improbable to dice out.

But 1 definite no-no to aboveground successful much caller years is nan half-time garment swap.

Mario Balotelli was rebuked by Liverpool aft swapping shirts pinch Real Madrid's Pepe arsenic his broadside trailed 3-0 astatine half-time successful 2014, while successful 2016 Eden Hazard was jeered by Chelsea fans for a akin speech pinch Paris St-Germain winger Angel di Maria.

During past year's Champions League campaign, Haaland was asked to switch shirts astatine half-time by Young Boys skipper Mohamed Ali Camara, whose head said aft nan 3-0 nonaccomplishment he would "have a connection pinch him".

Former Manchester United leader Alex Ferguson was besides little than impressed erstwhile striker Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to nan dressing room pinch a Manchester City garment pursuing a 3-1 nonaccomplishment to their bitter rivals.

It's not each astir building collections either.

Former England midfielder Steve Hodge made £7.14m from trading Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt from nan 1986 World Cup quarter-final astatine auction successful 2022.

Meanwhile, a garment said to beryllium Phil Foden's from England's Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine, fixed to goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan, was precocious listed connected eBay for £2,999.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said of his collection: "My kids person sewage immoderate of them, but I've sewage my favourite garment framed, which is Henrik Larsson's garment erstwhile he came backmost to Celtic pinch Barcelona.

"I ne'er utilized to for illustration swapping shirts if we had lost. I was ne'er 1 of those players who would inquire personification for a garment astatine half-time, either.

"So I wasn't that bothered astir doing it, though I person changed my position now I've stopped playing.

"I wished I'd been much forthcoming astir doing it aft seeing really Steve Hodge sewage connected pinch Diego Maradona's garment but, being serious, they are bully things to person erstwhile you look backmost connected your career."