'Pure disrespect': A-League star's freak moment sparks global debate

A bizarre moment in Brisbane Roar’s clash Adelaide has gone global, but there’s some debate about what actually happened.

French winger Eric Bautheac sent the football world into a frenzy on Thursday night when he produced an audacious version of a Panenka penalty.

Bautheac made opposite goalkeeper Paul Izzo look silly when he ran up to the ball and dribbled it straight along the ground and into the net.

Izzo was left to simply watch the ball roll past him as Bautheac celebrated.

The freak moment immediately went global, with sports sites around the world featuring it.

However it’s caused some debate about whether Bautheac meant what he produced or if it was a Panenka gone wrong.

A traditional Panenka is usually chipped into the back of the net, rather than dribbled straight along the ground.

UK site Sport Bible hailed it the very first “false Panenka”.

“It takes a lot guts to take a Panenka penalty because if you mess it up then it you get completely embarrassed but Éric Bauthéac has proved the exception to the rule by scoring despite seemingly messing up his Panenka,” they wrote.

“That’s either the best penalty ever taken or the best miss-hit and, whilst I’d like to believe it’s the former, it definitely feels like it’s the miss-hit.”

The Sun called it an “outrageous rolling Panenka”, while The42 in Ireland described it as “magnificently cheeky.”

It also went viral in Bautheac’s native France, while UK site Give Me Sport said it was “likely a beautiful accident.”

“The way Bautheac reacted immediately after he struck the ball hints that he didn’t intend to hit it in that manner,” they wrote.

“Regardless, the ball still went in the net and he will not complain with the final result.”

Here’s how social media reacted: