The Importance of Pre-Match Gift Exchange in Modern Football

Before a European club match the two captains meet the referee in the centre circle, shake hands, and swap a small triangular flag. It takes eight seconds, the cameras usually cut away from it, and almost nobody watching could say what happens to the flags afterwards. It is still there every week, and it is worth knowing why.

Football is a sport that requires immense teamwork and coordination, with the team captain playing a crucial role in leading and inspiring their team.

As the leaders of their respective teams, football captains are responsible for making decisions, communicating with their team members, and representing their team in front of the opposition.

However, one particular tradition that is followed by football captains is the exchange of a pre-match gift or token of respect. This article traces the history and significance of this ritual and what football captains exchange before a match.

The History of Pre-Match Gift Exchange

The tradition of pre-match gift exchange among football captains has been in practice for more than a century. Nobody has pinned down when it started. It is older than the television coverage that usually cuts away from it, and it arrived with the club competitions rather than being invented for them.

The Significance of Pre-Match Gift Exchange

The pre-match gift exchange is more than just a formality. It is a way for team captains to show their respect and admiration for their opponents. This ritual helps to promote sportsmanship, fair play, and camaraderie among football players.

By exchanging gifts, football captains acknowledge the hard work and dedication of their opponents, which in turn helps to build a positive atmosphere on the field.

Types of Gifts Exchanged by Football Captains

Over the years, football captains have exchanged a wide range of gifts before a match. Here are some of the most common types of gifts that are exchanged:

• Jerseys – Shirts are the exception rather than the rule, and they change hands after the whistle rather than before it, between individual players instead of captains.
• Coins– Another popular gift exchanged by football captains is coins. In some traditions, the captain of the visiting team presents a coin to the home team captain, who then flips it to determine which team gets to choose their side of the field.
• Handshakes – Handshakes are a simple yet powerful way for football captains to show their respect and sportsmanship. It is a way for players to acknowledge each other’s skills and hard work.
• Pennants – Pennants are small triangular flags that are often exchanged by football captains. They are a symbol of friendship and respect and are usually displayed in the team’s locker room.
• Scarves – Scarves are another popular gift exchanged by football captains, especially in colder climates. They are a practical and stylish way to show appreciation for their opponents.
• Others – Apart from the gifts mentioned above, football captains have also exchanged other items such as bottles of wine, trophies, and even mascots.

The Evolution of Pre-Match Gift Exchange

As football has evolved over the years, so has the tradition of pre-match gift exchange. In the early days, gifts were exchanged mainly during international tours. However, as the sport became more organized, pre-match gift exchange became a regular ritual before domestic league matches as well. Today, pre-match gift exchange is a common practice in most football leagues around the world.

What actually gets exchanged

The object is a pennant, a small triangular flag carrying the club badge, usually mounted on a short pole or a cord. Clubs have them made in batches for European campaigns. They are not valuable and they are not meant to be. The point is that both captains arrive carrying one, which means both clubs prepared for the meeting.

Where the pennants end up

Most go into a club archive or a display case, and a club that has played in Europe for decades ends up with a wall of them. Read along one of those walls and you get a fixture history no trophy cabinet records, including the ties that ended badly. A pennant from a first round exit hangs the same way as one from a semi-final.

Not the same as swapping shirts

The pennant exchange is a pre-match courtesy between captains, arranged in advance and part of the walk-out. Swapping shirts is a post-match gesture between individual players, spontaneous, and it happens because one of them wants the other's shirt. The two get confused because both look like generosity on camera. Only one of them is protocol.

Why it survives

Almost every other piece of pre-match ceremony has been either shortened or sold. The pennant exchange has no sponsor, takes no extra time and produces no usable footage, which is probably exactly why nobody has bothered to remove it. It is one of the few remaining parts of a match built for the people on the pitch rather than the broadcast.