Controversy hit Brazilian soccer recently after Atletico Mineiro striker Edmilson ate a carrot while celebrating a goal. His gesture was seen as provocative by supporters and players of rival team America-Belo Horizonte, who are nicknamed the rabbits. One America player was sent off for a vicious tackle on Edmilson in the second half in an apparent reprisal.

Edmilson pulled the carrot from his shorts, ran to the crowd and began eating it after scoring the opening goal in Atletico's 2-0 win in a Brazilian championship derby on Sunday.

"I didn't want to offend anyone with the joke. It was just to liven up the derby," Edmilson told the sports daily Lance, adding that he kept the carrot in his shorts from the start of the game until he scored in the 20th minute. "Did I find it revolting to eat it? Of course not. I don't find my own body revolting."

The referee didn't find it very appetising. He said: "But what most amazes me was the taste the carrot must have had. All sweaty and kept in his shorts. The Atletico player clearly has a lot of courage and desire to make the fans happy."

A wave of choreographed moves to mark a goal swept the Brazilian game several years ago while the telephone celebration, in which the goalscorer runs to the public phone behind the goal at the Maracana Stadium and pretends to make a call, has also become popular. Still, do any of them match Ian Wright after the De Canio v Alcock controversy.