Football: A-League 'false panenka' sparks worldwide debate

Éric Bauthéac bizarre A-League penalty. Photo / Twitter

A bizarre A-League goal has sparked worldwide debate over whether is was an act of brilliant skill or just a beautiful mistake.

Eric Bautheac's finished a second-half penalty in style when he gently kicked the ball, bamboozling United keeper Paul Izzo.

As the ball slowly trickled its way into the goal while Izzo misjudged its direction, many fans were left confused as to whether it was a failed "panenka".

The incredible highlight has since gone viral after ESPN shared it to its SportsCentre Twitter page which has more than 35 million followers.

This. Is. Amazing.

A penalty stroked in like you've never seen before! 😮🙌

The sheer audacity! 😎 pic.twitter.com/YAGNADF6DD

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 25, 2019

The KING DADDY of all Paneka Penalties! Keeper has been absolutely done there 👑✨ pic.twitter.com/EJTRqVpCdV

— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) April 25, 2019

The luckiest Panenka penalty ever? 😅 pic.twitter.com/tkqpP7xyah

— football.london (@Football_LDN) April 25, 2019

This is an attempted Panenka which doesn't come off, but does... I think https://t.co/L6H5qhk5mH

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) April 25, 2019

Éric Bauthéac claims via Instagram DM that he meant for his penalty to come out like that. (📸 @pseuman) pic.twitter.com/q0hZWLHnye

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) April 25, 2019

Making headlines worldwide, the penalty has even split news outlets.

The Sun described it as "magnificently cheeky," while UK site Give Me Sport labelled it as a "beautiful accident".

Sport Bible dubbed it the first ever 'false Panenka' debating whether Bautheac actually meant for it to land the way it did.

"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."