A potentially watershed act has been passed allowing the grandmothers of misfiring strikers to publicly defend their profligate grandchildren.

The shock legal precedent was inadvertently set when Radamel Falcao’s nan hit out at Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho for making her nice, polite grandson hardly score for ages.

Speaking exclusively to Football Burp, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice explained that Señora Falcao had made a strong case for her grandson and that similar channels of self-defence will now be opened up to other out-of-form front men.

He said: “There’s no one quite like grandma, as they say, and that’s why we’re inviting oddly subdued hit men to have their granny stick up for them to an international audience.

“It’s often overlooked just how many different factors can contribute to a goal-scoring drought of, ooh, let’s say 10 games, and who better than your nan to calmly make it understood to the press that their constant badgering isn’t at all welcome?

“Mind you, Falcao’s grandma might just be miffed that she’s not getting a game ahead of him at present. Chortle!

“Well, you know, a place on the bench anyway.”