We've all done it. We've all tried to get out of something with a pretty poor excuse and managed to get away with it somehow, whether it be at school, at work or with your local Sunday league side.
From those awful hangovers that have been portrayed as an incurable illness to get out of that Monday morning at work, to that old classic of 'the dog ate my homework', which has worked far too many times.
However, the last person you would expect to use an excuse that even the least diligent of people could sniff out would be a footballer. But not just any footballer - arguably the best player in the world right now.
That's right. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has been found guilty of producing an unbelievably weak reason as to why he won't be available for the club's La Liga fixture against Espanyol - he had a sore throat (as quoted viaTheSportsBible).
You heard that correctly. The world's greatest player, as well as one of the highest earning sportspeople of all time, is staying at home because of a slightly strained larynx, and fans on Twitter have not taken this piece of news lightly:
Ronaldo missing the Madrid game with a sore throat?🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/nejL9CIdEV
Ronaldo out with a sore throat. Shouting at Bale to pass it to him has finally taken its toll.
Ronaldo isn't playing tomorrow because of a sore throat?? 😂😂😂 lad is more of a tart than I thought. Grow a pair you soft sod
As if Ronaldo is missing Real ps game with a sore throat 😒 pic.twitter.com/bcWZYmD3P9
Ronaldo is missing the Real Madrid match because of a sore throat. Probably should stop screaming "SUUUUUU" after every goal. Sounds idiotic
How in the world does a sore throat stop players from playing, its not like Ronaldo communicates on the pitch anyway https://t.co/7L772IBoj8