Football is a contact sport, and there will always be altercations and conflicts on the field of play due to the heat of the moment; however, some players have taken it to the extremes and have become the “indaboski bahose” of football.
These football bad boys have a few things in common; a short temper, a rich history of getting sent off for dangerous play, and endless controversies.
Top 10 bad boys of football
1. Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is an Italian striker who had the world at his feet; he won the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League) in 2010 with Inter Milan; Balotelli joined Manchester City at the peak of his career, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup.
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However, if there is any player who courts controversies, no one does it better than Mario Ballotelli.
Despite his footballing abilities, super Mario has a hot head and gets into heated arguments with his coach and fellow players. The striker let off fireworks in his bathroom, threw darts at youth-team players, won a Milan shirt when he was still under contract at Inter, crashed into a women’s prison to look around, and engaged in a fight with his manager.
The forward even angered his then manager, Roberto Mancini, during a pre-season friendly when he had the goal in front but decided to try a back heel and some other tricks and lost the opportunity to score. Mancini was furious and substituted Balotelli, who, in turn, showed his anger by throwing a water bottle at his coach.
Balotelli moved to AC Milan, and later Liverpool, and back to AC Milan on loan in an attempt to revive his career, but things never remained the same again for him.
2. El Hadji Diouf
Senegalese forward, El Hadji Diouf was a star player on his day, and EPL defenders and goalkeepers can testify to the potency of his strikes.
During his time at Premier League club, Liverpool, Diouf broke an opponent’s leg and then criticized him immediately afterward. He spat at both fans and players and was also charged with assault.
The Terenga lion forward went overboard when he criticised club captain and former Liverpool teammate, Steven Gerrard; he said he respects him as a player but not as a person, adding that Gerrard was afraid to look into his eyes.
3. Luis Suarez
Uruguayan striker, Luis Suarez is a potent striker with the ball at his feet; as with his teeth in the flesh of an opposing player. Liverpool signed the forward after he left Ajax after he bit an opposition player, Otman Bakkal, in a game against PSV Eindhoven.
During his time at Anfield, the Uruguayan was well behaved for long spells and focused on banging in the goals, but as they say, bad habits die hard, and Suarez was back in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after he sunk his teeth in Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic’s arm.
He also bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, resulting in FIFA handing him a 4 months ban.
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That was not all; Ghana were on the verge of making history by becoming the first African team to progress into the semifinals of a world cup; however, they found a stumbling block in Luis Suarez.
Suarez used his hand to clear off a goal-bound header, and after Gyan missed the resulting penalty, Uruguay went on to defeat Ghana in a penalty shootout.
Suarez is well known for diving and cunning the referee to award dubious spot kicks, and his antics of diving gave him a bad reputation which made many referees not award him legitimate penalties.
4. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is a Spanish defender who rose from being a right fullback at Real Madrid to become one of the toughest centre-backs in the modern game.
The former Real Madrid captain makes the list of the bad boys of football for his aggressive nature and hard tackles on the field of play.
Ramos, who now plies his trade with French giant, PSG, holds the record for the highest number of red cards in La Liga (21) and a further 171 yellow cards, making him the most carded player in the Spanish League.
In the Champions League, Ramos still holds the record for the most yellow cards (40). Football fans in Nigeria know the defender as “Sergeant Ramos” because of his hard tackles.
5. Pepe
Brazilian-born Portuguese defender, Pepe was the right-hand man of Sergio Ramos when both players were at Real Madrid.
Although Pepe was a centre-back, Jose Mourinho didn’t hesitate to deploy him in midfield whenever someone was needed to do a dirty job.
Pepe was the ‘agent’ deployed by fellow Portuguese, Mourinho whenever he needed someone to marshall Lionel Messi whenever Barca and Madrid clashed.
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Pepe did not disappoint, as he always picked a red card numerous times for his career-ending tackles on Messi.
6. Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso was an Italian midfielder that played for AC Milan and was feared by many players. Those born in the 90s would probably remember Gattuso for his hard tackles, and his never say die attitude when it comes to preventing attacking players from advancing towards his goal post.
During a champions League game in 2008, Gattuso frustrated England and Manchester United youngster, Wayne Rooney, whom he tracked all over the field; Rooney had no meaningful impact on the game until Gattuso was substituted.
Although Gattuso is now a football coach, many of the players that were on the opposing side would never forget their encounter with the Italian maestro.
The former AC Milan midfielder took the fight to Tottenham Hotspurs’ assistant manager during a Champions League game, though Milan lost the game 0-1 at home. He gripped Joe Jordan, who was regarded as a hard man in the neck and faced him squarely.
7. Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio is a pure talent and makes this list despite being awarded the FIFA Fair Play award in 2001. However, after he lost his temper and pushed a referee, he was given an 11-match ban in 1998.
During his time at West Ham, the Italian scored a volley that many consider one of the best goals of the premier league against Wimbledon.
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His short temper led to a row with his manager Glenn Roeder, for which he was dropped, and West Ham suffered relegation in 2003. However, Di Canio carried on with his fierce and aggressive nature even into his coaching career.
8. Joey Barton
Joey Barton is notorious for causing controversies everywhere he went; Man City, Newcastle, and QPR in the Premier League clubs, and his voyage in France (Marseille) and Scotland (Rangers).
During a pre-season tournament in Thailand in 2005, Joey Barton was sent home after he assaulted a 15-year-old Everton fan; the English man was also arrested on multiple occasions for assault.
He has also been sent off for headbutting an opponent, and his poor disciplinary record hampered his career greatly.
9. Diego Costa
Love him or hate him; one thing you cannot take away from Costa is that he is a goal machine. However, one thing Costa was very good at was fighting; whether with opponents, teammates, or even his manager, Costa was always ready.
Costa stamped on Liverpool’s Emre Can while the midfielder was on the floor, and he also appeared to stamp on Martin Škrtel in the same match.
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Diego Costa accused Antonio Conte of no longer needing his services and traveled back home to Brazil before forcing through a move to Athletico Madrid.
10. Zinedine Zidane
I know Zinedine Zidane is the last player you expect to make this list, but the France 1998 world cup winner has not covered himself in glory on many occasions.
The highlight is his headbutt to Marco Materazzi during the 2006 world cup final, which resulted in the midfield magician being shown a red card.
You would be wrong to consider the Materazzi incident an isolated one; in fact, Zidane has amassed 14 red cards in his career and has a boiling temper, which he has admitted to.
He said,
“If you look at the fourteen red cards I had, twelve of them were a result of provocation. This isn’t justification, this isn’t an excuse, but my passion, temper, and blood made me react.”
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Which Coach Can Manage These Players
You have seen the list of the top 10 football bad boys, and I believe your money will be on either one of two coaches to manage this set of cynical players; Jose Mourinho or Diego Simeone of Athletico Madrid. Who would you prefer?
