Football would be boring without some fair share of controversy, however some heavyweights surpass the limits set for such escapades. Funny enough, controversial players are often outrageously talented. Mario Balotelli - The Italian prodigy who happens to trace his roots to Ghana is the SI Unit for controversy. The frequency upon which his name appears in publications - for the wrong reasons, is quite shocking. His arrogant behavior and propensity to cause chaos shadows his immense talent. Super Mario - he believes Mario Gotze, Mario Mandzukic, Mario Gomez et al are amateurs, is the poster boy for controversy! His claim to fame include; throwing darts at fellow players at Manchester City, endlessly annoying Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, spectacularly falling out with Roberto Mancini, setting his own house on fire, gaining unauthorized access to a women prison etc! He is simply football's box office. Luis Suarez - the Uruguayan assassin has an overall bad reputation. His disciplinary record has surpassed his achievements on the pitch. If he is not biting someone - his latest delicacy is Italian, he is escalating racism. The master of "perfect dives" certainly thinks that FIFA's slogan - "Say no to racism" is just but a gimmick. He was accused of racially abusing the then Manchester United's defender Patrice Evra. The fact that the incidence involved two resident rivals - Manchester United and Liverpool, only eased to escalate matters. Gesturing abusively towards Fulham fans - a middle finger salute to be specific, never helped his reputation either. Branislav Ivanovic, Otman Bakkal and Georgio Chiellini are victims of his biting escapades. His goal line handball incidence against Ghana during the 2010 World Cup din't endear him to Africans, and his celebration after Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the resultant penalty augmented the hate to unimaginable levels. In the EPL, he has kicked Scott Parker and Michael Dawson intentionally - how I wish he could try to do the same to Pepe in La Liga! Eric Cantona - Monsieur Cantona or simply King Eric knows how to instill ethics - the recipients of his actions may be the fans, opposing players, referees or even his teammates. After arriving from Elland Road, King Eric brilliantly showed why Sir Alex Ferguson was so eager to sign him. Flashes of brilliance were then extended even to the dugout and terraces as one Crystal Palace fan found out. Watching Mortal Kombat may be his hobby as the kung-fu kicks demonstrated! Not even the Galatasaray brigade would dampen the fighting spirit - quite literally, of the Frenchman! However, the Frenchman redefined the thin line between insanity and genius. Diego Maradona - If controversy was a multinational company, the Argentine would be the brand ambassador. Maradona's controversy isn't limited to the field of play only. His friends should provide a sneak preview of whom the man really is. While the US administration would categorize Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro as bad influence, Maradona thinks the reverse is true. As an England fan, I wont dwell on the "Hand of God" incidence - how I wish Terry Butcher would have lived up to his second name! The most polarizing figure in global football has dealt with health and addiction issues. He was once banned for months after failing a drug test in Napoli. Tax evasion issues still define the Argentine's restrictions to some Italian parts. It is only Maradona who would make us forget about the exploits of Romario and Roberto Baggio during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, via his drug related ban. Interestingly, the Argentine has had the honor of a religion named after him! Paolo Di Canio - The Italian has an amazing knack for courting controversy. Politics ought not mix with the beautiful game, or so should it be - but Paolo Di Canio do not subscribe to such ideals. A loose cannon whose fascist thoughts are best but acknowledged by Lazio fans! His eccentric character made him shove a referee during a match between Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal. His managerial career as well is awash with headline grabbing moments! Joey Barton - a testament as to why football seriously needs lectures in anger management. Barton is notoriously short tempered. He has achieved all accolades in football - punching his teammates while at Manchester City, promoting dirty tackling, sparking mass brawls, trashing public opinion, fighting with Thai Everton fans, poking teammates with cigars, engaging in online brawls with the likes of Neymar and Thiago Silva et al. As Kevin Keegan - the then Eastlands manager, Barton is purely a negative influence to the football community. Ousmane Dabo and Jamie Tandy know the damage Barton can cause. John Terry - loved and hated in equal measure! The former England captain has done it all - racially abusing Anton Ferdinand - Rio Ferdinand's brother, mocking US tourists in relation to the September 11 attacks, endless nightclub confrontations, abusing Ledley King, translating his captaincy at Chelsea to mean that he could lead matters in Wayne Bridge's - his then teammate, bedroom etc! El-Hadji Diouf - Neil Warnock was right when he referred to the Senegalese as more disgraceful than a sewer rat! Yes, he is. How do you celebrate when an opponent has broken his leg? Apart from celebrating Jamie Mackie's injury, the forward has been charged severally for spitting at rival players. Diouf combines regular transgressions with global "fame" to his advantage. An outright mad player who overestimates his capabilities, Diouf has been a liability to every team he has played for. Spells at Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers underline the summation of his "superior footballing prowess"
No comments:
Post a Comment