'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Football is a game filled with some of the most passionate athletes in the world, who come together and deliver a spectacle of the 'beautiful game'. The fact that some of these athletes have crossed the limit in order to achieve their objective is something we need to note. While the game has never been short of controversies, there have been those who have always been surrounded by them and can never be forgotten.
Some have moved past their mistakes and have learned their lessons, while others carried on their legacy of being some of the most controversial personalities of all time. These 5 players are the ones we will never forget when it comes to their controversial resume, in fact, we can't even deny the effect it has had on their careers. Their attempt to spoil the beautiful game has literally taken them nowhere, well, at least in some cases!
#5 Luis Suarez
When talking about Suarez, we often mention how good the Uruguayan is in terms of scoring goals season by season, match by match, as his career took a completely different step after he joined FC Barcelona back in 2014, winning the treble in his very first season and being an extremely crucial member of the MSN trio, consisting of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.
However, his qualities aside, we all know what Suarez really had in his past. Of course, none can forget the most famous match of the 2010 World Cup, where he was able to stop a goal with his hands.
That isn't all, Suarez's mid-20s were filled with some of the most bizarre incidents as his biting campaign, which started from his time back with Ajax continued all the way to the Premier League and then to the World Cup 2014, where he nailed the coffin. In addition, racially abusing Patrice Evra was something that the Premier League fans and players can never forget.
#4 John Terry
The 'legendary' Chelsea defender surely is one of the most noted players when it comes to controversies. From racially abusing other football players and fans to simply fighting with his own teammates both on and off the pitch, Terry is the kind of footballer who remains well supported by his fans despite the lack of sportsmanship that he has shown.
There is no doubt that he is one of the greatest English defenders of all time, but has been a part of some of the most bizarre incidents, including mocking Americans at the Heathrow international airport.
Other incidents include him racially abusing Queen's Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand, that led the two all the way to the courthouse, where due to the lack of evidence the Englishmen was not penalized and was asked to apologize. Despite all of this, he remains a fan favorite for many supporters.
#3 Joey Barton
Probably one of the most underrated English midfielders of his generation, Barton has been surrounded by a list of controversies throughout his career. The list is so long it can actually be converted into a full-fledged book as he is notorious for some of the lowest things ever done as a football player.
From earning a ban that went for as long as 12 matches due to exchanging blows with an opposition player to being sentenced to six months in prison due to him assaulting a Liverpool fan in the Liverpool city center, Barton is the only one responsible for his own demise.
His time in prison wasn't something that he could've been proud of, as he got into a yard fight with yet another convicted football player Ousmane Dabo. He did, however, try to change himself upon release, but the controversies overshadowed his attempt.
#2 Eric Cantona
There is no surprise that Cantona is a part of this particular list, as we do not know as to where the notoriety really begins. However, the first international superstar of the Premier League has been a genius in terms of delivering as a football player and could have won a lot more trophies had he not retired at 30.
Starting off from his very famous kung-fu kick incident on a Crystal Palace player in 1995, all his hard work went down the drain as he was handed an eight-month ban effective immediately.
While this remains one of the most controversial incidents for Cantona, other memorable ones include him insulting his national team coach Henri Michel on live TV, throwing the ball at the referee and tearing his shirt off after being substituted. Despite all this, he remains one of the greatest footballers ever to play under Sir Alex Ferguson.
#1 Diego Maradona
While many regard him as one of the greatest of all time, he is also considered as the most controversial player of all time for multiple reasons. Of course, we remember the famous 'hand of god' incident that completely flipped the football world and brought the opposition to its knees. However, this is just one of his many incidents.
Maradona is a perfect combination of fame and misery, while the aftermath of fame resulted in his own misery. His 1994 World Cup campaign ended in ashes as he was tested positive for a banned substance known as ephedrine and was sent home immediately, ending his international career once and for all.
However, this wasn't the end as during his time with Napoli he got a lengthy suspension on his career for cocaine abuse, an addiction that would later destroy same career. Well, his cycle of controversies are yet to cease even after his retirement.
