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Let's be honest, there aren't many of us who haven't forwarded some sort of meme or made an offhand comment since the beginning of the outbreak. But, unlike this lot, most of us are not in the public eye and idolized by millions around the globe. Most of us don't have millions in the bank to entertain ourselves or haven't gone from the middle of a hectic season to being completely idle.
It's safe to surmise that these are not the only footballers who have misbehaved during the pandemic but are simply the ones unfortunate enough to have been caught. I don't think any long term grudges will be held as most followed up their errors with immediate apologies and hopefully deterred others from acting similarly.
5. Diego Costa
The pugnacious frontman is known for terrifying defenses but it was the cameramen and media representatives who got a fright at Anfield. The incident occurred after Atletico Madrid dumped Liverpool out of this season's Champions League.
Diego Costa coughed in the direction of the group who had gathered in the mixed zone waiting for the players to emerge. The former Chelsea man wore a smirk and it was designed as a harmless prank.
Unsurprisingly, Atletico condemned the striker:
'Obviously Diego's actions were unfortunate and the club condemns his action,' Atletico told CNN. 'It's a pity that some people find it difficult to understand the significance of this crisis. The player has repented and apologized when he realized his mistake.'
At best it was poor humor and at worst it was reckless and potentially dangerous. It certainly didn't set a good example as the world was being urged to take the pandemic more seriously.
4. Dele Alli
Dele Alli is well known for his wit on social media but this certainly wasn't one of his more humorous posts. The midfielder wore a mask in a video posted via Snapchat from an airport lobby. Alli looked into the camera and feigned a frightened expression before zooming in on an unsuspecting Asian man sitting alone with the caption:
'Corona whattt, please listen with volume.' The camera then turned to a bottle of hand wash accompanied by the message: 'This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me.'
To be fair to Dele Alli the video was supposedly posted to a private group and he was quick to put up an apology:
'It wasn’t funny and I realised that immediately and took it down,' said Dele. 'I let myself down and the club. I don’t want you to have that impression of me because it wasn’t funny … It isn’t something that should be joked about. I’m sending all my love and all my thoughts and prayers to everyone in China.'
The football association has since announced that Alli will be charged with misconduct but it seems that the 2-time Young Player of the Year did learn his lesson. Dele Alli turned 24 last Saturday and posted a comical collage of pictures on his Instagram.
Dele was seen barbecuing a single burger, sitting alone with a cup, and playing party games such as twister by himself. The post was accompanied by the hashtag #stayhome and is much more typical of the Dele Alli humor fans are used to.
3. Kyle Walker
Only last February Kyle Walker was making unfavorable headlines for his off-field antics. The defender has found himself in hot water again after he and a friend invited two escorts to his property in Manchester.
Walker was stitched right up by the escort who snapped the star in his underwear counting out her cash payment. The incident might not have warranted much attention under normal circumstances. However, it occurred only hours after the defender had warned his Twitter followers to respect the national lockdown:
'Please everyone stay home, look after one another through this difficult time, and check in on loved ones but don’t visit them.'
It is a very embarrassing affair for Walker both personally and professionally and the player took to social media to post a heartfelt apology:
'I want to take this opportunity to issue a public apology for the choices I made last week ... I understand that my position as a professional footballer brings the responsibility of being a role model. As such, I want to apologise to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down ... My actions are in direct contrast to what I should have been doing regarding the lockdown.'
The lady in question says Walker paid her £2,200 for her services. But it turned out to be a much more costly affair for the England international.
Manchester City certainly aren't taking the matter lightly and Walker will reportedly be fined close to £250,000. It may seem like an astronomical sum, but it is only about two weeks' wages for a star of Walker's caliber.
2. Luka Jovic
The forgotten Serbian striker hasn't had the best time in Madrid this season and he hasn't done himself any favors with his recent behavior. The saga started when the Madrid squad were advised to self-isolate after a Real Madrid basketball player tested positive for the coronavirus.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic announced a state of emergency and one measure stated that anyone returning from a highly infected country must quarantine for 28 days. The list of countries included Spain and it didn't make any exceptions for stars such as Luka Jovic. According to the state Tanjug news agency, 'the law applies to everyone and the authorities will not discriminate regardless of what one does for a living.'
Unbeknown to Madrid, Jovic flew home to Serbia to be with his pregnant girlfriend. The Madrid hierarchy weren't happy with the player who was also heavily scrutinized in his homeland. But it still was not enough to keep the player indoors and out of trouble.
Soon after his return home, the easily recognizable star was spotted out and about in Vracarelgrade, the suburb of Belgrade where he was staying. There were rumors that Jovic was out partying but he claimed he had only left his apartment to pick up some medication from the pharmacy. Jovic said that he wasn't aware this was in breach of government protocol.
Likewise, Seria B player Nikola Ninkovic was seen out in the capital, much to the annoyance of President Vucic.
'If either of them leaves those places, they will be arrested,' said Vucic. 'I think the two of them regret what they have done, but I'll make it clear to them that people's lives are much more important than their millions. Despite all that, we're not going to crucify anyone.'
Surely Jovic will keep his head down now until all of this all blows over. Madrid have stated they will not discipline the player, so the door is still open for the Serbian to resurrect his career at the Bernabeu.
1. Jack Grealish
Just as Jack Grealish may finally be on the cusp of a big-money move to one of the league's elite and breaking into the international side, he has had a PR disaster. And it's not the first time the lad's partying ways have gotten him in trouble.
After his breakthrough season with Aston Villa, he was pictured sprawled on the pavement after a heavy night in Tenerife. The player was again scrutinized when he was snapped inhaling laughing gas with friends. But Grealish has since gotten his act together and established himself as a top-level footballer. He wears the captain's strap for his boyhood club, Aston Villa.
Therefore, it was a bit of a shock when he was again pictured worse for wear at the scene of accident hours. The incident occur after he urged his social media followers to stay inside and ease the pressure on the NHS. Jack wore an odd sandal and a slipper and stood next to his Range Rover which allegedly crashed into several other vehicles and a railing. Jack left his details with a witness before fleeing the scene.
The midfielder took to social media again the following evening, this time to issue an apology for his actions:
'Hi everybody, I just want to do a quick video message to say how deeply embarrassed I am by what has happened this weekend. I know it is a tough time for everyone at the moment, being locked indoors for so long and I obviously just got a call off a friend asking to go around to his [home] and I stupidly agreed to do so ... I hope everyone can accept my apology and we can move on from this and hopefully in the near future we can be out enjoying ourselves again once this has all boiled over.'
The apology didn't do much to appease a lot of fans. It certainly won't get him off the hook with the West Midlands Police who are looking into the incident.
Hopefully, it won't affect him too much in the long run. He has been magnificent on the field this campaign and may well find himself in the Premier League's team of the season despite his side's lowly position in the table.
