Football is known as “the beautiful game”, but it is also a game of emotions and passion. And often, a player’s feelings take over their mind as anger trumps logic which leads to scuffles and fights on the field – and let’s be honest, we love to see the unbridled passion flow out once in a while.
The game has seen several hot-headed players who are quick to choose shoving and punching over verbal discussions, and some of these players are more notorious and ferocious than the others.
Here, we look at five players of the modern era who have often been involved in nasty incidents on the pitch and with whom you would not want to pick a fight on even on your best day.
Honourable mentions:
Eric Cantona – While now busy making parody videos for Eurosport, Cantona in his prime was a player everyone feared and respected equally Kicking a racist fan in a game which led to a six-month ban and which subsequently cost Manchester United a league title, Cantona is not a person you want to pick a fight with.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Having played in almost all major European leagues and having left his mark everywhere, Zlatan is a tall and intimidating figure who is known for his arrogance and as such, does not take crap from anyone. His towering frame makes a confrontation with him all the more frightening.
#5 Adebayo Akinfenwa
Unlike all the other players on this list, it is not that the current Wycombe Wanderers player is infamous for being notorious – it’s just that he’s a physical beast who can throw an average person around as easily as he can kick a football.
Reportedly weighing around 101 kgs and standing at just around 6 foot, Akinfenwa is famous around the footballing community for his physical build and his massive strength (he can bench press 200 kgs, almost twice his body weight).
Although he has made a name for himself in the lower leagues, Akinfenwa is known by most fans around England and Europe just because he is a monster amongst men and a person his size playing this game is indeed remarkable. Trust me, you do not want to get on the bad side of this man mountain.
#4 Jaap Stam
The 6’3” menacing frame of Stam cut quite the figure in his playing career as the Netherlands international made a name for himself across some of Europe’s top clubs with his aggressive style of play and his no nonsense defending. His bald head made the former Manchester United defender look all the more ferocious.
Stam was on of the most revered centre-backs in his prime and was never afraid of a fight. Often holding players by their necks in his time with Lazio and Milan, one of Stam’s most memorable scuffles comes against Zlatan Ibrahimovic when the latter was playing for Juventus. Zlatan himself is quite an intimidating figure, so you can imagine the guts that Stam had to go up against the Swede.
Stam was brilliant at defending and even more so when it came to standing his ground. Not to mention when he was angry, the face of the current Reading manager looked like the Devil himself had come to fight you. Truly a man who lived for the game and for the occasional choke hold.
#3 Gennaro Gattuso
Gattuso is one of the best defensive midfielders of this era and his partnership with national teammate Andrea Pirlo in the middle of the park for AC Milan is the stuff of legends. Yet, when you go on YouTube and type his name, the first result you will get is “Gattuso fight”.
The Italian midfielder did not become one of the most notorious figures of the modern era without having a thirst for winding up his opponents or getting involved in more fights in a season than most players did in their careers. Gattuso was a competitive man who could not take a loss lying down. He is known in the footballing community for his hard-tackling and aggressive style of play which although made him the player he is, also cost his team at times.
Despite not being the tallest or the bulkiest player on the pitch, the former Milan man had an aura around him that made him an intimidating figure and if there was a scuffle going on, you could bet your bottom dollar that Gattuso was involved in it.
#2 Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira was the captain of the Arsenal team that achieved the impossible of going a full Premier League season without being beaten. One of the best midfielders of this era, the French international is also known for his hot temper on the field and his rivalry with a certain Manchester United player.
Vieira was physically strong and stood at around 6 feet 4 inches – a giant on the pitch. The current New York City FC manager was almost as good as getting involved in the middle of heated arguments with the ref and the opposition players as he was at playing football, though. Vieira was not only respected in England and around the world, he was also feared due to his strong style of play and the way he approached his tackles.
Most of Vieira’s aggression came out when his team played against Manchester United in the most heated set of fixtures England has seen this century. It suffices to say that when the Arsenal captain was angry, you would do well to go the opposite way.
#1 Roy Keane
You simply DO NOT mess with Roy Keane. You did not mess with Keane the player; you do not mess with Keane the coach. Be it verbally or be it physically on the field, Roy Keane has a knack of getting the better of most people.
One of the greatest captains of the modern era and one of the best defensive midfielders ever, Keane is also famously remembered for his attitude on the pitch. He had one rule, and that rule was to take zero craps from anyone but his manager.Harsh and straight on interviews and one of the toughest men on the field itself, the former Manchester United midfielder was the single most menacing player in world football for over five years and his rivalry with our no. 2 entry, Patrick Vieira, is the literal stuff of legends.
Keane stood almost half a feet shorter than Vieira but his attitude was one you will not find in any modern day footballer. The current assistant manager of the Ireland team was a one of a kind player and if he disliked someone, he was not shy to hide it. Keane’s fights and playing style both are memorable and as such, his place as the undisputed number one on the list of players you do not want to get on the wrong side of is unquestionable.
