5 unscrupulous players in football at the moment

In every seed of good, there is always a piece of bad.

Football's the beautiful game for a reason, isn't it? It gifts happy memories and makes people forget their troubles and sorrows with a mere kick of the ball. Truly, it's an injustice to define the beauty of football in a limited set of words for it goes far more deeper than that.

However, as lucidly as Marian Wright Edelman puts it in the aforementioned quote, there's a dark side to every dazzling aspect of an entity. Same is the case with the beautiful game.

Lurking behind the beauty of sensational goals, magnificent passes and breathtaking dribbles are the mortifying acts of heinous fouls and cheating. To put it simply, those are the acts that define a dirty player.

On that note, let's have a look at five such roguish footballers in the current generation.

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#5 Neymar (Paris Saint Germain)

Brazilian talisman - Neymar Jr

Imagine overtaking one of the ugliest tacklers in terms of bookings throughout their respective careers. The Brazilian has accumulated 143 yellow cards and 8 red cards in his entire career at just 25 years of age, in contrast to the 34-year-old Pepe, who has 124 yellows and 6 reds under his belt.

The stat is astonishing since Pepe is more prone to going down in the referee's notebook owing to the position he plays in, unlike Neymar who is an attacker and has a lesser shot at committing fouls.

And yet, the PSG hit-man has been more frequent when it comes to be being booked for tackles.

The Brazilian has also earned a worldwide reputation for embracing the ground at the slightest of touches from defenders. The latest controversy he sparked was when he appeared to dive in PSG's first leg Round of 16 clash against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

So, is Neymar a dirty player in your opinion?

All stats via soccerway, transfermarkt

#4 Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Costa is well-known for getting into fights often

After spending six months out of the sport, imagine scoring a goal on your debut and then getting sent off, a bittersweet day to remember. The man in question? Diego Costa.

The Spaniard pokes, scratches, kicks and gets under the skins of his opponents during games. Add occasional diving incidents to the list, and you also have one of the most hated personalities in the sport at present.

The Atletico forward has also displayed the dark side of himself by using unfair means to wind up his opponents. During a fiery Madrid derby in 2013, he was caught on camera spitting at Sergio Ramos - twice.

As a result of his terrible temper, he also received a three-match ban for stamping on Emre Can, while missing out on another after kicking Vincent Kompany in a game against Manchester City.

Costa has been involved in a lot of fights with players more often than not. He received another three-game ban after being involved in a brawl with Arsenal duo Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista.

No wonder the 29 year old has gained fame as a malicious villain in the beautiful game.

#3 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Sergio Ramos is the most booked player in the Champions League history

With all due respect, Sergio Ramos is one of the greatest defenders ever to have graced the game. Known for his tough-tackling abilities, El Capitano can always be counted upon to come deliver the goods when needed mostly, be it in defence or in attack.

However, as big a symbol as he is to the Real Madrid faithful, the 32-year-old has been found defending badly a good number of times. The Spaniard commits nasty fouls when angry, and is surrounded by controversy on the pitch for his rash tackling.

Ramos has been sent off 15 times in the La Liga, more than any other player in the history of the competition.

Recently, he became the Champions League's dirtiest player after receiving his 37th card (35 yellow, 2 red) in the 2-1 win against PSG at the Parc Des Princes. He has also been booked in all three finals he has played in the tournament so far.

It seems rather safe to be on his side rather than being against him, doesn't it?

#2 Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Dele Alli has earned a worldwide reputation as a diver

Since he announced himself on the footballing stage as a wonder-kid with tremendous potential, Dele Alli hasn't taken long to unleash his dark side in games. It's not that he just commits fouls, but the nature of his fouls are pretty egregious.

Not surprisingly, the Englishman has been slated by a couple of greats for his careless antics when it comes to tackling.

Recently he was also criticized by Pep Guardiola for his horrific challenge on City star Kevin De Bruyne in December last year.

As if that isn't enough, the 22-year-old has also displayed his love for diving on various accounts.

He is seen going to the ground at the slightest of touches far too frequently than he should. The dives against Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Rochdale stand as a fine testimony to his tarnished reputation.

#1 Luis Suarez (Barcelona)

Luis Suarez has gained a reputation for diving

The definition for an unscrupulous player isn't limited to a player who just makes rash tackles and receives a bunch of bookings. Make no mistake, any sportsman who resorts to deceit and unethical means to gain advantage during a match also makes that category.

There can't be a better example than Luis Suarez, of how cheating tarnishes the beauty of football.

A doff of the hat to the Uruguayan's sharpshooting skills in front of goal, but he still needs to work on his behaviour while on the pitch.

Suarez has always been surrounded by well documented controversies which have resulted in considerably long bans. He was found abusing Patrice Evra racially, followed by certain biting incidents involving Branislav Ivanovic and Giorgio Chiellini.

Of course, he has moved on from biting, but there are other concerns to think about. The striker has used diving many times to get advantages, Barcelona's famous comeback against PSG is probably the best example of his antics.

He resorted to a dive in the penalty box for which the Catalans were awarded a penalty, a major factor that changed the course of that game.

Recently, he was also seen lashing a kick at Alaves defender Ruben Duarte out of spite in a La Liga game in January.

In another scenario, he used a ploy to get booked deliberately against Girona. Had he been booked then, it would have meant a one-game suspension as it would have been his fifth yellow card. He would have missed the next clash against Las Palmas and returned for a crucial game against Atletico Madrid, had he been booked.

These are enough instances to show Suarez needs to reevaluate himself in the behavioural department.