As much as football fans love thrilling action on the pitch, off-field incidents can be just as entertaining. From Jose Mourinho sneaking into the dressing room in a laundry basket to Mario Balotelli's impromptu decision to set off fireworks in the bathroom of his mansion, there have been surprising incidents galore.Nonetheless, it seems 2021 was an especially eventful year, even by football's chaotic standards. Health officials sensationally interrupted a Brazil vs Argentina game to enforce immediate quarantine, while fans in France continued to get matches suspended at will. That wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.Football was hit by a series of ugly incidents in 2021Not all off-field incidents, though, were humorous and good-natured. Many of the problems that have plagued the beautiful game in the past still persist, while new issues continue to come up.That was epitomised by an eventful Euro 2020. The event ended on a terrible note after a penalty shootout considerably more sombre than Diana Ross' infamous effort in 1994.90s Football@90sfootballWe all remember this shocking Diana Ross penalty miss...8:30 AM · Feb 23, 20201217221We all remember this shocking Diana Ross penalty miss... https://t.co/2CM74eehqlNevertheless, here are the six shocking scandals that hit football in 2021:#6 Florentino Perez blasts Real Madrid legends in leaked audio tapesReal Madrid supremo Florentino Perez has been through a lot in 2021.One could forgive Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo for expecting Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to be grateful for their contributions to the club. After all, the duo powered Los Blancos to a stunning 2011-12 La Liga win over Pep Guardiola's legendary Barcelona, one of the greatest club teams in history.Instead of offering warm applause, Perez labelled Mourinho and Ronaldo 'idiots' and 'abnormal' in a series of leaked audio clips released by El Confidencial. The leaks, which surfaced in July this year, contained recordings from as far back as 2006. About Cristiano Ronaldo, Perez said:“(Ronaldo) is crazy. The guy is an idiot; he’s sick. You think this guy is normal, but he’s not. If he was, he wouldn’t do all the things he does.”The Real Madrid supremo's comments on the Portuguese superstar and Jose Mourinho in 2012 were:“(Jorge) Mendes has no control over (Ronaldo), and it’s the same with Mourinho – none at all. These are two guys with terrible egos, spoilt the pair of them. They are both abnormal because we are talking about a lot of money in terms of image rights."ESPN FC@ESPNFCFlorentino Perez had some words for two Real Madrid legends in a leaked audio from 2006. 😯 Perez said in a statement that the quotes were out of context and were leaked because of him being a main promoter of the Super League.1:57 AM · Jul 14, 20214970674Florentino Perez had some words for two Real Madrid legends in a leaked audio from 2006. 😯 Perez said in a statement that the quotes were out of context and were leaked because of him being a main promoter of the Super League. https://t.co/Hd8DUsB2daEven club legends Raul and Iker Casillas, who devoted most of their careers to Real Madrid, were not spared:"Casillas is not a Real Madrid standard goalkeeper; what can I say? He’s not, and never has been. But, well, he is one of the big frauds of Madrid. The second is Raul. The two biggest frauds at Madrid are first Raul and then Casillas," Perez is alleged to have said in a recording from 2006.#5 Police arrest former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu after raiding Camp NouFormer Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested earlier this year.When Barcelona fans say they want to compete with Real Madrid, this probably isn't what they had in mind.Despite Florentino Perez's blunder, Barcelona ex-president Josep Bartomeu went one step further and got himself arrested after plunging the club into a financial crisis. To exacerbate matters, the ex-president was found to have hired a social media firm to publicly attack the club's own players and staff.With Barcelona drowning in debt worth over a billion euros, Catalan police raided Camp Nou in March earlier this year. The club's chief executive Oscar Grau and the head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti were also taken into custody.The financial scandal had awful consequences, as Barcelona soon lost talisman Lionel Messi as a result. The club could not offer him a new contract without falling foul of La Liga's financial fair play rules.B/R Football@brfootballBREAKING: Ex-Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has been arrested today, reports @el_pais 🚨The arrest is reportedly in relation to the "Barcagate" scandal in which the club allegedly hired a social media company to publicly discredit players and staff4:40 AM · Mar 1, 2021214144478BREAKING: Ex-Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has been arrested today, reports @el_pais 🚨The arrest is reportedly in relation to the "Barcagate" scandal in which the club allegedly hired a social media company to publicly discredit players and staff https://t.co/VU4UzTtM8yNew president Laporta claimed the club had losses of €481 million and was left with a negative net worth of €451 million. That made it difficult to renegotiate contracts with the players. He told a press conference in this regard:“Our salaries represent 103% of the club’s total income. That’s 20% to 25% more than our competitors. We have found ourselves in a difficult situation to renegotiate the players’ contracts.”It was a sad fall for a club that was once considered to be among the best-run organisations in world football.#4 Case against Cristiano Ronaldo comes to a closeCristiano Ronaldo's legal troubles appear to be over now.While enjoying remarkable success on the field, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a few run-ins with the law over the years. Between 2018 and 2020, in particular, the Portuguese superstar battled allegations of tax evasion as well as an infamous sexual assault accusation from 2009.However, it looks like Ronaldo's legal troubles are finally over. A Nevada judge recommended the dismissal of Kathryn Mayorga's case against the Manchester United man earlier this year.The incident, which reportedly took place in Las Vegas, reached prominence in October 2018 when Mayorga sued Ronaldo. Her attorney said:"She (Kathryn Mayorga) explained that since the 2009 sexual assault, she had experienced depression, intrusive thoughts, considered suicide, abused alcohol and difficulty maintaining personal relationships and employment.Although Ronaldo emphatically denied the claims, documents showed the duo had previously agreed to a financial settlement outside of court. That suggested there was more to the matter than most people thought.“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense," read Ronaldo's statement.Cristiano Ronaldo@CristianoI firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.7:46 AM · Oct 3, 201820640045472I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.In 2019, prosecutors said Ronaldo would not face any criminal charges. Now, with a magistrate recommending the dismissal of Mayorga's case, it seems the matter is finally drawing to a close.