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Many refer to football as the 'beautiful game' because of the passion, drama and pure talent that comes with it. However, the sport has also seen many shocking incidents of kung-fu kicking, biting, studs-up tackling and head-butting in the past.
If one is asked about football’s most ill-disciplined players, the likes of Nigel de Jong, Mario Balotelli, Joey Barton, Diego Costa or Gary Medel are the names that come to mind. However, these players have been involved in high-profile episodes but still are not consistently indisciplined week-in and week-out.
In this section, we take a look at five current players who have mastered the ‘dark arts’ of football.
Also Read: Ranking the 10 best defenders in the world
#5 Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic is perhaps one of Roy Hodgson’s most important players because of his leadership qualities, defensive solidity and set-piece specialty. The 28-year-old, however, is a constant thorn for the opponents as he is often seen tugging shirts, sliding in aimlessly and cruelly stopping counter-attacks.
Whilst he gets away with many, the Serbian has still racked up 39 fouls in 22 appearances this season, currently joint-fourth in the Premier League. He has also been shown the yellow card on 9 separate occasions, joint-highest in the division. In the past two seasons, Milivojevic has accumulated an incredible 129 fouls and 18 yellow cards, making him one of the most indisciplined players in the English top-flight.
The defensive midfielder has not been red-carded in the league this season, but he was recently shown one in the FA Cup third round against Derby County following a scuffle with Tom Huddlestone. Ten-men Palace were then well-beaten by the Rams as they bowed out of the competition in an unfortunate manner.
Also Read: 5 most disciplined center backs this season
#4 Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
22-year-old Nicolo Barella is currently one of Italy’s hottest prospects, such is his immense potential and ability. The on-loan Inter Milan midfielder is a stylish playmaker, full of trickery and poise but at the same time, he has developed an unwanted reputation of being one of the most indisciplined players in the game.
Barella already has 8 yellow cards in 18 Serie A appearances this season, and 2 in 4 Champions League outings. The Italian midfielder has had an equally astonishing disciplinary record for his parent club Cagliari. In the past three seasons, he has been shown the yellow card 35 times, averaging more than 10 every season. There is no arguing how much he loves lunging into a tackle, however, the frequency with which he does it is almost alarming.
In just 18 Serie A and Champions League starts, Barella has accumulated 32 fouls, averaging almost two per game. His dark antics have often been overshadowed by his attacking exploits and the fact that he is also one of the most fouled players himself. However, that should not deviate from the fact that he constantly commits irrational tackles and dangerous fouls which is something he needs to work on if he is to progress as a player.
#3 Damian Suarez (Getafe)
La Liga’s biggest bad-boy in recent seasons has been Getafe right-back Damian Suarez. The 31-year-old is almost a permanent name in referees’ notebooks because of his never-ending tackling and fouling. As a result, he has already picked up 10 yellow cards in 19 league appearances this season. In the previous three combined, he has an incredible 44 yellow cards and 2 red cards in all competitions to his name.
The Uruguayan full-back's obvious indiscipline has forced him to miss several games through suspensions. Most recently, he was involved in a massive brawl at Valencia in which the hosts scored two goals at the death to secure a memorable victory. After the final whistle, Suarez was the perpetrator in a fight which had to be intervened by the police. As a result, the defender was handed a four-match suspension which forced him to miss the trip to Barcelona this weekend.
Even with his immense experience playing for Uruguay and in the Spanish top-flight, Suarez’s rashness and recklessness has often cost his teams severely.
Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is not just famed for his occasional long-ranger but also for his extremely poor discipline on the field. The Swiss captain has a Premier League joint-second 40 fouls this season, racking up 7 yellow cards in the process.
Earlier this season, the 27-year-old was stripped of his captaincy duties for the Gunners by former manager Unai Emery after his shocking reaction to the boos directed to him at the Emirates Stadium. The midfielder was greeted with jeers after he was substituted against Crystal Palace in October last year, after which he took off his shirt and threw it on the ground before disappearing into the tunnel. Multiple reports suggested that Xhaka’s antics was the end of his Arsenal career, but incoming boss Mikel Arteta has reinstated him into the starting XI.
The former Basel midfielder has had a sketchy disciplinary record in previous seasons as well, with 32 yellow and 2 red cards in the last three alone, excluding the ongoing campaign. He is often found fighting with opponents, screaming at the referee and making dangerous tackles.
Pundit and former Manchester United player Gary Neville, in a ruthless assessment of the midfielder, said:
“Granit Xhaka makes too many mistakes, doesn't learn, he's ill-disciplined, he's so poor. I’ve never known a player commit the same mistakes game after the game, he’s riddled with ill-discipline. He commits hundreds of fouls every match, he gets a yellow or red card every time I watch him, it feels like, and his performance levels are poor for Arsenal.”
#1 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Even after his slightly improved disciplinary record this season, Sergio Ramos remains one of the “dirtiest” players in world football. Revered and respected in Spain, the Real Madrid centre-back has football’s biggest accolades in his locker, most notably the FIFA World Cup, two European championships, four Champions League titles, four La Liga titles and many more.
However, despite all his achievements, Ramos’ extremely poor disciplinary record has made him one of the most despised players among fans outside of the Spanish capital. The defender is remarkably the most-carded player in La Liga with 173. 19 of those are red cards that also make him the most sent-off player in the Spanish first division.
With two more ill-timed challenges, the Spaniard will also become the most yellow-carded player in the league. It does not end there because he is also infamous for being the most-booked player in all major European leagues, the Champions League and in the history of the Spanish national team.
The 33-year-old surely knows how to pick a fight or leave his mark on the opposition. In recent years, he has been involved in some high-profile incidents showcasing his indiscipline, most notably the altercation with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final. Last season, UEFA launched an investigation into him for intentionally picking up a yellow card against Ajax in the Round of 16 first-leg tie.
With Ramos no stranger to controversy, we are likely to see him in more such disputations until his retirement.
