9 footballers who became popular for their eccentric acts

Eccentricity is what makes things interesting. If every footballer was like, say Raul Gonzalez or Alessandro del Piero, there would have been a lot of class around, but things would eventually feel boring. It’s the eccentric ones whose unpredictability becomes a great source of entertainment for many.Perky press conferences, crazy on-pitch incidents and whatnot, eccentricity is a must for football to be the fun game as we all know it.Sometimes this bizarreness gets to the nerves of some as they find it inscrutable. And they can’t be blamed because there is a limit that can’t be crossed for the sake of entertainment.So here are some of the most eccentric footballers in today’s game.

#1 Mario Balotelli

The ultimate troll-boy of football. Mario Balotelli is known more for his antics that are not related with football than ones that are.

When he came to the scene, he was dubbed as one of the most talented players in the world with almost limitless potential. But he also had another thing in abundance: temper. And it was the latter part that developed more.

From driving into women’s prison to visiting Manchester’s University campus to use the bathroom; from throwing darts at reserve team players to setting his house on fire. And the best of them all: revealing a t-shirt under his City jersey that had “Why Always Me?” on it.

Well, perhaps because it is always you that does something stupid, Mario.

#2 David Luiz

His hair alone warrants a place for him on this list, let alone the unbelievable amount of hilarious acts he has done.

When he left Chelsea for PSG, many Blues fans were devastated mainly because of the presence he has at the club. From photobombing to some more photobombing to chanting a prayer while holding Fernando Torres’ head to playing a part in a prank on Angel di Maria, this man has done almost every act of crazy there is.

Basically, there are plenty of videos of his acts of eccentricity on Youtube and they may not even be half the things he gets up to every day.

Wish there were more guys like him.

#3 Luis Suarez

Now on to the little bit darker side of eccentricity. Luis Suarez is the perfect example of when eccentricity crosses the line of sanity. Some call his peculiarity cannibalism, some others call it racism. But whatever one may call it, there is no denying that the Uruguayan’s acts are some times condemnable.

At first, he bit Otmar Bakkal while plying his trade at Ajax. His next victim was Branislav Ivanovic and then he completed the hattrick by digging his sharp teeth on Giorgio Chiellini’s broad shoulders.

And it doesn’t stop there as controversy stuck to him like a magnet to metal as he was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra, an event for which he refused to shake hands with the Frenchman in their next meeting.

#4 Sandro Raniere

When he joined Tottenham Hotspurs from Internacional, Englandweregraced with another highly talented Brazilian who could do almost anything that was asked of him.

And he showed glimpses of it whenever he pulled on a Spurs shirt. Although he was never consistent enough and that is the reason his time with the North London club was less than successful he had some great moments of his own which won a lot of fans at the White Hart Lane.

But he came with a highly animated nature of his own.

As this video shows, Sandro was a class act of his own when it came to making his team-mates laugh. If he had reached his potential, he could have been a legendary player for Spurs, but there is still time for him to be one in the field of Kung Fu.

#5 Dani Alves

His fashion sense is, perhaps, the worst among footballers, and that alone is suffice to put him on this list. He can wear teddy flip-flops and go to training sessions; that is how hipster he is.

He is also someone who speaks his mind and doesn’t give 2 cents about what one would think about him. At first, he claimed Barca didn’t respect him enough and then that his legs were at Barca, but his head was somewhere else.

Ultimately, he signed an extension with the Blaugrana, making those claims look sillier. However, that’s not all, as you can see from this video as to why he is one of the craziest players on the planet.

#6 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

A list like this without his name on it is no list at all. The Swede is one of the most – perhaps the most – straightforward players in the world of football. His book, I am Zlatan, reveals a lot about the character that he is and why he is despised and loved by so many at the same time.

He said Pep Guardiola to go “f**k yourself.” He kicked, and injured, Oguchi Onyewu in training. He Kung Fu kicked Antonio Cassano in the head. He asked a female journalist to come to his home and “bring your sister with you” to check whether he is gay.

Honestly, servers would go down if the complete list of his madness is documented.

#7 El Hadji Diouf

“For many years I have thought he is a gutter-type of boy and I was going to call him a sewer rat but that might be insulting the sewer rats; I think he is the lowest of the low.”

This was then-QPR manager Neil Warnock’s assessment on El Hadji Diouf when the latter launched a verbal attack on Jamie Mackie while he was being stretchered off after breaking his leg in two places.

The Senegalese is a controversy-magnet and could have been a great player had it not been for that. He was convicted in France for driving without a license and in his time in England, he spit on the faces of fans, opposition players, ball-boys and just about anyone he didn’t like.

And he had also gotten into a fair share of brawls during his time as a footballer.

#8 Carlos Tevez

When your manager asks you to warm-up and flat-out refuse to do so, you are indeed one of the craziest players in the world.

Carlos Tevez has always been a volatile player. Someone who could be very difficult for a manager to handle and Roberto Mancini got a first-hand experience of it.

As Manchester City were battling Bayern Munich in a Champions League tie, then-manager Roberto Mancini asked Carlos Tevez to warm up in order to be subbed in. The Argentine then did the unthinkable as he refused to warm up and play.

Roberto Mancini was furious, as expected, and his fury was further aggravated when he took a leave of absence without actually notifying the club about it. He went AWOL to play golf in Argentina and spent two-thirds of the season doing so.

After that, as City won the Premiership, he held a “RIP Fergie” banner to add more fuel to his bizarreness.

#9 Joey Barton

There comes a time for every writer when she/he doesn’t know where to begin and Joey Barton does the exact same thing to everyone who writes about his weird endeavors.

“It was a bit cheeky, wasn’t it? But I don’t think it was that bad. It would have been worse if he’d turned round and dropped the front of his shorts instead. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a couple of butt cheeks personally. If anybody’s offended by seeing a backside, get real. May be they are jealous that he’s got a real nice tight one with no cellulite or anything.”

This was Ian Holloway’s opinion when Joey Barton made headlines for mooning the Everton fans while playing for Manchester City. That is one eccentric manager praising the craziness of another wild footballer – it made sense.

However, when compared to his other incidents, the mooning doesn’t even shine like a candle in front of the sun. He has been in and out of prison for assaults and won’t think twice before digging his spikes on anyone who gave him displeasure. He also is an avid Twitter user and is someone who takes his opinions very seriously and expects others to do so.