Following yet more headline making from Liverpool’s Uruguay international, we at Caughtoffside have decided to see how the mercurial Reds attacker compares with some of Planet Football’s other controversial figures from down the years.
El-Hadji Diouf (Leeds United and Senegal)
The former Liverpool forward already had a bit of a bad-boy reputation when he arrived at Anfield from Ligue 1 outfit Lens in 2002, however, that was nothing compared to how the Senegalese was thought of when he left the Merseyside giants three years later.
In particular was a much-publicised incident during a Uefa Cup tie at Celtic Park in March 2003 when the front man spat on a member of the home supporters, which is never a good thing to do at the best of times, but especially not when in Glasgow.
Carlos Tevez (Juventus and Argentina)
There have not been too many players down the years who have actually refused to warm up when asked to by their managers, only to instead sit motionless on the substitutes’ bench.
However, that is exactly what Tevez did while playing for Manchester City in a Uefa Champions League group-stage clash with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena back in September 2011, before then deciding to go on strike, although the forward was still of course paid his whopping £200,000 plus weekly salary in case he went hungry!
Rene Higuita (Colombia)
Eccentric former Colombia international keeper who will forever be remembered for the eye-catching scorpion kick that he pulled out of his bag of tricks in a friendly international against England at Wembley in the mid-Nineties.
However, back in his homeland the shot stopper went to prison for seven months in 1993 for his role in a kidnapping, with Higuita being the go-between for drug war lord Pablo Escobar, for which he received $64,000.
Joey Barton (Queens Park Rangers and England)
Well, where does one really start with the spiky and opinionated midfield player who is in the headlines more for his off-pitch activities usually than what he does on the field of play, although not always.
The Englishman just loves to speak his mind on a whole range of diverse topics, and is never short of a word of two about his fellow professionals either.
However, the 31-year-old also made the news for all the wrong reasons of late after being hit with a whopping 12-game ban by The Football Association following an ugly spat with several Manchester City players on the final day of the 2011-12 campaign which resulted in the player being sent on loan to Marseille.
Harald Schumacher (West Germany)
The ex-Bayern Munich and West Germany No 1 will always be remembered as being the man who knocked France international Patrick Battiston out cold following a brutal off-the-ball challenge during the semi-finals of the 1982 World Cup, rather than for being an outstanding goalkeeper.
John Terry (Chelsea and England)
One of those rare beats in the modern game today, a one-club man, with the domineering centre back being loved by the Blues faithful at Stamford Bridge, while at the same time loathed by just about everybody else in the country.
And the former England captain’s popularity was probably not helped either when he was alleged to have racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match at Loftus Road in November 2011, a charge that he was later cleared of in court the following summer.
Eric Cantona (Manchester United and France)
Brilliant, yet highly controversial footballer with United and les Bleus in the late Eighties and early-to-mid Nineties, and like so many of the other figures on this list, the Frenchman will always be associated with an off-the-field incident as opposed to any number of brilliant on-pitch highlights from what was a glittering career at Old Trafford.
That moment, of course, came in January 1995 at Selhurst Park when after having been sent off, Cantona then reacted to being abused by a Crystal Palace fan by hurling himself feet first at the home supporter in the crowd with a kung-fu kick that subsequently saw the forward banned from English football for eight months.
Diego Maradona (Napoli and Argentina)
Perhaps the most controversial football of all time, as well as being one of the greatest too.
Whether it be the Argentinian’s suspensions for cocaine use, supposed involvement with the mafia during his time in Serie A with Napoli, being thrown out of the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA after testing positive for a banned substance, or shooting at members of the press waiting outside his house, Maradona just could not keep himself out of trouble during his playing career.
Paolo Di Canio (Italy)
Another who has had his fair share of controversy over the years, whether as a player or now more recently as a manger.
The Italian caused outrage while playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the Nineties when he pushed a referee over after being given his marching orders, while things have not gone much better for Paolo now he is a coach, where once he even got in a fight with one of his own players!
Luis Suarez (Liverpool and Uruguay)
The world-class Reds front man is a joy to watch at times, however, he can also equally be a pest with his penchant for ridiculous ‘dives’ in the penalty box, as we saw again during Uruguay’s recent World Cup play-off tie with Jordan, constant back chatting to referees and opponents alike and an all-round love of the dark arts.