Ten of the most hated footballers in the world.
When we were children, it was so easy to idealise footballers and be sheltered from what they were really like both on and off the pitch. However, whether it be a part of the theatre of the game or whether some of these men truly are just, well, not very nice, we all have players that we love to hate. Here are the ten most hated players we could think of.
10. Emmanuel Adebayor
The Togolese hitman exploded onto the Premier League scene as one of the most explosive strikers in years, and after some good work to establish himself as a deadly top flight hit man he went and joined Manchester City. Not that that is worthy of any particular hate, but he incensed his former fans by scoring against them and bombing the length of the pitch to perform an over the top knee slide in front of them. Bad sportsmanship, bad form.
9. Rio Ferdinand
The unattached defender has gotten under the skin of many rival fans over the years with his cocky attitude and bizarre off-field antics. The weirdest being his candid camera style tv show, in which he popularised the weird saying ‘Merked’. Which is enough to hate him if nothing else. However, more recently his unprofessionalism regarding David Moyes’ ill-fated tenure in charge of United hint at a man who is not as mature as his 35 years should suggest.
8. Craig Bellamy
The Welsh forward has been garnering a bad reputation ever since his days with Newcastle, where he was accused of having a hand in Sir Bobby Robson’s dismissal. He then built on this by allegedly attacking Liverpool teammate John Arne Riise with a golf club. His blunt honesty has been appreciated by some, but has also known to rub people up the wrong way, and his retirement will come as welcome news for some.
7. Pepe
The Portuguese centre-back may be one of the toughest customers in La Liga, but he also has a darker side that has earned him a bad reputation throughout the world. His antics with diving and making a meal of even the minutest detail of contact have brought him all the wrong kinds of attention and his continued stamping on Lionel Messi have not won him any admirers.
6. Sergio Busquets
Diving is the number one biggest no-no in football these days, and the Spanish international is perhaps one of the biggest components of the act in the game today. He has been known to play act and do his utmost to give his team the advantage. However, not being a nippy winger or fleet-footed attacking midfielder, it makes his work as a supposedly rugged box-to-box midfielder that makes his antics so irksome.
5. Ashley Cole
Cole started the backlash against himself when claiming in his book that he was disgusted at Arsenal’s offer of £50,000 per week. If that didn’t do the trick for everyone, then his shooting of a youth team player at Chelsea with an air rifle must have gone some way. Also being married to one of the most beautiful women in England and cheating on her won’t win you any favours. Cole has racked up quite the list.
4. El Hadji Diouf
Some players court controversy wherever they go, and Diouf is perhaps one of the primmest examples. He angered everyone during at most of his clubs for making racist comments towards ball boys, spitting at fans, diving a lot and getting caught drink driving. The player was also recently brought to court for unpaid house damages, but he got some comeuppance by getting beaten up in a Senegalese nightclub.
3. Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance this season having displayed exceptional form in front of goal and managing to keep out of trouble, but he has a long list of previous infringements that have stuck with him to this day. Accusations of racism, diving and two counts of biting have won him no friends. Even a villain on the international stage, he was lambasted for handling a shot on the line at the last World Cup against Ghana.
2. Joey Barton
Barton has often courted controversy over the years thanks to his spiky nature and motormouth. A history of violence has often followed him around as on pitch incidents of punching opposing players were sandwiched either side of his stubbing a cigar out on the eye of a youth player whilst at Manchester City. Since then he has just annoyed everyone with his transition into an annoying hipster faux-intellectual on social media. Bore off, Barton!
1. John Terry
Where to start with John Terry? He has done it all. In 2010 news came out that he had ben having an affair with teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend Veronica Peroncel. This was shortly followed by an apology to QPR’s Anton Ferdinand for spouting racial abuse. His family haven’t helped matters either, with connections to drugs, theft and racism of their own. And to top it all off there is the incident following the Europa League final in which he celebrated in full kit even though he had been suspended.
What a nightmare.