Top 5 Most Eccentric Football Players
Eccentric Football Players |
There are some stories that are curious and others that are hard to believe. Being young and having money can lead you to commit some eccentricities that will make people talk. In any case, here are 5 eccentric football players you should definitely know about.
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is undoubtedly one of the most eccentric players in world football. Among his most famous stories, the day he set fire to his house in Manchester stands out above all others. The footballer set out to launch fireworks from his bathroom window and ended up with the fire brigade visiting his home.
Another of Mario Balotelli's best-known stories is that of the Milan shirt. While still playing for Inter Milan, the Italian player did not hesitate for a second to wear the kit of the great rival team, Milan. It cost him more than one confrontation with the fans with whom he even clashed during a match, throwing his shirt to the ground. Another one of the most famous is his addiction to the video game FIFA. His addiction to this video game was so great that his partner had to give him a final ultimatum: it was either the video game or her. Balotelli replied: "If you give me 10 minutes, I'll help you pack your bags.
Mario Balotelli's career has undoubtedly been more talked about off the pitch than on it.
Eric Cantona
Old Trafford, one of the Premier League's most iconic stadiums |
Eric Cantona was undoubtedly one of the most promising players of his generation. However, his career was also shrouded in turmoil off the pitch. Among the Frenchman's best-known eccentricities was the kick he gave a Crystal Palace fan, for which he has no regrets. Cantona was sent off in that match, and as he walked along the touchline to the dressing room, he delivered a flying kick to a fan who kept addressing him with racist insults. The kick was followed by several punches, in one of the most memorable episodes of his playing career.
Other episodes involving Eric Cantona include the following: in 1991, Cantona threw the ball at the referee and it hit him. He was suspended for 1 month. With the French national team, he was also left out of the team, because in a television interview, he insulted his then coach, the Frenchman Henri Michel.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic perfectly fits the definition of an eccentric player in the world of football. There are many well-known stories about the Swedish striker, who as a teenager already fit the definition of a person who disregarded the rules. One of the famous stories was the day he pretended to be a policeman and wanted to arrest a priest in Sweden, which led to him ending up in front of the police himself that night to testify about what had happened.
On the field of play, he is remembered for a number of stories that will remain in the memory of all fans. The Swedish striker kicked Cassano while celebrating the league title during his time at Milan, but more remembered is his phrase while playing for PSG. After a defeat against Girondins, Ibrahimovic did not remain silent and showed his anger with the referee in a phrase that remained engraved in the memory of the French: "This shitty country does not deserve PSG".
Paul Gascoigne
One of the most promising talents of his time with one of the most eccentric minds around at the time, that was Paul Gascoigne. There are many crazy things Paul has done, some of them very funny. One day, at team training, he decided to play a joke because he was bored. He took the keys to the new team bus, and went for a ride, with such bad luck that he crashed the bus.
Nicolás Anelka
Nicolas Anelka is known for his talent and his introversion in equal measure. An exquisite goalscorer who, with his serious demeanour, decided not to smile at any celebrations because he was angry with the photographers. The same player who, years later, decided to broadcast his knee operation live on the internet.
There is no doubt that players can also commit eccentricities that give a lot to talk about off the pitch.
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