Eight players that football fans love to hate

We all have those footballers that we dislike. We all remember those specific moments in matches that had us raging. An injury to your star player? Your team cheated out of a crucial victory? 

Some of the worlds best players can be sly in their ways to win football matches. That’s one of the things that has got them to the very top. World class footballers don’t take losing well, but some take it worse than others.

But who are the players that football fans just love to hate and why?

Sergio Ramos

The Sergio Ramos and Jürgen Klopp spat has rolled into another week, with the Spanish defender now calling out the Liverpool boss for his lack of trophy wins in recent years.

Of course, this all started with Mohamed Salah’s injury in last season’s Champions League final. Ramos (accidentally, so he claims) hauled Salah to the ground as the Egyptian played a pass out wide and the Liverpool star was unable to continue.

With Jürgen Klopp clearly unhappy with Ramos’ actions in the final, which also saw him barge into Loris Karius off the ball, Liverpool fans continue to rage at the Real Madrid and Spain captain.

Ramos has, of course, been around for long enough to know what he is doing. We have seen his mischievous antics in plenty of El Clásico ties down the years and he is probably the villain of European football at present.

Diego Costa

Plenty of Premier League and La Liga players are more than likely to have been subject to some typical Diego Costa behaviour.

That, to be fair, can be anything from stamping and flailing arms to some general ‘roughing up’. Costa is probably the king of roughing up the opposing sides’ defenders.

A top striker, nonetheless, and one that looks like he could regain his 2013/14 form, but one that former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte decided he couldn’t deal with during his time at Stamford Bridge. Their falling out lead to a return to Atletico Madrid for the Spain forward and, you could argue, the beginning of the demise of Conte’s reign with the Blues.

Ander Herrera

I’m not sure there were many Manchester United fans expecting this side of Herrera when he joined the club from Athletic Bilbao in 2014, but he’s definitely earned his way into this category.

Herrera is, perhaps, one of José Mourinho’s most valued midfield players now. He’s constantly snapping at players ankles and constantly in the referee’s ear.

The 29-year-old is pretty much always the subject of plenty of opposing fans’ moans and groans when United come to town.

Luis Suarez

Suarez, of course, made a name for himself as one of Europe’s most wild footballers during his time at Liverpool.

People that know him personally say that off the pitch he is the nicest person you will meet. On it, he’s a totally different animal.

The Barcelona striker will do absolutely anything and everything to give his team an advantage. He’s admitted on plenty of occasions that he doesn’t handle losing well. An incredible player whose career has been dominated with controversy. Many fans still have him in their bad books for various reasons.

Sergio Busquets

Busquets is, to many, the snidest of Barcelona’s players. There have been plenty of El Clásico ties in recent years that have, at some point, involved Busquets play acting and trying to fool the referee.

Another incredibly talented footballer, without whom Barcelona would not be nearly as strong a force as they have been in recent years, but the play-acting can be a bit much. His peak at the referee whilst on the ground with his hands on his face in Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final clash with Inter Milan in 2010 will live long in the memory.

Neymar

The Brazil superstar was criticised by many for going to ground too easily during this summer’s World Cup. In la Seleção’s group game against Costa Rica, the referee awarded a penalty after Neymar went down in the box. Replays showed little contact and VAR overturned the decision.

The PSG forward defended himself following Brazil’s exit from the tournament, claiming he often needed ‘four or five hours’ of ice treatment after matches. But many fans became fed up with his actions in Russia and the former Barcelona man has become a bit of a laughing stock in some quarters.

Pepe

The Pepe-Ramos centre-back pairing at Real Madrid was one of the most formidable in Europe for some time and both were always incredibly difficult to handle for referees, too. Now at Besiktas, the Portugal defender showed that he still has a mischievous side to his game during the World Cup.

The most eye-opening Pepe incident from down the years was probably his sending off for Real Madrid against Getafe in 2009. This was the definition of losing your rag.

After conceding a late penalty, the defender proceeded to kick Javi Casquero twice, knee him in the back, stamp on him twice and then lose his temper with pretty much everyone else on the pitch. Nasty.

Marouane Fellaini

Fellaini is one that will always act innocent around the referee. He’s not noticeably vicious on the pitch, but players that have been on the end of those flailing arms, elbows and whatever else would argue differently. He can also be nasty in the tackle.

But it’s something away from behaviour and conduct that sees Fellaini make the cut here – his annoying goals that you can’t do anything about. There are very few midfield players like Fellaini. José Mourinho effectively uses him as an option to throw on to the pitch for the last 15 minutes when United need a goal and, more often than not, it works.

There’s not a lot you can do about it, either. Stick a ball towards the back post in the dying embers of a game and you can be sure that Fellaini will be there or thereabouts. Very, very annoying.

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