Football is a sport that is associated with many troubles; in essence, this is an attractive, biological game that attracts a large number of fans, so it is inevitable that there will be controversies. Although there are many football players with high morals and are good examples for the community, many of them have to deal with extra-personal services or inappropriate behavior, affecting their own image and those around them when discovered. Below Bestsoccertips shares the top 10 football scandals and disputes in football history.
Top 10 football scandals recent
1. Football scandals Calciopoli (2006)
The allegations surrounding the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, in which several major Italian clubs were suspected of interfering in the selection of referees for matches and committing other wrongdoings, shocked the football world.
Juventus, who won Serie A in 2005 and 2006, were stripped of their title and relegated to Serie B, where they had to play one season before returning to the top flight.
Although Juventus received a severe penalty for their involvement, AC Milan and several other clubs were fortunate to escape more severe punishments.
The incident had a profound impact on Italian and international football, and since then, many safeguards have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
2. Football scandals: Florentino Perez slams Real Madrid legends in leaked tapes
Florentino Perez has criticised Real Madrid legends in a series of leaked tapes, leaving many people surprised, especially those like Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, who helped the team win against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the 2011-12 season.
Instead of showing gratitude, Perez called Mourinho and Ronaldo “idiots” and “abnormal” in leaked tapes made public by El Confidencial. These recordings were first discovered in July 2021. Specifically, Perez had very harsh criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo, saying:
“Ronaldo is crazy. That guy is an idiot; he is sick. You think this guy is normal, but he is not. If he was normal, he would not do all the things he does.”
3. Referee Robert Hoyzer’s Match-Fixing Scandal
The match-fixing scandal involving referee Robert Hoyzer has rocked German football. The German Football Association (DFB) suspected Hoyzer of rigging a cup match involving Hamburg, leading to an investigation into his conduct.
Although Hoyzer initially denied the allegations, he later admitted wrongdoing and pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation. In the match between Hamburg and Paderborn, which the DFB investigation focused on, Hoyzer twice awarded Hamburg a penalty and sent off a Hamburg player, decisions that were later found to have been rigged. The incident is one of the most famous refereeing scandals in German football history.
4. The Unfortunate Murder of Andres Escobar
The heartbreaking murder of Colombian defender Andrés Escobar shocked the football world. In July 1994, shortly after Colombia were eliminated from the World Cup due to an own goal scored by Escobar in a match against the United States, he was murdered.
A popular theory is that the incident involved a group of drug dealers who may have bet on the outcome of the match and lost money. Although Escobar had only scored an own goal by accident, this led to a huge outburst of anger, and he paid with his life. The murder of a talented player like Escobar, who was known for his solid play and respect for his opponents, was an unimaginable tragedy.
It is a reminder of the brutality of the world off the pitch and shows that mistakes, even unintentional ones, can have serious consequences. Hopefully, tragedies like this will not happen again in the future.
5. Wayne Rooney’s affair with Jenny Thomson
Wayne Rooney’s scandalous affair with Jenny Thomson caused a stir when it was alleged that Rooney had sex with a prostitute while his wife, Coleen Rooney, was pregnant. This was a very difficult period in his career and personal life.
After an unsuccessful World Cup, reports of the affair severely damaged the former Manchester United striker’s image. As a result, Rooney not only faced turmoil in his personal life but also lost his form for a long time on the pitch. In addition, he also faced a long-running contract dispute with Manchester United, before finally agreeing to sign a new contract with the team.
These events were a forgettable period in Rooney’s career, causing him to face many challenges both on and off the pitch.
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6. Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and underage prostitute Zahia Dehar
The sex scandal involving underage prostitute Zahia Dehar has attracted widespread attention as she was accused of having sex with prominent French footballers, including Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou.
Zahia Dehar, who was under 18 at the time, became the focus of the scandal when she was accused of having sex with the players. However, Ribery and the other players have maintained that they did not know her real age at the time of the incident.
Both Ribery and the players involved have expressed surprise at the idea that they would face charges in the future, stressing that their relationship with Zahia Dehar was purely a friendship. The scandal has shocked the public and damaged the image of the players as well as French football.
7. Police arrest former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu after Camp Nou raid
Josep Bartomeu, the former president of Barcelona, was arrested after the club fell into dire financial straits. The case became more serious when it was discovered that Bartomeu had hired a social media company to publicly criticize the team’s players and staff, damaging Barcelona’s image.
In early March 2021, Catalan authorities raided the Camp Nou when Barcelona was over a billion euros in debt. Roman Gomez Ponti, the head of legal services, and Oscar Grau, a senior executive at the club, were also arrested in the incident.
The financial scandal had serious consequences for Barcelona. They had to part ways with legendary player Lionel Messi, as the team could not offer him a new contract without violating La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.
Under new president Joan Laporta, the club has lost €481 million and has a negative net worth of €451 million, making renegotiating player contracts a major challenge and seriously affecting the club’s long-term financial and strategic situation.
8. Dani Alves sexual assault
Dani Alves, a former Barcelona and Brazil player, was arrested in Spain in January 2023 after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub. Alves angrily denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the encounter was consensual.
However, in February 2024, Alves was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to four and a half years in prison. He later began serving his sentence, and completed it after just over a year in prison. The case sent shockwaves through the football world and had a significant impact on Alves’ career, who was previously known for his talent and glittering career at big clubs like Barcelona and Juventus.
9. Bruno Fernandes’ Love Affair Ends in Murder
It seems like you are referring to a shocking incident in football history, but there are some misunderstandings in your information. The story you are mentioning does not involve Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, but is actually a heartbreaking event involving another football player.
The Bruno Fernandes you are referring to is a Brazilian football player, and the event is related to his ex-girlfriend Eliza Samudio, who was murdered in a serious incident. According to reports, Eliza was pregnant and decided to keep the child, which led to a heated argument.
Bruno Fernandes and several other individuals were then accused of being involved in luring Eliza to a location where she was murdered. This story is shocking because it is not only a murder but also involves a famous person in football, the Flamengo goalkeeper.
This incident caused a huge shock and severely affected Bruno Fernandes’ career, and was one of the most serious scandals in Brazilian football.
10. Football scandals: The joy of the Israeli team after the 8-0 defeat
After the heavy 8-0 defeat to Denmark in the European play-off, the Israeli team suffered a huge shock. Former coach Shlomo Scharf announced his resignation, expressing shock at the players’ behavior.
Scharf, who had previously had a lot of experience leading the team, was stunned to learn that the players had invited call girls to a hotel in Israel before the match and had continued to do the same before the second leg in Copenhagen. This made him feel that he could no longer continue to be the team’s coach, and he made the decision to resign immediately after the defeat.
This incident not only tarnished the image of the players, but also affected the entire Israeli football. This is an unfortunate event, not only because of the match result but also because of the irresponsible behavior of the players.
In Summary
Football scandals reflect serious failures in the conduct and ethics of players, coaches and organisations. Events such as match-fixing, personal scandals and illegal acts not only tarnish the image of the sport but also cause great disappointment to fans, affect the reputation of individuals and the football community as a whole. These incidents highlight the need to maintain ethical standards and fairness in football.
See also: 2006 Italian football scandal and the Azzurri’s journey to world championship
