9 Players With the Most Fiery Tempers in Football
By 90min
It is difficult to keep your cool all the time as a footballer due to the fast-paced, high energy nature of the game, but there are some players who just always seem to be angry.
With fuses shorter than their time spent in the Fair Play rankings, here are 9 players with the most fiery tempers in football...
1. Roy Keane
The former Manchester United skipper is an obvious choice to start. Possessing one of the worst track records when it comes to keeping his cool, Roy Keane would simply lose it if he felt he was hard done by.
The Irish midfielder even went to the extent of ending Alf Inge Haaland's career as a result of an ongoing altercation.
2. Pepe
Pepe has a notorious name for himself in La Liga, having spent the last seven years kicking ankles whilst defending the Real Madrid goal.
Whenever he plays for Portugal, his short fuse is exposed to the entire world and some clever individuals have manipulated the 33-year-old to be sent off, as Thomas Muller did in the 2014 World Cup.
3. Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is simply failing to mature. The Italian striker continues to act like a petulant child when things don't go his way and that has seen him get into a lot of trouble both on and off the pitch.
Now at Nice, the 26-year-old has a history of letting his short temper get the better of him and, truth be told, without it he could've achieved a whole lot more.
4. Zinedine Zidane
If you thought that Zinedine Zidane's headbutt to Marco Materazzi, which earned the Frenchman a red card in the 2006 World Cup final, was an isolated incident you would be wrong.
In fact, the current Real Madrid boss holds the unwanted record of getting sent off the most in the World Cup, twice, the first coming during the successful 1998 tournament.
5. Joey Barton
The notorious midfielder has played for four different Premier League clubs, as well as short stints in France and Scotland with Marseille and Rangers respectively, and he has managed to raise a storm at each and every team he's featured at.
The 34-year-old has a terrible disciplinary record and it's normally been his rash behaviour which has got the one cap England wonder into trouble.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan is not one to be messed with, just ask Rafael van der Vaart, Mido, Antonio Cassano, Oguchi Onyewu, Pep Guardiola, Salvatore Aronica, Rodney Strasser, Stephane Ruffier, Andres Guardado and Christian Wilhelmsson.
Yes that ridiculously long rap list includes all the teammates, opponents and managers that the Swedish striker has had altercations with over the years, a clear sign that the Manchester United man has a very fiery temper.
7. El Hadji Diouf
Another one with an entire category on his Wikipedia page dedicated to "controversies", the former Senegalese international seemed to have an obsession with spitting after being caught doing so against opposing players and opposing fans!!
The former Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers winger was always on hand to react disproportionately when instigated, a habit that defenders often took advantage of when playing against Diouf.
8. Patrick Vieira
Arsenal fans still miss Patrick Vieira. The former captain at Highbury was a ruthless midfielder and often dominated games due to his sheer physique, yet, he was also known for having a terribly short fuse which led to the Frenchman often having to explain his actions to the FA.
During his time in North London, he kick, spat and fought with those daring to challenge his reign as the Premier League's toughest individual, leading Vieira to have one of the worst disciplinary records in Arsenal's history.
9. Gennaro Gattuso
Which club captain would dare to grab former hard man Joe Jordan by the throat? Gennaro Gattuso, that's who. The former AC Milan stalwart took on Spurs' assistant manager at the time after the Rossoneri were defeated 1-0 at home in the Champions League.
For a skipper to do something of that sort it only goes to show the kind of temper that the former Italian midfield general had. Opponents would often try to manipulate Gattuso into getting sent off as a result, they succeeded.