Biggest Controversies in Football History

As entertaining as the football event is, some events on the football pitch were controversial and hardly can one conclude what happened. One may wonder if footballers learnt some tricks alongside the basic ethics of the game. The newly introduced ‘video assistant referee(VAR)’ is a plus for the entire football community, as the usage makes no room for anything to hide. This article will detail the ten(10) most controversial football events.

10. “Frank Lampard’s Ghost Goal”

In the 37th minute of the Round of 16 encounter between Germany and England on June 27, 2010, England found themselves trailing 2-1 when Lampard netted a spectacular goal. The TV replays showed the ball bouncing a yard behind Germany’s goal line as Lampard blasted the shot from the edge of the penalty area powerfully, striking the underside of the bar.

To the great dismay of England and Lampard, the referee allowed play to continue despite the damage and was forced to take the loss with a score of 4-1. But because FIFA and its referees were condemned for the standards, Lampard’s “ghost goal” caused a huge uproar in international football as it is highly controversial. This led to goal-time technology and Video Assistant Referees (VAR) being introduced in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, respectively.

9. Luis Suarez’s Biting

Suarez first experienced the benefits of biting someone when playing for Ajax in 2010 when he gnawed on PSV’s Otman Bakkal. He also gorged on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Giorgio Chiellini during a 2014 World Cup group-stage match. Biting and spitting in particular seem to enrage football fans more than most other offenses. They are planned actions that are typically done away from the ball and are nearly considered subhuman behaviour.

8. The Netherlands’ Dirty Tactics

Andres Iniesta, a Spanish footballer, was nearly knocked into the middle of the pitch after Mark van Bommel tackled him from behind at the 22-minute mark. Not at all surprising given that van Bommel is regarded as one of the world’s most unpleasant players by many football supporters, many of whom claim they may support Dutch football but not van Bommel.

The worst, though, was yet to come. Nigel de Jong of the Netherlands defeated Spanish player Xabi Alonso by slamming his boot into his chest at a high rate of speed. Alonso collapsed, fortunately, his heart continued to beat. De Jong, however, only received a yellow card, shocking the majority of fans.

7. Rio Ferdinand’s Ban

Rio Ferdinand, the most expensive footballer in England, was given an eight-month suspension for refusing to give a sample to drug testers. He missed the second half of the season as well as the Euro 2004 finals next summer. He also received a £50,000 fine plus expenses.

The Manchester United defender missed more than 30 matches for his club and nation as a result of his sentence, which is a record for the offence. It starts on January 12. A three-person Football Association disciplinary panel deliberated for 17 hours at the Reebok stadium in Bolton before reaching a decision.

Soon after 8 o’clock, the ban was announced, and Manchester United reacted angrily.

6. Thierry Henry’s Handball

The Republic of Ireland and France required additional time and an additional hand to separate them after going head-to-head throughout the course of the two legs of their World Cup qualification playoff.

In order to square the ball for William Gallas to score the game-winning goal, Thierry Henry used his hand to handle an ungainly ball. The Boys in Green lost because of the goal, which Ireland players observed and reported to the uninterested referee.

5. Rivaldo’s Play-Acting

Brazil won 2-1 against a tenacious Turkish team in their World Cup debut, but Rivaldo’s antics will be remembered far more than the final score. The forward was passed to by Hakan Unsal and was about to take a corner when he collapsed like he had been shot by a sniper. Rivaldo imagined that he had suffered a severe football attack. A hurried opponent who was eager to continue the game had handed him the ball.

4. Luis Suarez’s Handball

The Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez has been painted as the main antagonist in the Ghana-Uruguay rivalry after blocking Dominic Adiyah’s goal-bound attempt with both hands in the waning moments of extra time during a goalmouth melee.

Suarez’s intentional handball resulted in an automatic red card and a penalty kick that might be crucial for Ghana. Asamoah Gyan, a forward for Ghana, hit the penalty kick off the top of the crossbar and over. Uruguay won the game on penalties, winning 4-2 in the shootout, and the game was ultimately decided. Ghanaians were furious with Suarez because of his actions on the field, the consequences of those actions, and his attitude afterwards. Uruguay and Suarez have therefore been staying together.

3. The Hand of God

In 1986, Diego Maradona produced one of the most deceptive goals in World Cup history. It is referred to as the “Hand of God.”
Maradona made Argentina appear to be a one-man team at the tournament in Mexico, but it wasn’t. That was especially true during the quarterfinal matchup with England when he scored one of the finest and most controversial goals in the history of the competition.
A low center of gravity and tremendous strength combined with Maradona’s height of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters) allowed him to quickly escape from the offence.

2. (1994) Maradona’s World Cup Bender

After scoring the ‘Hand of God goal’ against England eight years prior, Maradona returned to make headlines all over the world.
The ever-entertaining Argentine charged at the cameramen at the side of the field as he yelled and his wild eyes popped after scoring an incredible goal against Greece. He was undoubtedly using cocaine; FIFA disqualified him from the competition as a result.

1. The Murder of Andres Escobar

Escobar scored an own goal that made his country lose in the group stage (but in no way caused it). Later that summer, Escobar was approached and shot six times by three unidentified individuals, who sang “Goal!” as each bullet entered their victim. The incident seriously damaged Colombia’s standing abroad.

Here is a list of the top 10 controversial events in football history as Suarez and Maradona featured twice on the list.

10. (2010) “Frank Lampard’s Ghost Goal”

9. (2010), (2013), and (2014), Luis Suarez’s Biting

8. (2010) The Netherlands’ Dirty Tactics

7. (2003) Rio Ferdinand’s Ban

6. (2009) Thierry Henry’s Handball

5. (2002) Rivaldo’s Play-Acting

4. (2010) Luis Suarez’s Handball

3. (1986) The Hand of God

2. (1994) Maradona’s World Cup Bender

1. (1994) The Murder of Andres Escobar

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