For every force of good there is in football, there is an equal force of bad to provide balance. A yin to their yang. For every hero, a villain.

As much fun as it is to see the sport's most treasured icons succeed, audiences can sometimes take equal pleasure in seeing a star plummet from the heavens and fall to the depths below.

We've compiled a list of those who, whether it be for their antics on or off the pitch, have developed an unenviable reputation in the game, not just among certain sets of fans or clubs, but by the entire football population.

12.EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

The song has, for years, remained the same regarding Emmanuel Adebayor: He lands a new home in the soccer world and then the striker scores goals, he begins to gain a reputation for not putting in the necessary work in training sessions and during matches (i.e. “Lazybayor”), and the process repeats itself once again. Adebayor’s run with Tottenham Hotspur has been a roller coaster ride filled with hits and misses, and Spurs gave him a leave for personal reasons after he revealed via Facebook that family problems had led to him contemplating suicide.

11.ASHLEY COLE

Stamford Bridge has played home to a number of England's most controversial figures in its time, not least of whom is the Blues' current left-back, Ashley Cole.

The England international is perhaps most famed for his long and well-documented relationship with ex-wife Cheryl Cole, whom he cheated on numerous times, per Rachael Wheeler of Mirror 3am.

Cole is also one of several Premier League players who's been photographed smoking on occasion, and as the Guardian's Amelia Hill and Dominic Fifield report, fell into some hot water in 2011 for shooting a Chelsea trainee with an air rifle.

While there's no doubting his talent as one of the best defenders in the English top flight, there's few who would truly say they adore Cole.

10.JOHN TERRY
They say that the bond between teammates is something akin to brotherhood, an unshakable link that can never be broken.

John Terry went some way towards proving that's certainly not the case for all when, as Amanda Perthen, Ian Gallagher, Andy Chapman and James Millbank of the Daily Mail Online reported in 2010, he impregnated Vanessa Perroncel, the girlfriend of then-Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge.

After arranging for the abortion and the affair becoming public knowledge, Terry, who was married, became labelled as a piranha, forever regarded as something of a villain in the English game.

As if that wasn't bad enough, 2012 saw Terry apologise for the racist abuse he had spouted at QPR's Anton Ferdinand in 2011, per Charles Sale of the Daily Mail Online, incurring a £220,000 fine and an FA ban to go along with it.

It doesn't help that the former England centre-back's family hasn't helped the Terry image. His father was caught up in a racism controversy of his own earlier this summer, per Melanie Hall of the Telegraph.

9.

Joey Barton


One player who genuinely seems to revel in making headlines simply for the sake of it is Joey Barton, England's resident Twitter voice on all things interesting.

It could be criticising Sir Alex Ferguson's ability as a coach or simply criticising Roy Hodgson's England a little vigorously, but the former Manchester City and Newcastle bad boy is never likely to shirk his outspoken ways.

At least expressing his views over social media is a step down from the antics that saw Barton become renowned for controversy earlier in his career, when he served 74 days in jail for an assault he handed out in Liverpool, per BBC News and the Telegraph.

8.NEYMAR
Any young athlete touted to be the “next big thing” of his sport is going to have those who hope that he is an overrated flop and that he fails. Fans and other observers have seen the best and worst of Neymar over the years, as he has matched some scintillating play with obvious and disgusting dives that are worthy of a punishment more harsh than just a standard yellow card. Neymar is also mirroring the life of a famous Barcelona teammate (mentioned later in this piece) in that the Brazilian is involved in a case regarding allegations of tax fraud.

7.MARIO BALOTELLI

Haunted by the demons of his past actions, the former Manchester City striker will never quite shake the repercussions of setting fireworks off in his own house, throwing darts at a youth-team player or pointlessly back-heeling a glorious opportunity wide, per Simon Rice of The Independent and the Press Association.

Of course, the Italian does have his loveable side.

The side that's capable of giving £1,000 to a homeless man, gatecrashing Inter's managerial announcement of Andrea Stramaccioni and lighting up the pitch at Euro 2012 with some of the best finishing you're likely to see.

Nevertheless he still undoubtedly remains one of the more hated figures in football.

6 .ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC.

He has been said to be enigmatic and eccentric. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proven himself to be capable of hitting highlight reel goals seemingly at will, but the veteran front man has also drawn boos from home crowds unimpressed with the effort – or lack thereof – he has shown during matches. Ibrahimovic then raised some eyes among Paris Saint-Germain followers and others in the country when he was accused of using an expletive to describe France. Add in that he is seen by some as a mercenary who plays more for checks than he does for his teams, and it is easy to understand why the popular goal-scorer is also hated by plenty.

5 .PEPE
One who's perhaps famed for the opposite of simulation is Real Madrid's Pepe, known for his more barbaric approach to things than the contact-less crime of diving.

The Portuguese defender is capable of incredibly violent acts on the pitch, the likes of which will certainly satiate the needs of those who say football is becoming a less and less physical sport.

After stamping on Lionel Messi's hand in 2012, Pepe apologised to the Barcelona star, per the Daily Mail, claiming the offence was "unintentional."

We'll leave that up for debate.

4.DIEGO COSTA

Diego Costa is everything that fans both love and hate out of professional athletes. He has been known to talk trash to opponents during matches. Costa has not been shy about getting into physical altercations, even risking potential red cards in the process. He has even gone so far to stomp on opponents. Costa earned himself a reputation for being dirty while with Atletico Madrid, and he did well to carry that over to his days with Chelsea. You may love him if he is on your favorite team, but fans of rival clubs are far more likely to hate him.

On top of that, Brazilian fans have taken a dislike to Costa after he decided to change National teams and play for the Spanish National team, though he was born in Brazil and player in friendlies for them.

3.SERGIO BUSQUETS

Simulation remains a very pertinent issue at the elite level of football, but there are those certain bastions of the "art" that keep it alive and thriving more than any others.

It's certain that Sergio Busquets falls into that category, which is slightly ironic considering the Spaniard plays in a box-to-box role not as frequently associated with diving as other positions.

Still, the Barcelona midfielder has earned the disdain of many within the sport.

Ricardo Bernard once referred to Sergio Busquets as “The Loveable Cheater” in a piece for the Grantland website. “Loveable” is a term of endearment not everybody would use to describe the Barcelona man. Busquets has a long history of throwing himself to the ground and faking injuries in attempts to win red cards against opponents, and just as bothersome as his antics is the fact that he has gotten away with these Broadway-worthy gimmicks. He was also once accused of making racist remarks against an opponent.

2.LUIS SUAREZ

It could have all gone so well for Luis Suarez.

A prolific scoring talisman proving himself at Ajax around the start of the 21st century, and all he had to do was keep his mouth shut and keep scoring as he was to pave the way for a glittering career at both the club and the international level.

However, in recent years, it's the Uruguayan's mouth that's landed him in the most hot water, not least of which was his two offences for biting—the first of which is shown in the video above.

The other form of trouble linked with Suarez's mouth is more verbal, an eight-match ban and £40,000 fine being earned for the apparent racial abuse of Manchester United's Patrice Evra in 2011, per the Guardian.

Elsewhere, the South American has also used his appendages to court trouble, maliciously hand-balling in the 2010 World Cup while on duty with Uruguay, an offence that would eventually see Ghana out of the South African competition.

No matter how he goes about his public rehabilitation and attempts to remodel himself in the public's eye, Suarez remains the most largely vilified figure in the sport.

Last but not the least



1. CRISTIANO RONALDO
Often the case in any sport, it's the biggest and the best athletes that tend to draw the ire of most. After all, the only thing some fans delight in more than seeing the rise of a superstar is seeing them fall.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly a candidate to be named the best footballer in the world, but sometimes, it harms someone of such stature to have a personality as big as their talents, which the Portuguese captain certainly does, his cause is not helped by the fact that he is the star player of real Madrid which makes him a prime target for fans of rival club fc Barcelona or fans of His eternal rival Lionel messi.


Cc: lalasticlala, mynd44, seun.

It would've been incomplete without Diego costa

Germaindefoe:
Last but not the least



1. CRISTIANO RONALDO
Often the case in any sport, it's the biggest and the best athletes that tend to draw the ire of most. After all, the only thing some fans delight in more than seeing the rise of a superstar is seeing them fall.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly a candidate to be named the best footballer in the world, but sometimes, it harms someone of such stature to have a personality as big as their talents, which the Portuguese captain certainly does, his cause is not helped by the fact that he is the star player of real Madrid which makes him a prime target for fans of rival club fc Barcelona or fans of His eternal rival Lionel messi.


Cc: lalasticlala, mynd44, seun.

penaldo I fucking hate this bastard.

Suprised that both Neymar and Sergio Busquest are on the list.

Definetely, Diego Costa, Pepe and Suarez should make the top 3.

Germaindefoe:
Last but not the least



1. CRISTIANO RONALDO
Often the case in any sport, it's the biggest and the best athletes that tend to draw the ire of most. After all, the only thing some fans delight in more than seeing the rise of a superstar is seeing them fall.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly a candidate to be named the best footballer in the world, but sometimes, it harms someone of such stature to have a personality as big as their talents, which the Portuguese captain certainly does, his cause is not helped by the fact that he is the star player of real Madrid which makes him a prime target for fans of rival club fc Barcelona or fans of His eternal rival Lionel messi.


Cc: lalasticlala, mynd44, seun.

Lmao ronaldo fully deserves top spot I've never seen anyone in sports who is as hated as ronaldo everywhere the dude goes he is hated, the only other person I can think of who comes close is Suarez and I can see he got second position.

Hmmmmmmm

Germaindefoe:
8.NEYMAR
Any young athlete touted to be the “next big thing” of his sport is going to have those who hope that he is an overrated flop and that he fails. Fans and other observers have seen the best and worst of Neymar over the years, as he has matched some scintillating play with obvious and disgusting dives that are worthy of a punishment more harsh than just a standard yellow card. Neymar is also mirroring the life of a famous Barcelona teammate (mentioned later in this piece) in that the Brazilian is involved in a case regarding allegations of tax fraud.

neymar for real

nice one.......Ronaldo,suarez, busquets, Pepe all there.

Even as a Chelsea fan I hate Diego Costa

Why people hate Ronaldo.. I never can tell...

Wat bout el Hadji diouf

Ronaldo is the only reason i'm interested in football