Superstars such as Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario played with smiles on their faces, but some needed aggression to get the best out of themselves. Here are 10 ill-tempered footballers of the past and present, including a former Mamelodi Sundowns boss and two Manchester United legends.
Click through the gallery above to see 10 footballers who have or had some bad tempers!
There are two active players on our list, in Wayne Rooney and Pepe, and they are two stars who were widely considered world-class during their respective primes, and are also two stars who often found themselves in trouble.
During the earlier days of his career, it was Rooney's passion and aggression that made so many England and United fans fall in love with him, but he was known to cross the line. So much so that, in 2005, the striker sought professional help for his wild temper to help channel his anger positively.
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As his career progressed, it was obvious the player's anger management classes helped him a great deal, although many believe the forward's self-assertion and boldness was what made him the incredible player he was during his peak years.
His former colleague Roy Keane also had his fair share of cases in which his bad temper got him into trouble. Ultimately, it was the Irishman's fury that resulted in his exit from the Red Devils in 2006. A rant at his teammates saw Sir Alex Ferguson expel him from the team after 13 years at the club.
Perhaps one of the most short-tempered players in football history is Italy icon Gennaro Gattuso, who was never afraid to get in his opponents' faces. The former AC Milan midfielder was a tough-tackling hardman with unshakeable bravery, and was a player not many wanted to into a challenge with.
The wonderfully talented Hristo Stoichkov also features for the aggression he showed towards opposition and match officials, which did not change much when he took up a managerial role at clubs such as Celta Vigo and Sundowns.
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Unsurprisingly, Joey Barton is also included – click through the gallery above to see 10 talented players who had the shortest of tempers out on the field!
Can you think of any other high-profile players with bad tempers we could add to this list? Let us know in the comments section below.
