10. Eric Cantona v/s a football fan
Sent-off in a game against Crystal Palace, for kicking out at defender Richard Shaw, Cantona was on his way to the dressing room when he suddenly lashed out at a fan. Cantona jumped up and kicked Matthew Simmons, a Palace fan, in the face and followed it up with a series of punches. The matter went to court and Simmons was convicted for threatening language & behaviour. Cantona came out unscathed and went on to deliver his famous media-seagull comparison quote after it.
09. Paolo Di Canio v/s the rest of the world
Paolo di Canio has fought with Patrick Viera, given Fascist salutes and done everything wrong possible in the book. An extremely fiery tempered character, di Canio has been criticized many times for lashing out at referees even. Match bans were like breakfast to him, regular and always there!
08. Zinedine Zidane v/s Marco Materazzi
As a professional, what Zinedine Zidane did was unthinkable. After years of playing in leagues & matches where verbal abuse is a part & parcel of the game, Zidane waited until the final game of his career, the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, to lose his mind. Marco Materazzi exacted sweet revenge for the 2000 European Championships’ loss by inciting Zidane to head butt the defender to the ground. A truly foolish moment that defined Zidane’s discipline record on the pitch!
07. Dinamo Zagreb v/s Red Star Belgrade
At the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, fans of Dinamo Zagreb, called the Bad Blue Boys, got into a fight with the Delije, fans of Red Star. Parties favouring Croatian independence had just won the elections and tensions were always high between these two teams. Tempers flared up as 60 people were wounded, stabbed and robbed.
06. Danubio v/s Nacional
It was known as the riot that stopped a season. Following Danubio’s 1-nil win over Nacional, both teams invaded the pitch and fought for 15 minutes. The fight led the Uruguayan FA to ban all league games for fear of similar incidents all over. There were numerous injuries and arrests but nothing can take away the futility of the people involved in this terrible brawl that led to the end of football that year.
05. Catania v/s Palermo
Racial tensions and abuses from Palermo fans led to them getting banned for the away game to Catania. The stadium was closed out for the travelling fans and only those who could provide proof of residence in Catania, were allowed for the game. Racism has always been prevalent in Italy but these instances have been singled out as the worst of all kinds.
04. Wroclaw 2003
It was an organized fight between Polish football fans that led to the death of one man, and 229 arrests. As Slask Wroclaw took on Arka Gdynia, the Ustawka, started a fight about a kilometer away from the stadium. It was pre-arranged in the sense that neither group came to watch the game. They only came, with pre-determined knowledge, to break into a fight.
03. FC Zurich v/s Grasshoppers
An otherwise charming nation, Switzerland is not known for acts of violence. However, when FC Zurich took on Grasshoppers, unpleasant things hit the fan. Fans began shouting abuses at each other, across the dividing walls. Policeman blocked out fans with shields to prevent them from crossing over, as fans kicked and screamed at each other. Not many injuries occurred but the event has set a terrible precedent in Swiss football.
02. Birmingham v/s Leeds
Fans were unruly in 1985 as English football was down in the dumps. Fans from Birmingham City and Leeds United clashed before the game, while it was on and then after it. A 14-year old fan died when a wall collapsed upon him. Shameful scenes that had become a trademark of English football at the time!
01. Heysel Disaster
Liverpool were getting ready to take on Juventus at the 1985 European Cup finals. An hour before kickoff, Liverpool fans broke the fence separating them from the Juve supporters, thus forcing the Italians backwards. The Juve supporters ran back in fear and retreated towards a concrete wall. People next to the walls were crushed while the wall would eventually collapse as well. 32 Juventus fans and 7 Liverpool fans died as a result, while another 600 were injured. A terrible & shameful view into football hooliganism and mob-mentality.