Two of modern football’s most controversial characters have again captured the imagination of supporters throughout this year’s World Cup.
Talented Italian striker Mario Balotelli has done his part, scoring the winner against England before suggesting that the Queen give him a kiss (on the cheek, of course) if he managed to help get them through to the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, despite missing out on Brazil, the walking ego that goes by the name of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has inadvertently created a social media storm due to Nike’s portrayal of his unique personality in their animated film “Risk Everything”.
His role in the film proved to be so popular that Nike created a spin-off under their ‘Dare to Zlatan’ slogan, which led to social media being further inundated with quotes and memes paying homage to his blatant self-aggrandisement.
After watching all of this with interest, I couldn’t help thinking where these two sit in comparison with other bad boy footballers.
What have they actually done? Both Balotelli and Ibrahimovic have gained reputations as troublemakers because they are carefree, opinionated and ever so slightly crazy.
The aptly nicknamed Super Mario’s bizarre behaviour arguably reached a crescendo in 2011 when he set off fireworks in his bathroom the night before the Manchester derby.
The always-quotable Zlatan responded to the incident with this analysis: “I like fireworks too, but I set them off in gardens or kebab stands. I never set fire to my own house”.
Balotelli has also apparently taken a stroll through the grounds of a women’s prison after curiosity got the better of him.
Zlatan, on the other hand, had this to say about being marked by then Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz: “First I went left, he did too. Then I went right, and he did too. Then I went left again, and he went to buy a hot dog”.
While the duo undoubtedly possess character, which not many current footballers do, it’s clear that their bad boy image is unwarranted. Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, who was never far away from controversy himself, jokingly claimed that some modern players only earn notoriety because of their tattoos and funky hair.
“We may not fit into the boxes created by you journalists… but Ibrahimovic, Balotelli and I cannot be considered rebels,” he said.
The main crux of Cantona’s argument was that players who fought through hardships and injustices were more valid rebels than those who simply misbehaved.
For instance, former Chelsea star Didier Drogba helped to end a five-year civil war in his native Ivory Coast in 2005 by begging the warring factions to lay down their arms on live television.
Back in the 1980s, Brazilian superstar Socrates defied authorities by using football matches to urge his country to end its military dictatorship.
More recently, the entire Togo national team boycotted the African Cup of Nations in 2010 after their bus was attacked as it crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo into Angola.
In years to come, Balotelli could actually be seen as a heroic rebel if he can help pave the way for more black players to represent Italy.
But for now, despite the status of modern players and the presence of social media, it appears as though the reason for being labelled a bad boy has changed.
Many footballers are now getting the reputation as a rebel because they are cheating on their wives or throwing darts at teammates. What do you think Roarers? Fair or unfair?
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