The most unprofessional professionals in the modern game (no pre mid-90's and prior please!)

[Fortitude]

Reading through the Juventuz thread, this post came up about Higuain amongst others:

On Higuain

"GTFO out of Juve. You are finished. Thanks for the goals BTW."
"What a useless fat feck. It's an insult for professional players that this guy is underwhelmingly out of shape and is still being paid millions. To have spent 90m on this turd, was the worst piece of Mercato I have ever seen. Worthless fat motherfecker."
"Sell his sorry fat ass."
"He's been an MLS level player for 2 years now. His performance shouldn't come as too much of a shock."

Not very nice, is it? At the same time, they kind of have a point. This guy simply does not get himself in shape despite being paid a fortune to be a star striker at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

This thread cannot exist without the obligatory mention of Eden Hazard, who, upon making what will be the biggest, glamorous move of his career, didn't bother to turn up in anything like good shape, and has barely arsed himself to get himself in peak condition since being there.

Carlos Tevez one-upped Gareth Bale by abandoning City for half a season to go and play golf. It's the kind of thing you expect to hear about players like Robin Friday or George Best on one of his jaunts in the '70's.

Winston Bogarde is etched in the annuls of time for downing tools and basically giving Chelsea the finger.

Any other players who can match or top this bunch?

Do Balotelli or Cassano make this list?

 

[Joga Bonito]

Adebayor

Edit: Diego Costa could have had an even better career if he was more professional.

 

[Fortitude]

Adebayor

! How could I forget him! Should be in the OP. Legend! Best player on the planet when playing for a new contract!

 

[Pexbo]

Joey Barton

 

[Eckers99]

Anderson was a fecking shambles.

The last I saw, he was wearing an oxygen mask after being subbed 36 minutes into a game.

 

[MikeKing]

Carragher.

Edit: Read title as most professional unprofessional.

 

[PeteManic]

Have it on good authority that Wales under Coleman weren’t exactly professional during their Euro success

 

[Cutch]

Adebayor

Edit: Diego Costa could have had an even better career if he was more professional.

I had Costa down as the opposite. Not the most naturally talented but worked hard to get to the top. Why do you say he's unprofessional?

 

[Yagami]

Arthur Melo has been in constant trouble from off the pitch stuff.

 

[Joga Bonito]

! How could I forget him! Should be in the OP. Legend! Best player on the planet when playing for a new contract!

I was marking Adebayor in midfield. Suddenly he said: ’Ah, I’m hungry.’ I replied: ‘What?’ He said: ‘I can't wait for the game to finish. I’m so hungry. Do you know a good restaurant in London?’ At Palace, when we had strength workouts, he would sit in the gym with a cup of coffee and a muffin. He was being paid by City, Tottenham and Palace at the same time, and he was sitting in the gym drinking coffee.

 

[paulscholes18]

I felt what Ryan Fraser done to Bournemouth was unprofessional, I think he should have stayed and helped them with their battle against relegation.

 

[BootsyCollins]

Clearly Ravel should be mentioned, or is he not good enough?

Oh, and March Bosnich.

 

[Sayros]

Ousmane Dembele deserves a decent shout as well unfortunately, although I do feel he is putting his unprofessionalism behind him but who knows? Takes a special kind of player to not show up to training to get his dream move only to not bother to show up for training there as well.

 

[Maluco]

Chelsea fans won’t like this, but...

John Terry

- 9/11 incident
- Scamming fans for private tours of Stamford Bridge
- Racial Abuse
- Gambling Issues
- Dropping piss pints in nightclub
- Vanessa Perroncel

I think he was great as a player, but he was completely unprofessional off the field and could have caused many issues in the squad with his lack of example.

 

[Deery]

Neymar always partying and going to see his sister, for £200m you’d want a Ronaldo clone.

 

[Snow]

You're wrong about Winston Bogarde. He kept in shape and was a total professional. Chelsea never had any grounds for fining him. They just didn't want him at the club after giving him a contract but he also didn't want to leave because he knew he'd be paid less.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Have it on good authority that Wales under Coleman weren’t exactly professional during their Euro success

By what means

 

[Revan]

Cassano could have been a world-class player. He still had a very good career, won a few league titles, played 40 times for Italy and fecked a lot of girls apparently. However, if he had even bothered to go to every second training, he might have been so much more.

 

[dablem_10]

just started some doc on netflix about anelka. Hard to say if he was unpro or just different. (btw by playing style he reminds me martial more then the thierry comparissions). But strait of my head, Andy van der Meyde. He was injuried, didnt care much about rehab and lived very very opposite life of the pros while at Everton.

Where could Wesley Sneider be if he was pro. He said it even himself.

Saido Berahino. He had talent for PL. Not the top, but he was worst pro imaginable by some player, i dont remember interview.

Martin Fenin - less known player, i just want to pick some interesting story. This guy scored in U20 WC 2007 final against Argentina (aguero and zarate scored on other side btw). He was main figure of his local team in young age (player together in attack with Dzeko and by that time was considered minimally same good), scored few in that u20 wc. Then transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt. In his debut he braced hattrick against Bayern. Im not saying he could be world class, but definitelly he was talented. His other part was dark. Always problems with discipline, never tried much in frankfurt. By time he ended in 2nd bundesliga and he injuried by fall from height while drunk. He burn flat with another idiot Steinhoffer. Never scored almost any goals in any level anymore, battling alcoholism gambling depression and possibly pills addiction. By age 23 he was finished. He is so synonym of brat and unprofessional there is even czech rap song about his career

 

[Sandikan]

I felt what Ryan Fraser done to Bournemouth was unprofessional, I think he should have stayed and helped them with their battle against relegation.

He was a disgrace. And let's see where he pops up to see how successful it actually was.

 

[One Night Only]

What a guy, I can imagine him sat with his belly out checking his banking app while eating a muffin

 

[RedTiger]

Winston Bogarde is etched in the annuls of time for downing tools and basically giving Chelsea the finger.

Winston didn't down tools. He wasn't picked for the first team and was demoted to the reserves and underage teams, yet he still turned up every day for training without complaint. Not his fault that no other team would match the contract that Chelsea so stupidly gave him.

 

[Theafonis]

Sneijder

"I just didn't realise that the bottle of vodka became my best friend."
The club and his fellow teammates Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy, encouraged Sneijder to change his lifestyle: "I played pretty well, but they said I could do even better," but to no avail. In his own words he describes his performance during the last season there as "unworthy."
"I still played a lot, but not so good and sharply, less concentrated. My attitude was unworthy of Real Madrid. I lied to myself that it was going well and I held my own by my football intelligence. Physically I deteriorated. I ran less, covered up a lot with my technique and my kicking technique. I also thought no one noticed."

 

[Gio]

I felt what Ryan Fraser done to Bournemouth was unprofessional, I think he should have stayed and helped them with their battle against relegation.

Yeah it was a quick and stupid way to burn up all that goodwill built up over 8 years at the club.

That Hangeland/Adebayor story is hilarious @Joga Bonito

 

[matherto]

Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Romario.

Well known for partying rather than training but were let off because of how good they were.

Pato was another albeit less good. Wasn't there rumours of him being a coke fiend whilst living the good life off the pitch in Milan?

 

[Gio]

Which side of your time limit does Ruddock sit on @Fortitude ?

 

[UpWithRivers]

All those players that smoke cigarettes - rooney, Zidane, Pirlo, Sneijder, Berbatov etc I mean WTF! I get drinking or taking drugs and all the other stuff. Even eating unhealthy and getting fat. But smoking! Why? Stupidest thing you can do. I think thats the difference between them and the likes of Ronaldo who is on a different level although they were all greats. Not just the physical impact of smoking but the mental weakness you would have to have.

 

[diarm]

You'd wonder would Rooney have deteriorated to the extent he did if he'd eaten better and drank less. Might be harsh to call him unprofessional considering the incredible things he did but you have to think if he'd had Ronaldo's dedication he could have achieved so much more.

 

[RedTiger]

Stephen Ireland.

 

[dablem_10]

All those players that smoke cigarettes - rooney, Zidane, Pirlo, Sneijder, Berbatov etc I mean WTF! I get drinking or taking drugs and all the other stuff. Even eating unhealthy and getting fat. But smoking! Why? Stupidest thing you can do. I think thats the difference between them and the likes of Ronaldo who is on a different level although they were all greats. Not just the physical impact of smoking but the mental weakness you would have to have.

even ronaldo 9 was/is smoker

 

[Joga Bonito]

I had Costa down as the opposite. Not the most naturally talented but worked hard to get to the top. Why do you say he's unprofessional?

Now that you mention it, I can't really name too many off field antics apart from the fall out with Conte. Perhaps I'm wrongly conflating his antics on the field and him being a cnut, with being unprofessional.

 

[DarkLord]

The entire France squad for the 2002 and 2010 World Cup. How they revolt against Domenech was disgraceful in 2010.

 

[B20]

Patrick Kluivert allegedly lived an extremely charmed life after he moved to Newcastle.

 

[Feed Me]

Why are people calling Ryan Fraser unprofessional? He opted not to play for the club and avoid risk of injury once his contract had lapsed, didn’t he?

 

[PeteManic]

Chelsea fans won’t like this, but...

John Terry

- 9/11 incident
- Scamming fans for private tours of Stamford Bridge
- Racial Abuse
- Gambling Issues
- Dropping piss pints in nightclub
- Vanessa Perroncel

I think he was great as a player, but he was completely unprofessional off the field and could have caused many issues in the squad with his lack of example.

I don't think any of that is unprofessional. It's just the type of person that Terry was. I'd say he was probably one of the most professional players.

 

[Bojan Djordjic]

The Brazilians to be fair no how to destroy world class potential like no other nationality. Apart from the aforementioned Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Neymar, Pato and Arthur, there was a few others including Adriano, Edmundo and Jardel.

Also, another non-brazilian example was that head case Asamoah Gyan. Rumoured to have murdered someone. Loads of talent but caused sh1t wherever he went too.

 

[Gopher Brown]

Have it on good authority that Wales under Coleman weren’t exactly professional during their Euro success

Go on then, stop being a tease.

You’ve basically just gone ‘I know something you don’t know’ then run off, are you 6 years old?

 

[horsechoker]

Have it on good authority that Wales under Coleman weren’t exactly professional during their Euro success

what happened?

 

[Gopher Brown]

Winston didn't down tools. He wasn't picked for the first team and was demoted to the reserves and underage teams, yet he still turned up every day for training without complaint. Not his fault that no other team would match the contract that Chelsea so stupidly gave him.

I agree, turning up for work every day like you’re contracted for is the opposite of unprofessional

 

[duffer]

I kinda think the players who spend years in a country and don't learn the language are unprofessional.