Agree on the language thing. On top of it being unprofessional, I find it incredibly disrespectful. Bale being a good example. Spanish is a such a piss-easy language for speakers of English and not being conversationally fluent after 6 six months, let alone 6 years says a lot about your attitude.
The most unprofessional professionals in the modern game (no pre mid-90's and prior please!)
- Thread starter Fortitude
- Start date
It's not that hard if you actually make an effort and have the time and money.
A lot of footballers just don't bother. They have a couple of lessons and say "feck that" then get back on the PlayStation or golf course.
It's a real British thing as well. How much Spanish or German can Bale or Sancho speak? So disrespectful.
Rojo although by no means the worst deserves a mention here.
I agree, they say it’s hard when really they’ve put in no effort whatever.
I ve heard Nainggolan is a heavy smoker.
Lukaku during his time with us: had some kind of police charge when he was at the brink of joining us, and became so jacked whilst here that the man could barely move. He suddenly lost a lot of the attributes that made him top class: acceleration, pace, explosiveness and instead was an overweight, bloated meathead.
heard of Higuan?
He’s bad, but always been podgy. Lukaku in his last season at Utd was non league level of fitness and professionalism.
That match was in La Paz though... the altitude is ridiculous. Many professional players including Messi and Di Maria have needed oxygen masks there too and Messi threw up at half time.
From what I've read Barthez could be considered to some extent from a recent Athletic article I read
*Heavy smoker
*Apparently wasnt all that interested in training
*Was more interested in paying CF than practicing as a goalkeeper and used to constantly ask Fergie to play a game up front
*Heavy smoker
*Apparently wasnt all that interested in training
*Was more interested in paying CF than practicing as a goalkeeper and used to constantly ask Fergie to play a game up front
Who was that guy in premier league who drove himself to the other team's ground only to be sent back on the final day of transfer.
And why are we not mentioning Angel Di Maria. The prick just wasted our year
And why are we not mentioning Angel Di Maria. The prick just wasted our year
Peter Odemwingie! Although it wasn't really his fault, think the transfer collapsed at the last minute.
Andy van der Meijde by a huge distance.
Fixed that for you.
Being a scumbag human being is very different from being unprofessional. I don't think he'd have been so endearing to Jose if he hadn't set an example in training. By all accounts he was 100% committed to football.
Jack Rodwell must be up there?
However my vote would go to Ian Marshall. He was at Bolton under Big Sam who said he could train at home a couple of days a week instead of travelling in everyday but he had to wear a heart rate monitor so they could track what training he was doing. Rather than go and do a bit, Marshall strapped the monitor to his dog.
However my vote would go to Ian Marshall. He was at Bolton under Big Sam who said he could train at home a couple of days a week instead of travelling in everyday but he had to wear a heart rate monitor so they could track what training he was doing. Rather than go and do a bit, Marshall strapped the monitor to his dog.
Tevez buggering off to Argentina to play golf for a few months has been mentioned, but the incident that set the whole thing off was just as impressive. Flat out refusing to come off the bench when Mancini tried to sub him on, I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since. Oh, well other than Kepa refusing to come off the pitch I guess.
Maybe not a single event like some in here, but the likes of Mido and Andy Reid turning up overweight season after season.
What?!
Brozović has single-handedly kept several casinos in Croatia from going out of work 
Zakaria Bakkali, was regarded as a very talented prospect, then had on field and off field behavioural issues. At one point he was banned from even playing for Jong PSV.
Anderson definitely, not only for being so unfit but for the car crash interview, he also nearly ran me over on the way to a game once too.
Anderson definitely, not only for being so unfit but for the car crash interview, he also nearly ran me over on the way to a game once too.
How are we on page 3 and literally no one has yet sought fit to mention Robinho?!
Yeah, I don't blame him. It's not like Bournemouth would give him money if he'd get done in a match. I don't know how much it would cost to insure him for 6-8 weeks for a sum that would set him up for life, but I can't see the problem in asking that of Bournemouth or clubs that were in that position.
Surely a cocaine fuelled Maradona, regardless of how good he was, tops the unprofessional charts.
No doubt about that, but the OP did state modern players.
Not on the bench per se, but it was reported in 2001 that Scholes refused to play against Arsenal. According to the report, he was dropped for a game against Liverpool due to poor form. Convinced it was the wrong decision, he refused to play in a weakened (only Yorke and Phil Neville were from first team) United side against Arsenal in the league cup. His punishment was a fine, and started the next game. Scholes has since confirmed that this is the case. I think he got off lightly myself. He should've been forced to get down on all fours and crawl to that infamous tree from 40 yards whilst the United faithful chanted 'shame' in Klingon.
As for the Kepa example, apparently Messi refused to come off positioning the manager to take Neymar off instead, According to this report, Messi had just come back from Asia, where he made appearances for Argentina against Brazil in China and in an away game against the Hong Kong national team. Barcelona also face Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday before heading to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid on Saturday. Some staunch supporters of Messi have claimed the video footage is actually evidence of the manager asking if Messi is okay to carry on after being fouled on the pitch. Moreover, some Barca fans have claimed it was actually Neymar that was refusing to come off the pitch leading to the frustration in Enrique's body language, and it was coincidental that the camera panned to Messi as he was communicating with Suarez.
Now, in terms of my own contribution to the thread title, the first player that came to mind was Gallas. Forced a move to Arsenal.Threatened to score own goals, get sent off, and deliberately make choices which would put Chelsea's defence into jeopardy. Its worth remembering that Arsenal had just finished second. It was certainly not Chelsea's prerogative to strengthen a contender for the title. Gallas would later be stripped of the captaincy as an Arsenal player due to his relationship with players in the dressing room viewing him as a primadonna.
I remember hearing from Ian Wright that Arsenal players were calling in sick to avoid training in Wenger's final years, resulting in people showing up at doorsteps to force them to train.
How many years was Valencia in England? Must have been with us for 10 and Wigan for whatever time before that. He’s bound to have picked up a decent grasp of it in all that time.
You’re mistaken being unprofessional with being a cnut. JT was probably as professional as they come in terms of actually playing football.
Rooney, Smoker, drinker, suspensions when we needed him for stupid red cards, coming back almost every pre season woefully out of shape.
Scholes reportedly refused to play in a league cup game, back in 2001.
edit: see @Rasendori beat me to it.
Mido - at one point having to wear shorts so big they were down to his knees
Kepa - refusing to be subbed off
Rooney - not bothering to learn English despite being a native
Kepa - refusing to be subbed off
Rooney - not bothering to learn English despite being a native
Matt Le Tissier
Yup.
You can even find JT workout program for stamina on YT. He is pro but outside of a pitch (private life) different story.
Depends on the person, sometimes effort and motivation or better teachers are not enough.
People with certain mother tongue will find it more difficult than the others. For example for Japanese people it is more difficult to speak English compared to the Chinese.
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According to the Palermo chairman at the time, Kyle Lafferty was a bit unprofessional during his stint in Serie B.
Maurizio Zamparini said:
Go on
Fair enough
Aye, have heard some rather unendearing stories about his attempts to avoid training at Rangers.
Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes de Souza.
He was jailed for ordering the murder of his girlfriend, whose body was then chopped up and fed to his dogs.
He was jailed for ordering the murder of his girlfriend, whose body was then chopped up and fed to his dogs.