A few of my own attempts at FourFourTwo's feature 'The Boy's a Bit Loco' during work experience. From my own research.
Gao Lin
Position: Striker Nationality: Chinese
Club: Guangzhou Evergrande Age: 27
Club: Guangzhou Evergrande Age: 27
Nutter Credentials
With only 9 yellow cards since
2008, Gao Lin doesn’t appear a credible candidate for the ‘loco’
categorisation. In this Chinese striker’s case, though, it’s his individual
moments of madness that earn him a reputation that has scarred his status
amongst China’s football following. If driving a pink Porsche alongside a woman
who enjoys posting racy images of herself all over the internet (that is, his
wife) doesn’t point towards a Balotelli-esque mentality – the eccentric striker
dropped a division in 2010 when he signed for Guangzhou Evergrande, who had
been relegated following a match-fixing scandal. The reason? Money, and lots of
it. Inevitably, this controversy considerably damaged respect within his native
China. If that’s not sufficient, a straight-arm salute celebration can be added
to his repertoire of eccentricities.
Most Spectacular Outbursts
In the first leg of the 2012
Chinese Cup Final, with Evergrande drawing 1-all, Gao Lin was booked for a
needless, albeit evidently soft foul. Rather than keeping his cool and seeing
the final 10 minutes out, he opted to protest against the referee – which
earned himself a second yellow within three minutes. Lin was later fined
£133,000 and forced to issue an apology by his own team. Even more outlandish,
during the Chinese Under-23 National side’s tour of Great Britain, a ‘friendly’
with QPR escalated into a mass brawl, leaving fellow countryman Zheng Tao with
a broken jaw. Who initiated the scrap? Gao Lin, who began throwing a flurry of
punches at a Rangers defender following apparent ‘provocation’.
He said…
"When
facing the provocation I failed to obey the three rules of submitting to the
referee, respecting opponents and not striking back, which caused the incident.
I sincerely apologize to the fans." Issuing fan apologies is becoming a
regularity for Gao, it would seem.
Jose Pedrozo
Position: Defender Nationality: Paraguayan
Club: San Marcos de Arica Age: 32
Club: San Marcos de Arica Age: 32
Nutter Credentials
What has to happen for a player
to suddenly announce they have quit their club and are to retire following one
on-field incident? Well, the player in question has to be bonkers – and have
been involved in some overly bizarre episode of football drama. Although Paraguayan
defender Jose Pedrozo did irrationally quit Chilean side Rangers, he has since
returned to football. A drama queen he most certainly is, a nutter,
unquestionably.
Most Spectacular Outbursts
It has to be something
excessively ‘spectacular’ to result in a 27-game ban – performing a chokehold
on the referee during a Chilean Second-division match, and then returning for
‘round two’, just about sufficed for Pedrozo. Referee Marcelo Miranda ordered a
spot-kick – against Jose’s side – to be retaken an excessive four times. The second and third attempts
were to be saved by the Rangers’ keeper, only for the fourth to be converted by
Hamilton Ricard. The fourth stood. With Pedrozo already infuriated, an
aggressive challenge subsequently resulted in red for Pedrozo, sparking an
outrageous reaction. The Paraguayan grabbed referee Marcelo Miranda by the
throat as he reached for his cards. This wasn’t enough for Jose though, who
chased the referee once more after he had released him. Intervention came only when
Pedrozo’s teammates wrestled him to the ground.
He said…
“I’m not the least bit sorry… I understand
that I will be punished and I will no longer play for Rangers or any other
team. I intend to get away from football, I’d rather be at peace with my family
in Paraguay”. Remorseful and true to his
word, good on him…
Esteban
Alvarado
Position: Goalkeeper Nationality:
Costa Rican
Club: AZ Alkmaar Age: 24
Club: AZ Alkmaar Age: 24
Nutter Credentials
Esteban Alvarado has high
ambitions. The Goalkeeper wants to establish himself amongst the worlds’ elite,
eventually turning out between the sticks for ‘the best team in the world’. I’m
assuming breaking into the AZ Alkmaar first team, alongside a limited number of
international caps for Costa Rica (two, to be precise), wasn’t exactly what he
had in mind. The ambitious young keeper has in one respect, however, followed
in the footsteps of some of football’s top professionals. He joins the likes of
Cantona, Clough, Beckham and Bellamy in having… attacked a fan.
Most Spectacular Outbursts
Esteban’s moment of insanity
forced the entire AZ team off the pitch in a clash against Ajax, and the match
was abandoned. When an intoxicated fan encroached onto the pitch and launched a
karate kick at Esteban, the goalkeeper’s retaliation resulted in a red card –
from which AZ were incensed. The usually cool-headed Costa Rican proceeded to
violently kick the fan repeatedly as he lay on the ground, before security
could intervene. The red card was later rescinded, and the match replayed. Safe
to say nobody will be attacking Esteban again in a hurry.
He said…
“I am ambitious, I want to play
in goal for the best team in the world. I made a few mistakes at the beginning,
but that can happen, I must make mistakes to progress”. Perhaps he was simply
unleashing his anger that had built up through a lack of opportunity at the
‘best team in the world’.
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