Mario Balotelli and 7 of the Biggest Headcases in World Football History

The world of football has seen its fair share of crazies over the years. Currently one of the biggest headcases of the current generation is Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, whom will be discussed later.

In the spirit of one of the newest leading members of the headcases, it seems necessary to take a look back at some of those who have come before him.

Several of them are well known for their antics, while others have either faded from the spotlight or disappeared in most cases all together in the attempt to resurrect their reputation.

So let's get his party started with a little German madness.

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Jens Lehmann

The former Arsenal keeper has done many things to be considered a major headcase in the world of football. It was one of the surprises of the year to have seen the player actually rejoin the Gunners for a short time.

In his plethora of mad instances, he has stamped players, relieved himself behind an advertising board, thrown water over the referee and much more.

Joey Barton

Barton has been a poster child for bad decisions and controversial incidents off the pitch. Most all of them have severely affected his career at different times.

Trouble always seems a constant companion to the Huyton-born midfielder, who has been convicted twice for violent conduct and has admitted to being an alcoholic.

Jamie Tandy was the victim of Barton putting out a cigar in his eye which resulted in permanent damage and scarring. He even once supposedly tried to seduce a former model by boasting about attacking his former Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo.

Zinedine Zidane

Not known really as a headcase, but a pair of ill-timed headbutts lend their hand to him being a temporary headcase.

The legendary Frenchman finally succumbed to a moment of weakness in the worst of times, the 2006 World Cup Final in Germany. Italian defender Marco Materazzi, while probably deserving of the attack for his comments, succeeded in getting to his opponent.

Zidane, in retaliation, put his forehead right in Materazzi's sternum and was promptly given his marching orders. Subsequently, the Azzurri took the World Cup back home to Italy, while the French were left with only their star to blame.

However, it was not the first time the player had put his head first in confrontation. While playing with Juventus in 2000-01, his team was eliminated from the group stage of the Champions League after he was banned for his headbutt of Hamburg SV player Jochen Kientz.

Luis Moreno

Unfortunately for Deportivo Perreira Luis Moreno, he will forever be remembered as the "Owl Killer," during a match in the Colombian football league in March 2001 of this season, when the defender kicked a ball into the Owl mascot of Atletico Junior.

The Owl was rushed to a veterinary clinic where it later went into shock and died. The fans of Atletico immediately responded with shouts of "murderer" and "killer," and the player knew it was a much bigger offense than he knew.

In response, he told this to the press in the post-match press conference as he tried to apologize:

"

I want to apologize to the fan. I was not trying to hurt the owl. I did it to see if it would fly. What I wanted to do was get it off the field. The kick was a product of tension on the field at the time.

"

No matter what he does, this is never going to leave him alone for the rest of his career.

Kevin Muscat

Some people just never learn. One of the most decorated players in Australian Socceroos history is former Melbourne Victory defender, and now assistant manager, Kevin Muscat.

He was once believed to be a genuine hard man in World Football, but that turned when he started showing his apparent affliction with acute psychosis when it came to making rash or even career-threatening tackles on his opponents.

It was never known what would call for one of his classic overexertions. It could be him getting beaten by an attacker one too many times, or a player just looking at him the wrong way. Whatever the causes may have been in retrospect, Muscat is a headcase for the ages.

Vinnie Jones

Vinnie Jones holds the English Premier League record for the fastest booking which he received after only three seconds in a match between Chelsea and Sheffield United in 1992.

Known as another one of football's hard men, he took that title to the extreme when he presented the 1992 Soccer's Hard Men video in which he offered advice to future ruffians of the game.

The English Football Association fined Jones £20,000 and banned him from the pitch for six months and put on a three-year suspension. As the player kept up his continued rough-and-tough life, in the game he racked up enough discipline points to again be summoned by the FA for disciplinary hearings.

He missed the hearing and found a way to get a retrial, afterword he made the following statement:

"

The FA have given me a pat on the back. I've taken violence off the terracing and onto the pitch.

"

Elizabeth Lambert

In November of 2009, New Mexico Lobos women's footballer Elizabeth Lambert officially joined the headcases club. In a match which her side lost 1-0 against Brigham Young University, the player dished out some punishment that clearly crossed the line.

Her first retaliation was slightly warranted, though not to the extent of a spinal punch. However, it was the second offense that led to her getting really noticed.

Lambert later apologized for her actions to both the universities and the players:

"

I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary.

This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them.

I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women's soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women's soccer program and its players.

"

The dropping of the second player also appears to have been caused thanks to a crotch grab, but no matter, Lambert certainly got all the attention.

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli is one of the brightest talents in the world today, and he would be recognized as such if it were not for one thing: his overflowing mouth.

The Manchester City and Italian forward cannot seem to stay out of the press. He referred to the English media as trash, but they would probably not be considered such by him if he didn't seem to appear in it every other day for mouthing off.

I could go on and on to recount all the quotes he has spouted off in bad taste, but fellow Bleacher Report writer Will Tidey has already covered a good dose of them here.

It seems there is no end in sight for the youngster's loose-lipped press adventures. At least he keeps life interesting; apparently he has nothing else in Manchester to do, if you ask Carlos Tevez.