15 Most Disrespectful Moments in World Football History in Video

The game of football is a global phenomenon. The Beautiful Game, as it is known, brings people and nations together and can let supporters, players and coaches alike experience emotions of the grandest high or the most desperation-filled low.

But it's not quite always a beautiful game.

Sometimes, someone stoops a level or two below what is expected of them, breaking the code of conduct and respect which should exist between stakeholders in the game.

And on the odd occasion, someone doesn't just stoop a level or two down—they fling mud in the faces of those watching the sport they love, tarnishing its name in the media, at home and beyond.

Here are the 15 most disrespectful moments in world football history—captured on video wherever possible.

Luis Moreno Kicks Owl off Pitch

We start with a real clanger in South America.

Luis Moreno, a player in Panama, faced widespread criticism after kicking an owl off a football pitch in 2011.

The owl was the club mascot of Moreno's opposition, Junior Barranquilla, which had been struck by the ball accidentally.

Whatever went through Moreno's mind as he unceremoniously booted the poor owl, which later died, from the turf cannot be described as anything other than a complete lack of respect for the opposition, for wildlife and for general humane terms.

Zaire's Bizarre Clearance of Brazil World Cup Free Kick

Mwepu Ilunga is the player in question, but there are two ways of reading into who was disrespectful here.

One story goes that the Zaire player, in this World Cup finals match against Brazil, knew nothing of the rules and presumed that after the whistle went it was every man for himself, and the first one to the ball was the victor.

Ignorance is bliss, but it is enormously disrespectful to not know the rules of a major international tournament.

Or, on the other hand, you have the presumed actual story, whereby the government of Zaire had threatened the playing staff with non-payment if they were beaten by more than three goals, and that this was Ilunga's means of protest, hoping to get himself red carded.

He was, however, only booked.

Joey Barton, in General

Presumably the video itself doesn't need too much explaining, having occurred so recently.

Joey Barton, current QPR midfielder, faces a 12-match suspension for his actions on the last day of 2011-12.

Previously he had served a prison sentence for assault and affray, attacked teammate Ousemane Dabo in training, put a cigar out in a young teammate's eye and punched Morten Gamst Pedersen off the ball.

Why he is still carving a career out of being a Premier League footballer is anyone's guess.

Eric Cantona Fan Attack

No word for these actions other than outrageous.

Poor tackles and players coming to blows on the pitch is one thing, but former Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United forward Eric Cantona took it upon himself to launch himself into the watching crowd and attack a fan.

Cantona was walking past the fan at the time having just been sent off for a dangerous kick on an opponent.

He was subsequently suspended for nine months.

Paolo Di Canio Pushing Referee

Current Swindon Town boss Paolo di Canio is our next hall of shame entrant for his ridiculous shove on referee Paul Alcock.

di Canio was unhappy at the issue of a red card his way, but landed himself a mammoth 11 game suspension for the push on the official.

The biggest decision about this video may be deciding what is more pathetic, the stumble and eventual fall by the referee or Arsenal full-back Nigel Winterburn almost soiling himself as he thinks di Canio is about to reign blows down on him, too.

The Diving Referee

Shameful.

Diving players have long been seen as the villains of the piece in football as the likes of Rivaldo vs. Turkey and plenty of others have given rise to the phrase "referees have a tough job".

Why, then, does this particular referee deign the time right to indulge in a spot of simulation himself? When those who are supposed to protect the sanctity of the game take it upon themselves to get involved in the play-acting, things have gone too far.

I wonder if a video disciplinary panel reviewed it after the game.

El-Hadji Diouf Spitting At...well, Everybody

Perhaps in one respect it's a blessing that there is no video of the actual incident available; instead you can make do with Craig Burley, Scottish football pundit and former midfielder, talking in dark tones about the Senegalese current free agent, El-Hadji Diouf.

The former Liverpool, Bolton and Rangers man courted controversy wherever he went, but his penchant for spitting ensured he was not just disliked but actively despised by most of the watching public in the UK.

When in the Red of Liverpool he spat at Celtic supporters, he did the same at Portsmouth defender Arjan de Zeeuw whilst playing for Bolton and then completed a hat-trick of disgraceful incidents against Blackpool, playing for Doncaster.

Maybe no surprise that no team has offered him a new contract, then.

Frank Rijkaard vs. Rudi Voller

We all know about the Dutch and the German's rivalry, but Frank Rijkaard took things a couple of steps too far on this occasion at Italia '90.

The again, depending on your perspective, maybe you see this as the best volley in World Cup history.

Italian Top Flight Match Fixing Leads to Title Stripping

The video shows Juventus winning their final game of the 2005-06 season, which meant they went on to lift the Scudetto, the Italian championship.

Of course, that title was later stripped from them—as well as the previous season's win—after match-fixing allegations were proven against them.

That the powers of Juventus allowed such an institution and world power to be sullied by being associated with such disrespectful antics was beyond belief, and the punishments meted out—relegation and a nine point deduction—were fully justified.

AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were all also implicated and found guilty in the scandal.

And yet, here we are again six years later.

World Cup 1982: Germany and Austria Deny Algeria Qualification

In the 1982 World Cup, Algeria shocked Germany 2-1 in the first group stage game. Algeria had completed all their matches by the time Germany played Austria in the final match and knew that a German win by more than two goals would see them through at the expense of the Austrians.

A one or two-goal win for Germany, however, would see Austria through with the Germans instead of Algeria.

Germany took an early lead—and then the two sides played out the most obvious, scandalous, utterly disrespectful match with the least amount of chances that the World Cup may have seen until Switzerland and Ukraine played out a 0-0 draw in Germany in 2006.

Sol Campbell Signing for Arsenal from Spurs on a Free Transfer

This five second video shows just how quickly a legend can be torn down.

Sol Campbell, former Tottenham Hotspur defender, tells fans on national television he is staying at the club—before signing for arch-rivals Arsenal just a few days later.

He is hardly the first player to do such a thing, nor the last, but to barefacedly tell supporters he will be at the club and then go to the team who would be bottom of their list for him to join...well, that just smacks of disrespect for the people who idolised him and effectively gave the club money to pay his wages.

Lee Bowyer and Keiron Dyer Fight on Pitch

Once in a while things get a little overheated between two teams on the pitch—but how about two players on the same team?

Lee Bowyer took exception to Keiron Dyer not passing him the ball in one Newcastle United match and proceeded to grapple and then batter his teammate.

Both were served with red cards, fines and suspensions.

Disrespectful to each other, the fans and certainly above all, their club.

West Ham Florin Raducioiu Shopping

No video of this ridiculous incident unfortunately, but the player and two teams involved are in it so that'll do nicely.

Florin Raducioiu showed the ultimate disrespect to his football team, the organisation which paid his wages, when he failed to turn up for West Ham United's game against Manchester United—because he had gone out shopping for the day with his wife.

Yes, really.

Disgraceful Chelsea Fans Boo One Minute Silence

"Disrespectful" is not the right word here.

The depravity, lack of humility and utterly despicable behaviour on show here is of the Chelsea fans, during the 2012 FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham, who booed continuously throughout a one minute silence in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

Irrespective of the team supported or the rival team disliked, nobody should have to go to a football match and not come home.

For Chelsea fans in this instance to mock those who died supporting the team they loved shows a complete and total ignorance of the circumstances involved.

This applies also to any fans who fail to show the appropriate respect to victims of the Bradford, Ibrox, Heysel or Munich disasters.

Iain Dowie Takes over Charlton Athletic Boss, Crystal Palace Serve Court Order

We end the list with a farcical moment of video majesty, which ended well for nobody.

Iain Dowie resigned from his job as manager of Crystal Palace, citing to his chairman that he wanted to be closer to his family in the north of the country.

Days later he was unveiled as the boss of Charlton Athletic...in the same city, London, as Palace occupy.

Chairman Simon Jordan was undeterred, instructing a court order writ to be served to Dowie whilst in the middle of his unveiling press conference, marring his new job start and demanding compensation.

A Judge later ruled Dowie had deceived Jordan and ordered money to be paid to Palace.

Charlton, meanwhile, sacked Dowie the following November—just 15 games into his tenure.

Who disrespected whom the most in this entire fiasco is unclear. It could be said that all parties behaved moronically.

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