20 Infamous Chelsea Scandals

Every football club has them and down the years, Chelsea Football Club has been partial to the odd scandal here and there.

Indeed, from players being sent home on the train for their antics ahead of a match, to managers resigning over the company car they have been issued, the history of the Blues has been one lit up by some of the loveable rogues who have called Stamford Bridge home at one point in their careers.

It hasn't always been fun and games, it must be said. There have been alleged extra-marital affairs, drug abuse and racism from the terraces as supporters targeted their own players with racial abuse.

Creating a list of those scandals that stand out is a daunting task. Bleacher Report has put in the hard yards, though, to bring our readers some of the most infamous.

So, in no particular order, sit back and relive some of the more infamous moments in Chelsea's history.

Eddie McCreadie Walks out over Company Car

Playing over 300 times for Chelsea, Eddie McCreadie was already a crowd favorite at Stamford Bridge before he became manager in 1975.

The club was going through a period of difficulty, with the team very much in decline and struggling with a mountain of debt brought on by the building of the East Stand.

McCreadie had only been in the job a few weeks before Chelsea were relegated from Division One—now the Premier League—but he rebuilt the club from the bottom up, making 18-year-old Ray Wilkins his captain.

Two years later the Blues were back in the top flight, although they had to face the 1977-78 campaign without their manager.

Upon being promoted, McCreadie requested a company car only for chairman Brian Mears to reject it.

Infuriated, McCreadie subsequently resigned on a matter of principle and although Mears endeavored to retract his initial decision, by that time it was too late, with the Scot refusing to return.

Six Chelsea Stars Refuse to Fly to Israel

It was a difficult time for many in the aftermath of 9/11 and with the Middle East experiencing heightened security alerts, Chelsea were drawn to face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the UEFA Cup.

Traveling to Israel came with its share of security risks and, shortly before Chelsea were due to head east, Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi had been shot dead by Palestinian terrorists.

It was all enough to convince six players from the Chelsea first team that it was a not a risk worth taking.

Those who refused to travel included: captain Marcel Desailly, who claimed to be injured, Emmanuel Petit, William Gallas, Graeme Le Saux, Albert Ferrer and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

It left the Blues with a threadbare squad and they paid price, losing the match 2-0.

The return leg finished 1-1, meaning Chelsea were a surprise casualty early on in the UEFA Cup that season, losing 3-1 on aggregate.

Paul Canoville Racially Abused by His Own Fans

It's a significant blemish in Chelsea's history—one of the lowest ebbs in the past 30 years or so at Stamford Bridge, for sure.

Paul Canoville had come through the ranks at Chelsea, so like heroes such as Ron Harris, Peter Osgood and Ray Wilkins before him, he was one of their own.

A group of Chelsea fans didn't quite see it that way, though, and the winger—Chelsea's first-ever black player—was the target of racial slurs from the Stamford Bridge terraces, even having bananas thrown at him.

Racism in any form or circumstance is a deplorable act, but that this came from his own supporters just heightened the sense of shock where Canoville was concerned.

"I felt physically sick," Canoville recalled years later in the Daily Mail, remembering his early treatment at the club.

Pat Nevin, a teammate of Canoville's, was so shocked by what he saw every week, he spoke out in a scathing attack on the perpetrators. it didn't bring to an end Canoville's treatment, but it certainly helped.

Now, with Didier Drogba a Chelsea legend and other black players such as Ashley Cole and Michael Essien adored at Stamford Bridge, the club has come a long way in eradicating the hatred.

The John Terry and Wayne Bridge Affair

Once the best of friends, John Terry and Wayne Bridge haven't had a pleasant word to say to each other in over three years now.

It was in January 2010 when reports first circulated of a Premier League star apparently using a so-called super injunction obtained in court to prevent details of an alleged extra-martial affair being made public.

The injunction was eventually overturned and Chelsea captain Terry was identified, then accused of having an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the former partner of Bridge.

The reports ranged from Perroncel falling pregnant in the Daily Mail, to the Mirror suggesting things had got serious following Terry "offering her a shoulder to cry on" following her split from Bridge.

What really happened? We'll never quite know all the facts, but since then Bridge has added fuel to the fire by refusing to shake Terry's hand whenever they have faced each other, and it continues to rumble on.

Ashley Cole Is Tapped Up

What is tapping up? In short, when a club negotiates a transfer directly with a player without his club's permission.

In 2005 Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, manager Jose Mourinho, Ashley Cole and his agent were all spotted in the Royal Park Hotel in London's Lancaster Gate, reportedly attempting to engineer a move from Arsenal to Stamford Bridge.

It was denied, but the rumors intensified and eventually the truth came out, with all parties involved receiving heavy fines for their respective roles.

"Why not do it in the middle of the M25 and then at least everybody knows?" asked Arsene Wenger at the time (as per Daily Mail).

It would be another 18 months before Cole eventually left Arsenal, for Stamford Bridge no less.

Since then he was won the Champions League, four FA Cups, the Premier League and League Cup.

Mark Bosnich Sacked for Cocaine Use

Mark Bosnich seemed to have it all. He was one of the most respected goalkeepers in the Premier League, having enjoyed a successful spell with Aston Villa before joining Manchester United as replacement to Peter Schmeichel.

A loss of form at Old Trafford saw him lose his place and after a period on the sidelines, the Australian moved to Chelsea in a bid to revive his career.

He did to some degree, enjoying a spell of games that showed he remained a talent.

A failed drugs test in 2003 brought an end to that, however, with Bosnich testing positive for cocaine. Chelsea sacked him as a result.

"The day I got caught I had what was a tenth (of a gram of cocaine), a minute amount; the forensic scientists at the hearing said I could have put my hand in it," Bosnich told Alpha magazine in a tell-all interview years later (via Fox Sports).

Bosnich explained he went off the rails following his sacking, becoming a regular user of cocaine.

"The worst thing I did after (the drugs test), I just started going ballistic. I thought, 'Everyone thinks I'm guilty. You know what? Stuff the world, stuff everything!' I got disillusioned," he said. "If I'd stayed clean that would have been the best way to show up people who were behind it.

"But that was my fault and I chose that road."

The day I got caught I had what was a tenth (of a gram of cocaine), a minute amount; the forensic scientists at the hearing said I could have put my hand in it.

"She (Anderton) used to use it quite regularly but I didn't want to blame her and hide behind her skirt.

"The worst thing I did after (the drugs test), I just started going ballistic. I thought, 'Everyone thinks I'm guilty. You know what? Stuff the world, stuff everything!' I got disillusioned. If I'd stayed clean that would have been the best way to show up people who were behind it.

"But that was my fault and I chose that road."

Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/fox-sports-commentator-mark-bosnich-describes-his-descent-into-a-drug-fuelled-depression-for-the-first-time/story-e6frf423-1225967584251#ixzz2eio6mAE8

The Blackpool Incident

If it happened today, it would be one of the biggest scandals to rock football. It was still a big deal back in 1965, but with the character of those involved, the now infamous "Blackpool Incident" is looked upon with a touch of humor at Stamford Bridge.

Tommy Docherty's "Little Diamonds" as he liked to call them were challenging Manchester United for the title. There were two games remaining in the season and the Blues faced Burnley away, followed by Blackpool two days later.

Ahead of the Burnley game, Terry Venables, Barry Bridges, George Graham, Eddie McCreadie, John Hollins, Bert Murray, Marvin Hinton and Joe Fascione had decided it would be good to sample some of the nightlife of Blackpool, where they were based.

Breaking Docherty's curfew, the players arrived back around 3:00 a.m.

"I went into one of the rooms and there was John Hollins pretending to be asleep," Docherty explained in Clive Batty's excellent book King's of the King's Road.

"But when I pulled the cover back, he was still wearing his jacket and tie!"

The game was that Saturday, although their night on the tiles had come on Wednesday. That meant little to Docherty, though, who sent all the guilty players home on the first train to London.

With a weakened team, Chelsea lost their match against Burnley and with it, their chance of claiming the league title.

Did Peter Osgood Steal THAT Bracelet at the 1970 World Cup?

Chelsea had just won the FA Cup and Peter Osgood was on Cloud 9, being called up to England's World Cup squad in Mexico, 1970.

The trip was rocked by a scandal, though, when Three Lions captain Bobby Moore was arrested for allegedly stealing a bracelet from a hotel jeweler.

Nothing was actually found on Moore and he was alter released, but as Osgood stated in his autobiography, conspiracy theories have been abound ever since, including one that suggests he was part of the scam.

"On a TV documentary about the life of Bobby Moore," Osgood explains, "the respected sports writer Jeff Powell revealed that Bobby had confided to him that one of the young players in the squad had stolen the bracelet [...] Young player? In the jeweller's shop? Does he mean me?"

Osgood leaves us in no doubt as to his feelings surrounding that theory: "Complete and utter b******s!"

Stars Abuse Grieving Americans on 9/11

Following the tragic events of 9/11, Chelsea hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons just 24 hours later when Eidur Gudjohnsen, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Jody Morris were accused of verbally abusing American tourists in a hotel bar at Heathrow Airport.

The quartet were reportedly on a five-hour drinking binge after Chelsea's game against Levski Sofia was called off as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks.

According to BBC Sport, the players were stripping, vomiting and swearing while the American tourists watched on having been stranded due to flights being grounded.

Having been a nuisance at the bar, they later visited a nearby bowling alley, where the players reportedly shocked visitors by diving head first down the lanes.

Jose and His Pet Dog

Given his antics throughout his career, there are plenty of fans who would want to lock up Jose Mourinho and throw away the key.

It wasn't quite as drastic in May 2007, but Mourinho did spend a night in the cells when he was arrested over an altercation involving his pet dog.

The incident occurred when Mourinho refused to allow police to put the family canine into quarantine after it had reportedly traveled outside the country without the correct injections.

Named Gullit after Chelsea legend Ruud, Mourinho set the dog free when police tried to capture it and later received a caution for obstructing police.

Adrain Mutu Sacked for Cocaine Use

Like Mark Bosnich before him, Adrian Mutu succumbed to the temptations London nightlife has to offer and failed a drugs test in October 2004.

The Romanian had only joined the club a season earlier, getting his Chelsea career off to a great start with a flurry of goals.

It all soon turned sour, though, and he adopted a party boy lifestyle, resulting in him eventually falling foul of drugs testers, testing positive for cocaine.

Chelsea ripped up his contract and have been attempting to recover compensation from the player ever since.

John Terry's Training Ground Tours

Shortly before his alleged indiscretions with a former teammates ex-partner (see Slide 4), John Terry was making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

This time it was for being filmed, allegedly accepting a £10,000 cash payment for an undercover journalist to be taken on a tour of Chelsea's Cobham training ground.

According to the report in the News of the World (via The Guardian), the money was split with £8,000 going to the Blues' charity partner and the remainder being paid to a middle man.

It caused quite a storm, although the club stood by Terry, saying in the same Guardian report:

"Chelsea FC host a large number of visitors at the training ground throughout the year, the majority of which are made up of club sponsors, our charity partners and supporters.

"The players play a big part in these visits and John Terry naturally has a leading role."

Vinnie Jones Sold to Wimbledon After Sealing Historic Liverpool Win

Known more these days for his work in Hollywood, Vinnie Jones was once an able midfield enforcer.

He had signed for Chelsea from Sheffield United in 1991 and made an instant impact alongside his former Wimbledon teammate Dennis Wise.

Chelsea hadn't won at Anfield since 1966, so when Jones scored the winning goal for the Blues against Liverpool in February 1992, nobody expected what would come next—he was sold to Wimbledon.

It was frustrating for the player, but for fans also, and the move from manager Ian Porterfield didn't go down well in SW6.

Ashley Cole Shoots Chelsea Intern

There are some players who just cannot get a break from the media.

It's often claimed Ashley Cole comes in for harsh criticism, with his tapping up affair hardly helping matters (see Slide 5).

There was no escaping the glare in February 2011, either, when he shot an intern at the club's training round with an air rifle.

Quite what an air rifle was doing at the training ground remains a mystery, but as explained in The Guardian, Cole acted foolishly in firing the gun—which he believed to not be loaded—at a young intern from close range.

The student required medical attention from the club's in-house staff and was checked over days later, also.

The Signing of John Mikel Obi

Had Chelsea realized the player they were getting, perhaps they wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to sign John Mikel Obi in 2006.

Plying his trade with Lyn Oslo in Norway, the Nigerian became subject of a transfer wrangle between Manchester United and the Blues.

Confusion ensued, with United claiming to have signed the player in April 2005, while Chelsea also believed they had captured his signature.

A game of legal tug of war kicked in as both clubs battled for his signature, with Chelsea eventually winning out.

It came at a cost though, with the Blues forced to pay their rivals United a reported £12 million for a player who had never kicked a ball in anger for them.

Ruud Gullit Is Sacked as Chelsea Manager...

All good things come to an end, we know that, but not all good things end satisfactorily. Just ask Ruud Gullit.

The Dutch ace was appointed Chelsea manager in 1996, succeeding Glenn Hoddle who had moved onto international duty with England.

In his first season as boss, Gullit lifted the FA Cup, delivering Chelsea the club's first major trophy since 1971 when they won the Cup Winners' Cup.

Less than a year later he was out of a job, though, with the club claiming he was demanding too much cash to extend his contract and was not committed. Apparently negotiations with Gullit had been rumbling on since October 1997 and by February, the club had seen enough, dismissing him.

Gullit saw things differently, though, telling The Independent newspaper:

"I was only asked to attend one meeting in the last six months to discuss the future. This meeting took place on 5 February, when Colin Hutchinson [Chelsea's managing director at the time] and myself talked very amicably about a new two-year extension to my contract.

"At no time during my discussion was there any doubt in my mind that I would re-sign. In fact, I specifically told anyone who asked that I would sign a new deal after more talks - there were no more talks. I am committed to Chelsea, and in particular to the fans, whose dreams I have tried so hard to fulfil.

"It is incorrect for Colin Hutchinson to state that Chelsea Football Club tried to negotiate with me for three months - there were no negotiations."

To make matters worse for Gullit, he was replaced by Gianluca Vialli as player/manager—one of his first signings at the club when he took over from Hoddle.

"I was astounded to find out from the media that I have been replaced as Chelsea coach by Gianluca Vialli," he said in the same Independent report.

...followed by Gianluca Vialli After Players Revolt

Ruud Gullit's successor at Stamford Bridge, it was a little over two years before Gianluca Vialli suffered the same fate at the Dutchman, losing his job in September 2000.

Whereas it was Gullit's commitment to the club that was called into question, however, Vialli fell to an apparent mutiny from inside the Chelsea dressing room.

"The reason for Luca's sacking has nothing to do with the club's results at the start of the season," his agent Athole Still commented to BBC Sport, reacting to the notion it was Chelsea's poor start to the 2000-01 season that resulted in him losing his job.

"The reason was that he had lost the confidence of some of the players. The spirit in the camp was not what he or Chelsea wanted to have.

"Gianluca accepts that he had lost the confidence of some of the players, and therefore completely accepts the club's prerogative in choosing to dismiss him.

"Gianluca is extremely disappointed with the situation, but he knows that something had to be done. There is no rancour involved."

Frank Sinclair Bares It All Against Coventry to Celebrate His Daughter's Birth

At the 1994 World Cup, Brazil's Bebeto made the baby cradle goal celebration famous, scoring for his country against Holland in the quarter-finals.

What followed has since been mimicked by footballers ever since, with Bebeto and his teammates swinging their arms in celebration as if cradling a baby, marking the birth of his son.

Chelsea's Frank Sinclair took things a little too far in 1997 when he celebrated a goal against Coventry City on the opening day of the season, running off with his shorts at his ankles.

Sinclair's daughter was due to be born that day and as he explained to BBC Sport recently, he was eager to do something to ensure that day would always be remembered.

"Basically I knew my first daughter was going to be born around the time of the game, but she held out and I was able to play," he explained.

"So I thought if something happens in the game that I could get on the front and back pages of the papers then it would be on her birthday.

"It worked out stupendously because I scored the goal, did the celebration and I was on the front and back of all the papers. She was born on the Sunday so it all worked out well."

The image of Sinclair's celebration is now his Twitter avatar. You can view his Twitter profile here.

Mourinho Departs Stamford Bridge

Of all the scandals to hit Chelsea in recent years, the departure of Jose Mourinho as manager in 2007 is perhaps one of the most infamous and certainly painful for fans to relive.

In his three years at the club, Mourinho had sealed back-to-back Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups. Chelsea had also come close in the Champions League, twice making the semifinal.

It had for ever endeared the Special One to Chelsea fans, while he became the club's most successful manager in the process. But it wasn't enough for Roman Abramovich.

Reports of a rift between the pair had long been mooted and with Chief Executive Peter Kenyon endeavoring to heal their relationship, things eventually came to an end in September 2007, with Mourinho departing Stamford Bridge.

It led to protests from fans, distraught the Portuguese had left after helping propel them to the top of the English game.

Since that time his legacy has cast a long shadow over any managers who have tried to emulate him, with his name often sang from the Stamford Bridge terraces.

Blues fans have long hoped he would return and this summer they got their wish, with Mourinho reappointed Chelsea manager.

Will his tenure end in a similar scandal this time out? Watch this space.

Courtois and De Bruyne Caught in a Love Triangle

With John Terry's career winding down, tabloid journalists must be rubbing their hands in glee with the rise of Thibaut Courtois as it seems he could be ready to take up his captain's appetite for a scandal.

Chelsea's young Belgian goalkeeper is yet to make an appearance for the Blues, but his on-going loan spell with Atletico Madrid has seen him earn a lot of attention.

This March he hit the headlines for an altogether different reason after it was claimed in a Belgian gossip magazine that he had an affair with the girlfriend of Chelsea teammate Kevin De Bruyne.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, De Bruyne's partner had moved to Madrid where she spent time Courtois, sending revealing images to the goalkeeper over Facebook.

De Bruyne was said to be understandably angry when he found out, although it's believed the pair have reconciled their differences.

"We don't deny that there have been private problems between Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne," a spokesman for the Belgian FA said in the Daily Mail report.

"But I've talked to both of them and they both confirm this case is closed for them. They have finished the quarrel. The guys talk again to each other and they even make jokes again."