25 Biggest Screw-Ups in Football History

There are always those that have their moments in the history of any sport. World Football, soccer, futbol or football, however you like to say it, are just as guilty of having those screw ups as any other professional sport.

Some are repeat offenders, others first timers, and there is always the one that you never expected.

For the never ending saga of those who make mistakes, there is always tomorrow for hoping you have another story to read over the morning paper.

Barry Bannan

Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan is the latest midfielder to be in the English press for multiple driving infractions. The Guardian outlined his case in detail on Wednesday November 16, 2011, and the highlights are listed below.

The 21-year-old Scottish International was charged earlier this week on multiple counts including: driving with excess alcohol, failing to stop after an accident, driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and driving without due caution, care and attention.

This is hopefully not the start of a torrid career of off-the-field troubles reminiscent of other young talented English players who fly off the handle.

Landon Donovan vs Penalty Spot

Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy captain and the one man that the club would want in a penalty shootout colossally let his club down during the 2009 MLS Cup.

When Donovan stepped up, it was believed it was a sure slotted home effort by the forward, but instead he skied it a mile over the net.

Real Salt Lake would go on the lift the Cup. Luckily for Donovan, he has a chance to try and make up for it this coming weekend in the 2011 MLS Cup on November 20, 2011.

Joey Barton

Before he finally started to get his act straight, current Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton was quite the ruffian.

From assault charges on the pitch to the night club, the former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder seemed more intent on using his athletic ability to do evil rather than good.

Diego Maradona

Famous for his abilities on the pitch and his Hand of God, retired Argentine forward turned manager Diego Maradona has had his handful of screw ups.

Given that he is from South America, some might say he was destined to be involved with cocaine usage, but it was confirmed when his first charges were brought up in the early 1990's, most notably during the 1994 World Cup.

Recently Maradona has come out in the press over the scandal once more with a tirade of comments that you can read courtesy of thesoccerhooligan.com.

Ryan Giggs Affair

Ryan Giggs became human to many fans of the grizzled Manchester United veteran when he was exposed for an affair with famous WAG Imogen Thomas; you can see her on the first slide here.

The married man and father has since tried to put it behind him, but it is the one negative mark on a once unblemished story book career.

Carlos Tevez

It amazes me that Carlos Tevez can have so much talent, yet be such a pompous windbag. He was great at Manchester United, but he threw away the chance to stay there. Granted, he probably felt hard done by, but in the end he managed to get the offer to stay and then refused it.

He then moved across town to Manchester City, signing a five-year deal that would see him try and get back at his former club.

However, now it appears that he has once again talked his way into controversy, as it seems to be one mistake after another for the Argentine, who continues to force his way out of Manchester City.

The Rooney Family

While Wayne had his time in the controversial limelight over an affair with Jennifer Thompson, his father and brother just could not stand staying out of the headlines.

Wayne Rooney Sr. and Richie Rooney were both arrested for betting on a Scottish Premier League game between Hearts and Motherwell.

Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole is no doubt one of the best left backs in England's national team history and also for Chelsea and previously for Arsenal.

However, he cannot seem to keep his head straight off the pitch, as he has been involved with affair after affair, and potentially even more than we will ever know about.

But for some reason Cheryl Cole always seems to take him back. However, she may have finally said it is done for good.

Lee Bowyer vs Kieron Courtney Dyer

There really is nothing more to explain in this one.

Lee Boyer and Kieron Courtney Dyer truly made one of the biggest screw ups in history when they got into a fight with one another during a match.

You would have hoped they were at least on different squads.

Mario Balotlli

Manchester City's striker Mario Balotelli is a walking controversy.

It is hard to decide if he can be labeled a complete screw up because he has had moments where he appeared to have the best of intentions. The story of him helping out a young boy who was being picked on can be looked at as one of his brighter moments.

However, he has had more crazy moments than normal ones, leaving us all to wonder just how far he will go in the long run.

John Terry Crosses the Wrong Bridge

It is one awful thing to cheat on your wife, but it goes a step further when you cheat on your wife with your teammate's wife.

John Terry is the one guilty as charged, as he had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the partner of then fellow Chelsea Blue, Wayne Bridge.

Bridge took the first chance he could get to leave London, and Terry was stripped of the England captaincy. However, it just goes to show how screwed up the world of football can end up being when off the pitch incidents cause loads of controversy on it.

Gamal Ghandour

World Cup 2002 referee Gamal Ghandour will forever be remembered for his two disallowed goals that cost Spain a chance to move on to the next round.

It is amazing that they still do not have instant replay to decide what calls are truly valid.

I Swore They Were Girls

Ronoldo will never live down his unfortunate encounter with several transvestites. There really is nothing else that has to be said on that note.

John Terry vs Penalty Spot

John Terry will never forget his slip and fall in the penalty shootout against Manchester United in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final.

Had Terry made the spot kick it would have furthered Chelsea's chance at their first ever Champions League Trophy.

However, it was not to be.

Ian Rush Goes to Italy

Ian Rush is not a screw up—he is the greatest scorer in the history of Liverpool football club.

However, his move to Juventus can be seen as nothing short of being one of the worst screw-ups in football, as he returned to Liverpool only a year later.

His style was just not working out on the peninsula.

Fernando Torres Calling Chelsea a Bigger Club

Fernando Torres looked all set to remain at Liverpool in January of 2010 with Kenny Dalglish having taken over the club for Roy Hodgson. Torres had began to regain some form under the Reds living legend, but it was all in vain.

Chelsea broke the bank to sign Torres from Liverpool for a record fee of 50 million. The Spaniard then went on to state:

"

The target for every player is to play for one of the tops clubs in the world, and I can do it now, so I'm very happy.

"

His debut match for Chelsea was coincidentally against the Reds, and fans passed banners mocking his bigger club statements.

By the next week Torres was recanting his statements, claiming that Liverpool was the bigger club, but still twisting the knife blade:

"

Because of its history, Liverpool is a bigger club but it's going through a difficult time.

"

Renaming St. James Park

In a world where sponsorships and newly constructed venues have been eating up legendary stadium names left and right, take the loss of Arsenal's famous Highbury for example.

The renaming of St. James Park by Newcastle United is a travesty.

According to the news brief in the Gaurdian, it is only to be renamed until the end of the season, but even that is too long. St. James Park will now be known as "sportsdirect.com@StJames'ParkStadium."

On top of it all, it seems that this will not be the first time nor the last that the fabled Magpies stadium is used as a billboard.

A Tragic Mistake

Colombian defender Andres Escobar made a horrific mistake in the 1994 World Cup. The United States were the home team hoping to advance, but Escobar made it all too easy for the host nation when his attempted clearance sliced into the back of the net.

The tragedy was that 10 days later Escobar was gunned down in Colombia after his national team had returned to South America. To this day it is believed that his own goal unfortunately cost him his life.

Henry's Hand of God

Thierry Henry became the permanent enemy of the Emerald Isle when his double tapped hand ball allowed him to cross to William Gallas for the goal that would knock the Irish out of the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers.

What was even worse is that Henry admitted to the hand ball after the fact, but FIFA did nothing. Luckily, France would do nothing in the World Cup, but that will never be a consolation to the frustrated Irish.

Their qualification for the 2012 European Championships, clinched this third week of November 2011, will at least give them hope of a decent chance to make a run for a title for some of the elder statesmen that may not be involved with the 2014 World Cup.

Zinedine Zidane Head Butt

No one saw this coming, the least being Italian defender Marco Materazzi, when french captain Zinedine Zidane planted a powerful headbutt right into the chest of his opponent. Granted, the Italian most likely brought it on himself, but we will never know the whole truth.

What makes it such a screw up is that it was in extra time of the 2006 World Cup final, and Zidane would have been a huge help in the penalty shootout that France would lose 5-3.

It definitely was an interesting way to play your last competitive match.

Andy Grey and Richard Keys' Sexist Rant

The last thing anyone expected of respected football commentators Andy Grey and Richard Keys was for them to go off on a sexist rant.

It would be easy enough to be upset with a male linesman for the same mistake, but taking it to a gender issue was a no no.

Within days Andy Grey was on the unemployment line.

From Player to Official

Bundesliga referee Robert Hoyzer broke the mold for players turned officials when he was caught trying to fix matches in the German Cup.

At least in the end he owned up to it, and now that the dust has settled years down the road he appears to have returned to the pitch as an amateur player and is getting back to his roots on the other side of the ball, where he was formerly a member of Hertha Berlin.

Adrian Mutu

There are few strikers who are as talented on the field as they are at screwing up. Former Chelsea, Juventus, Fiorentina and current Cesena forward Adrian Mutu is a world class screw up on all levels.

He first started making waves with his 2004 cocaine scandal while at Chelsea. He only managed to play a handful of games before he was banned, and eventually had to pay back almost his entire transfer fee to the Blues.

Again Mutu was convicted on drug charges while at Fiorentina in April of 2010 and banned for another nine-month span that cost him his career with the Viola.

Subsequently, while still suspended for those early 2010 drug charges, he was brought up on assault charges in October of 2010 for having struck a waiter at a local bar.

It is only with anticipation that everyone awaits his next screw up.

Tofik Bakhramov

Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov would cost Germany a chance to win the 1966 World Cup, when he called a ball bounding into normal play a goal for England.

The tree lions would come out Champions, but the victory can be slightly tainted.

Calciopoli 2006

There are fewer more dark times in the history of Italian football than the 2006 match fixing scandal that saw defending Serie A champions Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Reggina all brought up on allegations for selecting favorable referees.

It would eventually cost Juventus their status in the top flight, as they were relegated to the Serie B and stripped of their 2005 and 2006 Scudettos. All other clubs involved managed to remain in the top flight by winning appeals.