There a bit a whole host footballers and managers who have dished out taunts to opposing players and managers alike. Emi Martinez has been a modern day provocateur, using antics during penalty shootouts. Managers Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho also feature.
Since football's very inception, there have been countless individuals that have played hard and pushed referees and adversaries to their very limit, playing off of the masses in attendance, or just upping their craftiness to get their desired outcome. Football is as much a mental test as it is physical, and the players this article is going to look at are the biggest wind-up merchants, and borderline criminals in some cases, the game has ever seen. From Jamie Vardy 's almost weekly antics to defensive greats Sergio Ramos and Pepe , the world over has seen its fair share of provocateurs.
Diego Costa, Jamie Vardy and Luiz Suarez are among the Premier League icons that loved getting under their opponents' and fans' skin. 11 Emiliano Martinez As much as he is one of the globe's finest goalkeepers, Emi Martinez is also one of the biggest wind-ups around. With particular notoriety from the penalty spot, the Argentina and Aston Villa man is a great exponent of trash-talking bravado in order to disrupt his opponent's cool in front of goal.
Martinez's 6 ft 5 frame and excellent reflexes take a quiet back seat in exchanges with takers, showing he has the skill to back up his chatter. In 2021's Copa America semi-final, the stopper notably talked down several Colombians - leading to him saving kicks from Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, and Edwin Cardona. Against Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, he openly asked why Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't taking, before Fernandes missed.
Plus, in multiple examples in 2022's World Cup, the eventual Golden Glove-thrusting giant consistently halted penalty progress against the Netherlands and France with time-wasting, ball-throwing, and moaning to the referee. Aston Villa's goalkeeper has explained his penalty mind games and that iconic celebration at Old Trafford. 10 Diego Costa It should've been clear that Diego Costa would pair his excellent scoring ability with that of the dark arts when it was revealed that the Brazil-born Spanish international was named after Diego Maradona .
Pairing his forward play and physicality with gamesmanship and a wild temper aimed at victory, it's no wonder Costa thrived in Spain. At Albacete, Costa was nicknamed after bullfighter Curro Romero and the Tasmanian devil, and one coach even noted that he was a model professional for 89 minutes per match, with only one minute being enough for his downfall. While his style successfully complimented Radamel Falcao up top for Atletico Madrid, Costa's Premier League career with Chelsea was often steeped in controversy.
He had multiple spats with Martin Skrtel, taunted Seamus Coleman after an own goal, and was handed multiple violent conduct charges from the FA, including for stamping on opponents. An annoying feature of Costa's was that he could give it, but also employ comical theatrics when given the chance. Ultimately, his time in England saw him win two Premier League titles.
Peak Costa...
9 Marco Materazzi A Champions League and World Cup-winning centre-back, Marco Materazzi bullied his adversaries. He was a controversial and provocative figure, known for his physicality and aggressive style of defending, and was loved by the artful king of chaos Jose Mourinho at Inter. It was of course, on the global stage where Materazzi's methods were laid out for all to see.
In 2006's World Cup final, the towering defender didn't care for Zinedine Zidane 's dramatic announcement of retirement following the match, and consistently traded verbal jabs in a slug-fest showdown in Berlin. As a tense match ticked over to extra-time, Materazzi tugged Zidane's shirt - to which the Frenchman responded: "If you want my shirt, I will give it to you afterwards". Materazzi then replied: "Preferisco la puttana di tua sorella" or "I would prefer your w***e of a sister".
Zidane responded accordingly, headbutting his antagonist in the chest, yet Materazzi had won - getting France's most technically proficient player sent off before Italy eventually triumphed on penalties. Marco Materazzi revealed exactly what he said to Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final 8 Jamie Vardy Jamie Vardy has one of the most notable zero to hero stories in recent memory - ascending through non-league football to the top-flight. However, while the wily Foxes captain honed his skills with teams like Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax, and Fleetwood, he also crafted his ability to get into opponent's heads with great delight.
The yet another addition to Vardy's immense and petty arsenal, came against Tottenham as the once-again-promoted King Power residents drew 1-1 on the opening day of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Vardy scored to equalise, and the 37-year-old did so, powered by a pre-game Red Bull, a Snus, and all the annoying vitriol he could muster. When subbed off in the final exchanges, Vardy goaded both Cristian Romero and the Tottenham fans, reminding them that he has one more Premier League title than them.
A fine example of s***housery that embodies the English spirit, it enters a back catalogue of corner-flag kicking, shh-ing, and cupping his ears in front of Sheffield United fans (Vardy is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter), as well as themed animal-related celebrations against Wolves (howling) and Crystal Palace (mimicking an Eagle). The Foxes striker is a proper wind-up merchant and was at it again 7 Scott Brown Celtic's captain and chief midfield enforcer, Scott Brown welcomed confrontation in Scottish football's trademark style. During a Scottish Cup tie against Rangers at Ibrox in 2011, he clashed several times with El-Hadji Diouf, resulting in Brown getting the upper hand as he scored and celebrated in the face of the Senegalese.
Brown was yellow carded by the referee, but afterwards said: "It was the best booking I've had in my life." Brown simply didn't care, and played like a man possessed. He even celebrated tackles on him by opposition players.
Against Ross County in 2013, he was booked for goading and laughing at Mihael Kovacevic after the defender put in a superb tackle when Brown dispossessed his County team-mate in equally hard-hitting fashion. Aberdeen's Sam Cosgrove was sent off for a reckless tackle on Brown, to which he reacted by jumping to his feet, cheering, and strutting towards the crowd while laughing to demonstrate his toughness. It must be noted, that there are countless other examples, especially with Rangers involved.
Scott Brown will play his last game for Celtic today 6 Pepe In his prime, Pepe was a quick, aggressive, strong, and tenacious defender. Easily, he was one of the best of his generation. However, his hard-tackling and gamesmanship often meant that controversy followed.
A weapon of mass destruction within an often glamourous Real Madrid side that won the Champions League in 2014, 2016 and 2017, Pepe underpinned his qualities with the dark arts. He kicked, jabbed, fought, and spat on many occasions, and even opted for the odd dive. In total, the centre-back notched 17 career red cards - plus another 212 yellows.
A great example of Pepe's most gruesome antagonistic approach was evident when two giants of the wind-up world collided in 2014's Copa del Rey semi-final between Real and Atleti. At a corner, Pepe blew snot on a mouthy Diego Costa. Undeterred, the chatter continued, while Costa wiped said mucus on the equally grotesque Sergio Ramos.
Yuck. Sergio Ramos, Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets are some of the dirtiest footballers in the 21st century 5 Sergio Ramos Yet another legendary Real Madrid servant, Sergio Ramos laid a hard-hitting foundation for which Los Blancos' luxury world-beaters could play on. Playing next to Pepe for many years, Ramos was an equally grim prospect for opposition strikers.
First off, he was a world class defender. Secondly, he still holds disciplinary notoriety for the Bernabeu club. He has the record as the most carded player in La Liga, with 191 cards.
21 of those are red cards, making Ramos the most sent-off player in La Liga as well. While many of those arise as a result of his love for a tough challenge or a scuffle with opponents, Ramos has also enjoyed a villain role within his play that has seen many criticise his excessive, reckless force, as well as a lack of discipline. A most notable example of this, is perhaps his takedown on Mohamed Salah when Real beat Liverpool in 2018's Champions League final.
Ramos wrestled Salah to the ground, dislocating his shoulder in the process. To make matters worse, Ramos picked up the competition's Best Defender award, touching Salah's shoulder on the way back to his seat after collecting his prize. Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale ranks Sergio Ramos, Mikel Arteta and more in football's biggest wind-up merchant list 4 Robbie Savage Despite the glamour of his flowing blonde locks, Robbie Savage was as equally dirty in the tackle as he was, at times, wily with simulation.
For a time, his 89 Premier League bookings was a record, until it was beaten by Lee Bowyer, Kevin Davies and Paul Scholes. Savage notably turned out for Leicester, Birmingham and Blackburn, and it was the first of those clubs that saw some eccentric behaviour. In an incident to become known as "Poogate" in 2002, he used the referee's toilet before a game, claiming he had an upset stomach due to antibiotics he was on at the time.
The Football Association charged him and he was fined £10,000. Another controversial incident for Savage, was when he dived against Derby. The dive itself, his hopeful look at the referee and his aggressive celebration in front of the home fans, when converted, resulted in a torrent of abuse from the fans.
Savage was also chased across the pitch by incensed Derby players, two of whom were booked. A list of the 15 players with the most yellow cards in Premier League history 3 Diego Simeone As a player, Diego Simeone plied his trade in his native Argentina, Italy, and Spain - and became a hard-working midfield battler, most notably for Atletico Madrid , Inter, and Lazio. Within those hotbeds for gamesmanship and passion, Simeone thrived - yet as a player, it was on the international scale, that his effective best was truly revealed.
During the round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup, Simeone got inside the head of young David Beckham , who, after being fouled tirelessly - kicked out at Simeone, who fell to the ground dramatically. Beckham was ultimately sent off and scapegoated for that tournament's downfall. Simeone's hard, yet antagonistic exploits didn't end when he took to the dugout upon retirement.
While, like his playing career, Simeone's quality is undeniable - he still enjoys a certain bravado and theatrics to emphasise the mentality of his teams. Of which, those are criticised for playing a defence-focussed style that some deem akin to 'anti-football'. Simeone's passion has provoked some majorly frustrated responses from opponents, and he's often one to charge down the touchline to amp up Atleti's already fervent support.
Despite this, his playing style has seen Atleti claim two LaLiga titles under his reign. The Atletico Madrid manager is currently raking it in at the Spanish giants. 2 Dennis Wise Although a diminutive 5ft6, Dennis Wise was a dynamic midfield enforcer that loved a tear-up, as much as getting a reaction out of his opposite number.
Coming through the youth ranks at Southampton before honing these skills properly with Wimbledon's "Crazy Gang", Wise terrorised midfields in 1990s England. Famously, then at Chelsea, Wise once clattered Manchester United's Nicky Butt in 1999. When picking him up off the ground - he pulled several hairs out the despairing player's thigh.
Former Arsenal man Perry Groves once told talkSPORT exactly what it was like playing against the man Sir Alex Ferguson said "could start an argument in an empty house". “With Dennis Wise, he would two-foot tackle you. He’d then go to pick you up and as he’d go to pick you up, he’d go right under the fatty bit of your arm and pinch it as hard as he could.
That used to wind you up more than the two-footed tackle! “You knew he’d do it again and again because he’d get the same reaction.” From tough to downright terrifying, the hardest players of the Premier League era have been ranked. 1 Jose Mourinho It comes as no surprise that the self-professed "Special One" topping this list.
One of the most decorated and best managers ever , Jose Mourinho has undoubtedly utilised mental fortitude as much as craftiness in the media to get the better of his opponents. A serial winner, the Portuguese mind behind four Premier League triumphs and two Champions Leagues among a plethora of trophies, gains particular notoriety for his victory with Inter in 2010. In a seriously tense battle with Barcelona at Camp Nou, Jose's side protected a 3-1 deficit from the semi-final first leg, and prevailed with 10 men in a 1-1 fixture.
This led to the manager storming the pitch with one hand aloft, before pointing defiantly up at Nerazzurri fans who were secluded up in the gods. While other antics have implored for "respect man, respect", Mourinho has also allegedly hidden in laundry trolleys to get inside information from opposition dressing rooms, poked Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye, and popularising the "parking the bus" phrase. Now in charge of Fenerbahce, it's scary what could come next.
There's never a dull moment when Jose Mourinho is around and 'The Special One' didn't disappoint on his Super Lig debut..
