1. Faustino Asprilla, Columbia.
Previous Club : Cucuta Deportivo, Atletico National, Parma, Newcastle United, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Atlante, Unviersidad de Chile and Estudiantes la Plata.
When you come across a player nicknamed “The Octopus” you just know he is going to be different. Affectionately known as “Tnio”, Asprilla was a wonderfully gifted forward when he fancied it. He played his best football between 1992 and 1998. He was part of a Parma team that won the 1993 Cup Winner’s Cup, and whilst at Newcastle scored a fantastic hat- trick against Barcelona. His nutter credentials including encounters with porn stars and managers. He was also once put under house arrest after firing 28 bullets into a security check point, amazingly no one was hurt.
2. Edmundo, Brazil.
Previous Clubs: Vasco de Gama, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Fiorentina, Corinthians, Napoli, Cruzeiro, Santos, Tokyo Verdy and Urawa Red Diamonds.
It difficult to know were to star with Edmundo. A wonderful striker, who scored goals throughout his career, Edmundo often got himself into bother on the pitch and off it. At his sons first Brithday party he was accused of getting a chimp called “Pedrinho” drunk and had to face prosecution from animal welfare groups. He once nearly went to prison for drink driving, an incident that killed 3 passengers. On the pitch he was involved in many fights, anyone who has one of those DVD called “when football goes bad” will recognise Edmundo.
3.Mario Balotelli, Italy
Previous Clubs: Lumezzane, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
Unmanageable is how Jose Mourinho described Mario. Since arriving in Manchester Balotelli has made the headlines on a weekly biases. He was involved in a training ground “prank” that involved throwing darts at a youth team player. When pulled over by a police man he had £5,000 on the seat of his car, when the policeman asked why he replied “because I’m rich”. Another Balotelli day out involved a visit to a women’s prison to “have a look around”. Mario has also launched fire works in his own bathroom, the next day he was the face of the Manchester firework safety scheme. Balotelli also need assistance on the training ground to put on a bib.
4. Djalminha. Brazil.
Previous Clubs: Flamengo, Deportivo La Coruna, Palmeiras, Austria Wien, Club America, Guarani and S-Pulse.
Honestly, has the world ever produced a more skill full player than Djalminha. Scorer of wonderful goals, Djalminha had more skill in just his left toe nail than Ronaldinho had in both feet. But with genius comes trouble. His career was littered with bust up’s with managers.
5. Teofilo Gutierrez, Columbia
Previous Clubs: Barranquilla, Atletico Junior, Trabzonspor, Racing Club and Lanus
Hopefully Teofilo doesn’t lose it when he finds out he is not the top Columbian on our list. Yet another striker who has a good goal scoring record. His most recent indiscretion happened while playing in Argentina for Racing Club. Gutierrez was ordered to leave the clubs training ground after pulling a paint ball gun on team mates after the clubs game with Indepeniente. He was then loaned to Lanus were he told the club he had been called up to the Columbia squad. When Lanus found out this was a lie they sacked him.
6. Jose Luis Chilavert, Paraguay.
Previous Clubs: Velez Sarsfield, Real Zaragoza, Strasbourg, Penarol, San Lorenzo, Guarani and Sportivo Luqueno.
Jose luis Chilavert is arguably the most exciting goalkeeper there has ever been. A scorer of 8 international goals he took Free kicks and penalties for club and country. Some of his free kicks were incredible, his best being for Velez against River Plate when he hit a 60yard thunder bolt. He also had a bit of a temper and in 1997 was involved in a fight with Tino Apsrilla, if pay per view got hold of it would be bigger than Mohammed Ali Vs Rocky Bolboa
7. Diego Maradona, Argentina.
Previous Clubs: Napoli, Barcelona, Sevilla, Boca Juniors, Newell’s Old Boys and Argentinos Juniors
Cheating little git or the greatest player ever, you decide. What ever you think he was a glorious player who was never far from controversy. Scorer of the “Hand of god” goal, Diego was sent home form the 1994 World Cup in the USA for failing a drugs test. At the World Cup in 1994 he scored a great goal against Greece and celebrated straight down a camera lens with his eye’s popping out of his head. He was suspended in 1991 for 15 months for cocaine use and at Barcelona was involved in bust up’s with the club president.
8. Duncan Ferguson, Scotland.
Previous Clubs: Rangers, Everton, Newcastle United and Dundee United.
Tall physical forward Ferguson was a genuine hard nut. Duncan was given a prison sentence of 3 months following an on field assault of Raith Rovers Paul McStay. His finest hour came in 2001 when two men tried to burgle his house. If the two men knew this was Ferguson house they would surely have left it well alone, predictably Ferguson “dealt” with the men, one of which had to spend three day’s in hospital after the encounter. Ferguson also has four convictions for assault.
9.Paulo Di Canio, Italy.
Previous Clubs: Lazio, Ternana, Juventus, Napoli, Milan, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Cisco Roma
Best remembered in England for scoring a stunning volley against Wimbledon at Upton Park. In 1998 he was given an 11 game ban for pushing over referee Paul Alcock whilst playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal. His time in Italy with Lazio was also controversial, he twice caused controversy by giving Roma fans the Roman Salute and was given a one game ban and fined. Di Canio is a sell confessed fan of Mussolini.
10. Vinnie Jones, Wales.
Previous Clubs: Wealdstone, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Wimbledon, Chelsea and Q.P.R.
Possibly the hardest Premier League player to date. Vinnie was known to win games “in the tunnel” pre kick off by tell his opponents exactly what to expect on the pitch as part of Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang. Vinnie was also a decent footballer and won the 1988 FA cup with Wimbledon and later went to play international football for Wales. Vinnie later turn to acting staring in many films. In the Film Snatch he has a very enjoyable encounter with a bloke called Boris the Blade.
