Following a turbulent day in the world of soccer after Manchester United were rocked by a sensational interview from star player Cristiano Ronaldo, a hefty fine is expected with reports suggesting a £1million sanction.
The legendary marksman, who leads the goalscoring charts for Real Madrid and his native Portugal, returned to Manchester United last season and enjoyed a fruitful year despite playing at the grand old age of 37.
Fast forward to this season, Ronaldo has featured sporadically under new manager Erik Ten Hag, prompting him to release an eye-opening interview with Piers Morgan in which he admitted he has ‘no respect’ the Dutchman, and claims the club ‘hasn’t changed in 20 years’.
Cristiano Ronaldo on Erik ten Hag: “I don't have respect for Erik ten Hag because he doesn't show respect for me”, tells @PiersMorgan. 🚨 #MUFC
“If you don't have respect for me, I will never have any for you”. pic.twitter.com/n3kRkvILbP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 13, 2022
With that in mind, it got us thinking about the most infamous soccer incidents which have led to forfeiture here at The Sports Daily, and we have listed the top five most substantial fines.
5. Romelu Lukaku – £325,000 ($381,000)
Strikingly similar to the situation we find ourselves in with Cristiano Ronaldo, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku was handed a $381,000 sanction by Chelsea last year.
After returning to Stamford Bridge in what seems to be a wholesome, full-circle moment having featured for the Blues as a teenager, his £97.5m dream move was nothing short of a disaster after he registered just eight goals in the Premier League.
His lacklustre performances were the cause of much criticism from the Chelsea faithful and mid-way through the campaign in December 2021, he openly criticised the system employed by manager Thomas Tuchel, as well as expressing his desire to return to Inter Milan, the club whom he had moved away from just a few months prior.
Lukaku seeing Ronaldo give an unauthorized interview damning his club & undermining his manager pic.twitter.com/5KCysALdyg
— Becs (@Rebeccacfc_) November 13, 2022
The club took a firm stance over his damning words and slapped a $381,000 fine on him. His reputation never fully recovered in West London and he did indeed return to Italy where he is currently on loan with a view to making the move permanent.
4. Mario Balotelli – £340,000 ($399,000)
Next, Mario Balotelli of course makes it on to the list.
The Italian striker is infamous for a slew of outrageous incidents which includes letting off fireworks in his mansion, being pulled over with $25,000 in cash on the front seat and pranking youth players by thrown darts at them.
However, his most substantial fine ($399,000) came after Manchester City, the club he represented at the time, punished the enigmatic forward for skipping training sessions and partying despite being in line to play the very same day.
As you would imagine, his relatively short stint at Manchester City is indicative of his career as a whole, which has been on a downward trajectory since emerging on the scene as one of the most promising young players in the world.
At 32-years-old, he now plys his trade in Switzerland for FC Sion.
3. Arda Turan – £350,000 ($410,000)
Sneaking into the top three, we have perhaps the most bizarre incident on the list.
Arda Turan was once renowned as a master technician who was integral in Atletico Madrid’s European success in the 2013-14 season, but the Turkish midfielder’s career took an unexpected turn both on and off the pitch.
Following an unsuccessful transfer to Spanish rivals Barcelona, Turan returned to his native country with Istanbul Basaksehir in 2018, which was the turning point for his reputation.
In October of that year, he was bizarrely found guilty of assaulting Berkay Sahin that left the popstar hospitalised. While that would be enough to ruin any player’s career, he later arrived at the hospital armed with gun which he fired at the floor, presumably to scare the singer into dropping the charges against him.
This, of course, landed him in hot water with Basaksehir who handed him a £350,000 sanction while he also picked up a suspended jail sentence.
2. Harry Kane – £400,000 ($470,000)
Breaking into the top two on our list is perhaps a name most keen soccer fans would not have expected.
Following a very public dispute between himself and Tottenham Hotspur in which he attempted to force a move away from North London, the England marksman failed to report for training following the Euro defeat to Italy last summer.
With a move to Manchester City seemingly on the verge of being completed, Spurs’ ever-stubborn owner Daniel Levy kept a firm stance over his prized possession, demanding £150million for his services which the champions never matched, instead picking up Erling Haaland for £100million cheaper.
Harry Kane would be docked two weeks’ wages in the aftermath, which amounts to £400,000 – although not a direct fine, the combined value makes this a substantial sanction.
1. Carlos Tevez £400,000 ($470,000)
And so, we arrive at number one, and it features another Manchester City rebel.
Carlos Tevez is remembered fondly in England for his tenacious, battling and hard-hitting style of football, but his most fabled episode in a career brimming with memorable moments in time resulted in this prodigious fine.
Let’s rewind to 2011, where Bayern Munich hosted Manchester City in the Champions League. Attempting to overturn a two-goal deficit, City’s manager at the time Roberto Mancini called Tevez off the bench in order to come on, but the Argentine striker refused to follow his command.
Although he later claimed it was a misunderstanding, Mancini was livid and stated that Tevez was ‘finished’ after the game.
Having initially been fined four weeks’ wages, the sanction was later reduced by half and amounted to £400,000.
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