Check Back: Are Leicester City For Real?

I wrote a few months back of Leicester’s infeasible start to the 2015-16 Premier League campaign. Aided by the gaudy scoring of James Vardy and company, Leicester were at the top of the table. But that was two months ago. The majority of fans thought they’d return to earth by now, but they have not. Now, into the second-half of the season, Leicester are still excelling. As of January 21, the Foxes are still in 2nd place, comfortably in line to compete for a place in Europe next year. So, what gives? How are these relative Premier League minnows still swimming with the big boys?

The Foxes’ meteoric rise to the top of the table can be attributed to their explosive offense, featuring two players high on the leaderboards. Fan favorite Jamie Vardy shares the league lead with Romelu Lukaku with 15 goals, and Riyad Mahrez is tied for 3rd with 13 goals. Mahrez is also near the top in assists, bagging 7, enough for 4th in the Premiership. Vardy, little-known prior to the season, is in prime position to compete for the league’s Golden Boot.

When we last spoke, Leicester sat top of the table but they hadn’t really proven themselves against upper-level competition. Since then, the Foxes have wins over Chelsea, Everton, West Ham, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Swansea. Besides Chelsea, those are all opponents in the top-half of the table. The Foxes have also earned hard-fought draws against Manchester City and Manchester United. And if it weren’t for a 63-minute strike by Christian Benteke, the Foxes would have drawn Liverpool as well.

Looking forward, can Leicester continue their astonishing run-of-form? To do so, the Foxes will need to rectify their relatively poor defense. While Leicester score a lot of goals, they also concede a good amount, allowing 25 goals on the season, more than any team in the top-ten. Leicester is also in the bottom-third in clean-sheets placing 13th with five. With their eccessive scoring, the Foxes are highly dependent on their top two scores: Vardy and Mahrez. Out of Leicester’s 37 goals, the Vardy-Mahrez duo have scored 28.  If either of the two dynamic scorers fall out-of-form, the Foxes could be in big trouble. Despite this possibility, fans should remain confident in their team, as there’ve been many pundits highly skeptical of Leicester’s incredible season so far and the Foxes haven’t wilted yet. Who’s to say Leicester can’t ride this dream-season all the way to a place in Europe?

If the Foxes have serious title aspirations going through second half, they’ll need to shore up their back-four, as it’s extremely difficult to win the Premier League title when you’re conceding over a goal per-game. That strain defensively puts an immense amount of pressure on the offense, and its hard to ask for much more from Vardy & Mahrez. If Leicester can solidify the squad, they can continue their magical story and make a legitimate case for European-participation and a title push by year’s-end.

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Sleeping Giant: Return of the Red Devils

Part 2 of IkeSportReport's SLEEPING GIANT series

The 2014/2015 season was one of mixed emotions for followers of the 20 time Premier League Champions. The fear of a lingering hangover from the David Moyes era, coupled with the excitement of a no-nonsense Loius Van Gaal leading a score of new “galactico” signings, made for a nervy summer for Manchester United fans around the world.  However, the July preseason tour of the United States rolled around and after a string of undefeated run-ins against some of the top teams in world football, Louis’ Red Army was lifting its first piece of silverware, the International Champions Cup. United fans were flying high, and with a deadline day signing of Falcao, the future seemed as bright as ever going into the first game of the premier league season. Many dared to believe that Manchester United, not stretched by Champions League competition, might just emulate Liverpool’s form of the previous year and cruise through the premier league in style.  However, on August 29th, an opening day defeat to Swansea City gave the fans and players a much needed reality check. They would have to fight tooth and nail if they wanted to make it back into Europe’s top flight.

Hindered by no less than 55 injuries last season, as well as the challenge Louis Van Gaal faced of how best to line up his new team (many unexperienced in the premier league) to adapt to his “philosophy”, United’s season was a series of ups and downs, often scraping out wins through the heroics of player of the year, David De Gea. Big name signings like Falcao and Angel Di Maria failed to replicate the form which had supporters drooling when the players were announced, and club captain and leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney was forced to fill the injury gaps in the midfield for most of the season—much to the delight of premier league defenders no doubt. Despite this, some glimmering signs of hope for the future emerged from Louis’ first year in charge.

Players who many thought were on their way out the door, or forgotten to the bench in previous years, found new life under the treble winning manager. The likes of Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Chris Smalling, and Antonio Valencia enjoyed some of their finest football in recent memory, and all earned a near unshakable spot in the starting 11. Juan Mata and new signing Ander Herrera formed a Spanish mid-field contingent, showcasing flashes of brilliance and Barcelona-esque passing game-in and game-out. And not least of all, keeping to his reputation of nurturing young talent, James Wilson found good form in his cameo appearances throughout the season, while Andreas Pereira, Tyler Blacket, and Paddy McNair were all rewarded with new contracts after their first team debuts. As the Red Devils finally secured a top four spot in the dying weeks of the 2014/2015 season, hope was returning to the United faithful that Louis Van Gaal was the right man for the job.

Now the summer transfer window is open and fans will be looking to Ed Woodward to provide Van Gaal with the tools he needs to make a push for silverware next season. In his never ending search for a “balanced” squad, Van Gaal was swift to act on ensuring he got his first signing in Eredivisie starlet, Memphis Depay.

The Dutch winger had a break out season last year, in part due to Louis Van Gaal’s tutelage at the 2014 World Cup. Leading PSV to the Eredivisie title, Memphis scored an astounding 22 goals from the midfield to end the season as the league’s top goal scorer and runner up for the Dutch league player of the year to his now former teammate, Andres Guardado. His electrifying skill, free-kick ability, and explosive pace on and off the ball have drawn the comparisons to a young Cristiano Ronaldo. And while this title seems to be cast about far too often in the modern game, Depay may yet live up to it. At just 21 years of age, Memphis Depay shows not only the raw talent, but the right attitude to become a football legend. He posses’ the swagger and arrogance that we so often see coached out of young players in this day and age. It is this “better than you” attitude which drives him to get on the ball and to look for the tricky pass or cheeky attempt on goal. Now, while this devil-may-care approach to football may have seen players like Nani fall from favor under the Iron Tulip’s reign thus far at United, Memphis has shown that he has the skill and composure to attempt the unexpected, and more often than not, succeed at it.

It feels like long gone are the days where Manchester United terrorized their opponents with dynamic wing play, taking defenders on, and playing the unconventional balls into the strikers from all areas of the pitch. Many fans may have forgotten what it was like to watch George Best, David Beckam, Ryan Giggs, or the mercurial Cristiano take on player after player and still have the composure to dink in a near perfect ball to a strike force which always boasts some of the biggest names in football. Memphis may just be a start of the resurgence of this iconic style of play. His delivery, eye for goal, and creative spark make him one of the most deadly up and coming wide men in the game. Not to mention he possesses rare free-kick ability that can be a game-changer in any league or competition.

In addition to Depay, there are three realistic signings United must make in order to be title contenders once more. Countless names of defenders have been thrown about in the last few months, but United would be wise to push for the signature of Valencia centerback Nicolas Otamendi.

While Sergio Ramos has been offered as a part of a deal for De Gea to move to Real Madrid, it has been reported that Real want an extra £20 million on top of De Gea to justify the defender heading the other way—an outrageous sum, considering the age and quality of De Gea. For an extra £10 million, Van Gaal could buy Otamendi, who is a talented, younger option than Ramos, and still keep De Gea for another year, just to show Real they won’t be bullied into fueling their plastic fan fire. 

In the midfield, United should look hard at bringing in Bastian Schweinsteiger From Bayern Munich as support for Michael Carrick. While he is not the youngest option, his experience and composure on the ball would fit Van Gaal’s possession based style of play perfectly. With younger players like Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, and Daley Blind around him to do the running, it's not impossible for United to get a good 3-4 years out of the World Cup winner.

Lastly, Manchester United should “attempt” to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham (Kane has insisted he isn’t going anywhere). It will take an incredible sum to complete the deal, but Kane is young, he is English, and he scored 31 goals in all competitions last year—more than doubling United’s top goal scorer.  While he may take some time to develop and repeat his form of last year, he is too talented not to take the chance on. The only problem is getting Daniel Levy to sell a player, without asking for Old Trafford in return.

It is important to note that while starlets such as Depay or Kane are the type of players who may revive the spirit of the United of old, the reality is, this isn’t the United of old, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In the past, United relied on skillful wide players to pound the opposition goal with pace and power. They were, however, also iconic for allowing goals on the counter attack or losing the ball too easily in midfield, always looking to play the ball into the strikers. Under Louis Van Gaal, expect to see this change. He has shown throughout his career with the likes of Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller, that he has the ability to mold creative, pacey wide players, while also playing a possession based style of football. Watch for United to evolve into a sort of hybrid team, merging the counter attacking pace of United of old (or Real Madrid of new) and the calm possession based creative styles of Bayern Munich and Barcelona. It truly is an exciting time to be a Manchester United fan, and I for one cannot wait to see what the 2015/2016 season holds for the return of the Red Devils. 

Written by Jake Montag. Follow  Jake on Twitter: @JakeMontag

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Sleeping Giant: Awakening the Beast that is Real Madrid

Part 1 of IkeSportReport's SLEEPING GIANT series

Barcelona won the Treble in 2015 (Spanish League, Copa Del Rey and Champions League). Besides boasting a strong core nucleus in all levels of the team, they are supplied with a good motivator in Luis Enrique, and can easily be considered the favorites for next year’s three competitions. With Real Madrid having La Decima and Barcelona having the 5th, it will be a nightmare for Madrid fans to see Barcelona catching up with their team. Despite possessing the otherworldy talents of Christiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid will have to improve in key areas if they want to reattain their successful reign. 

TRANSFERS & TRANSFER POLICY

The Archilles heel of this Real Madrid squad for many years has been the Defensive Midfield Role. It is said the curse started when Claude Makelele was sold after amazing displays in the DM role, as selling the strong tackler forced players like David Beckham to adopt the Deep lying playmaker role, so Real Madrid could supplement other top targets. The recent sales of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria offset bringing in James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, who by playing stellar football at the world cup further inflated their price-tags. One might ask whether an increase in shirt sales mattered more to Florentino Perez than having a protector of the back four. What Xabi Alonso did in the DM role was largely effective, as he could slide in harsh tackles and also distribute the ball with near or long passes. Di Maria was being played in the middle of midfield, allowing him to track opposing players and make his automated runs to left wing, in turn allowing Ronaldo to be Real Madrid’s 2nd striker. The Real Madrid side was a joy to watch, and Alonso was able to stop opposing attacks coming into the defense. In order to improve, Real Madrid must stop playing attacking midfielders in defensive positions. The best options to play DM for Real Madrid now are Luka Modric, an elegant passer and calm ball mover, and Kroos, who surely can be more effective playing forward. With so many problems in the DM role, Khedira, who can still contribute quality defensive work in the midfield, was shown out of the door. If Real Madrid wishes to reobtain greatness, they would be advised to acquire a world-class DM to allow players like Kroos, James , Modric to worry less about the defensive side, and better prosper with their creative talents. 

Currently, the world’s best DMs are Busquets and Mascherano, all but impossible signings. Real Madrid should try to acquire Bayern Munich’s Schweinsteiger, who can nullify attacks, and a player like Arturo Vidal, who is a fighter on the pitch and a battling presence in the midfield. Kroos would be the midfield partner of Vidal or with Isco and Modric. Supplied with a presence at the pivotal role and a player protecting the back four, this will only make Real Madrid stronger. Players like Sergio Ramos must not be sacrified at the DM role as he is still one of the best defenders in the world. With a pre plan of Rafa’s tactics being exposed, we can see Cristiano Ronaldo in the striker role flanked by Gareth Bale on left, his best position from the amazing displays at Tottenham Hotspur. The right wing should be for James Rodriguez and Isco. With most of the front positions well stocked, the defence area must be improved, as it was very shaky and easily leakable in big games. Real Madrid has the best Rightback options in the world right now with both Carvajal and Danilo on the right.

On the other side, Real Madrid must break the bank and acquire Jose Luis Gaya, the amazing emerging left back from Valencia. With Marcelo and Luis Gaya, the leftback position would be very strong as well. The defenders of Real Madrid are agile and fast and technically good for for defensive standards. The likes of Varane and Ramos should be the club’s first choice defence, as not giving Varane the chance to improve himself will only disappoint him, and as clubs like Chelsea are waiting to steal him away, it is best to allow Varane and Ramos to form the defence. Pepe will be in the first team quite a lot, as Real Madrid need to keep both Varane and Ramos fit during the long season.

The most divisive area of the Real Madrid squad will be the Goalkeeper spot. With very strong public interest on De Gea, many expect De Gea to get into Real Madrid camp. Then again, De Gea is still very silent on his contract issue and not yet ready to make his decision. Manchester Utd, under which he improved so much, are holding a ransom of 30 million euros. Keylor Navas, a very commanding goalkeeper, should be getting first team starts for club and country. While he might be a good goalkeeper, if the likes of De Gea or even Lloris, who craves the Champions League, arrives, Navas might have to leave and Casillas would be the 2nd choice goalkeeper. 

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLAYERS

Bale and Ronaldo’s relationship is highly professional, but when they are not playing well, they tend to get very upset and angry with their performances. The big problem comes when Bale fails to deliver a cross or pass when he should to Ronaldo and vice versa, and the two players lock horns on the pitch right away. The moods of the two superstars are felt among the other players, and this is a key problem that Rafa Benitez must address. With Bale being Perez’s favourite player and signing, he is all but assured to have a future at the club. Ronaldo has just one more season to break Raul’s 323 legendary club goal record, and must be motivated by board decisions and manager Rafa Benitez to continue playing in Real Madrid until he retires. Will Ronaldo stay after getting his 324th goal? Time will tell, but it is essential that he be kept happy.

YOUTH POLICY

If Madrid wants an extended run of excellence, they will need to do a better job managing their youth, and integrating the starlets with the established players. Real Madrid’s decision to let go of Alvaro Morata has been a huge disappointment to the fans. Morata was so decisive against Real Madrid with Juventus and also scored in the Champions League final against Barcelona, showing that he can certainly play in the biggest cup and matches. Jese might be the next Madrid academy player to be shown the door. With the youth facilities and Real Madrid B being abolished, Real Madrid appear to have scrapped their long term plans and belief in the youth, instead spending each summer chasing the new Galacticos. On the contrary, Real Madrid have been targeting the talented young players such as Martin Odegaard, superb against Sweden in friendlies, and Marco Asensio from Mallorca, who was being targeted by top clubs Barcelona and Atletico. Diego Llorente, a young, up and coming defender was given chances to feature in the Real Madrid defence, and is held in high regard by the club coaches.

MANAGER STABILITY

Real Madrid is a club associated with constant managerial changes and a lack of stability. From the sacking of Vicente Del Bosque after winning Champions League, Jupp Hyneckes after winning Champions League, and Fabio Capello after winning the Spanish League in both 1997 and 2007, Real’s managers can never get too comfortable. Even Jose Mourinho, “The Chosen One”, who achieved the highest league total and the league in year 2012, most games won , most away wins, most points obtained in any top leagues, and 121 goal scored, lost his job after a string of unfortunate incidents. In 2013, Real Madrid had appointed Carlo Ancelotti, a manager who was impressed during his time with Paris Saint Germain. Carlo Ancelotti led the team to win the “La Decima”, a record 10th Champions League and also the Copa Del Rey in his first year, attracting plenty of great praise and response, but he too got the axe as Barcelona flashed their 2014-15 dominance and Real Madrid was left with nothing in terms of trophies. With very high disappointment, the board and Perez wasted no time in sacking Carlo Ancelotti, despite only being 2 points short in La Liga and earning a semifinal berth in Champions League. After a revolving door of managers, in comes Rafael Benitez, a Madrid man through and through. The jury is still out, but look for the Real Madrid players to be motivated to forget the disappointing 2014/2015 season with better performance in 2015/2016. With so much turnover, it is essential Real Madrid improve on manager consistency and let the manager work with the same group of players for at least 3 years in an attempt to establish team-wide chemistry. If Rafa Benitez goes trophyless in his first season in charge, will Perez spare his axe? History dictates no, but time will tell. 

FINAL WORD

With one of the best squads in the world, it will not take an overhaul for Real Madrid to rule Europe and Spain once again. Blessed with riches in all positions and amazing talents like James, Odegaard, Danilo, the club is set to get stronger.  If Real Madrid can achieve manager stability, add a quality defensive midfielder, and address chemistry issues between superstars, prized European and La Liga titles will once again be ripe for the taking.

Written by Kiridaren Jayakumar

Winner Take All

This year’s Champions League Final, Barcelona versus Juventus, pits the contrasting styles of the champions of Spain against the champions of Italy. Barcelona have gone from their “tiki taka” style of short passing around the field to a more direct style in an effort to get the ball up to their dangerous trio of forwards in Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Lionel Messi. Juventus, on the other hand, play a more defensive style and try to hit their opponent on the counter attack. This match will see the Champions League’s best defense square up against the most prolific offense.

The past several Champions League Finals have seen one team with bottomless pockets go up against a team with must spend their money wisely in the transfer market to compete at the highest level.  The 2013 final saw German powerhouse Bayern Munich go up against Borrussia Dortmund, and in 2014 Real Madrid squared off against cross town rivals Atletico Madrid. This final will be no different, as the starting lineup of Barcelona cost a total of €268 million—a hefty sum when compared to the €127 million price tag of the XI Juventus will roll out June 6. The €268 million spent on Barcelona’s lineup doesn’t even include the likes of world-class players Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi, due to the fact they came up through Barcelona’s youth academy. In addition, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba were bought at reduced prices because they too came up through Barcelona’s academy, but were sold to other clubs with buy-back clauses in their contracts, which were in turn used to bring them back to Barcelona. Juventus has had to be much more shrewd in the transfer market to build their version of a world-class team, acquiring the likes of Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra, and Andrea Pirlo all on free transfers. Star footballers Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez were bought for a combined 21 million euros, and Marchisio was brought up through Juve’s academy, so no money was spent on him

Projected Starting XI

Juventus will employ a 4-4-2 Diamond formation. Unfortunately for Juventus, defender Giorgio Chiellini suffered a calf injury in training and will miss out on the final. Italian national team defender Andrea Barzagli will step in, so there shouldn't be too much of a drop off. Barcelona will use a 4-4-3, and are expected to go with the same squad, having no injuries or suspensions to deal with. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:45 PM Central Time.

Kevin de Bruyne - A Chelsea Reject Carrying Wolfsburg to the Top

Kevin de Bruyne is THE man in form in the Bundesliga. Since making a permanent move from Chelsea to the German top division in January 2014 for 21,5 million euros, de Bruyne has scored 9 goals, and assisted 16 others. He is now the most ‘used’ player in the Bundesliga accumulating 3682 minutes in 41 official games in all competitions with Wolfsburg and 5 games with the Belgium national team.

Prior to a great world cup with Belgium in which he carried the team to the first quarter-finals in 12 years, de Bruyne had a hard time bursting through the ranks at Chelsea and was sold in January transfer window of 2014. He joins an impressive list of Chelsea rejects who have gone on to find success elsewhere, including Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge, Arjen Robben, and lately Ryan Bertand (who is having a great season with Southampton) and Andre Shurrle, who joined de Bruyne at Wolfsburg in January 2015 and recently scored his first goal in the green and white. 

With all these players excelling at their new clubs, it proves that a big club like Chelsea is not always the best option for young and upcoming talents who are looking to prove their worth to the football world. A club like Wolfsburg who is small enough for a young player to be given a chance but big enough to challenge for the title, can give exactly what a young player needs: The stage for him to make an impression in the league and in Europe (de Bruyne scored twice against Italian side Inter Milan in the Europa League).

Maybe de Bruyne should bear this in mind when considering his future during the transfer window this summer. Is it worth moving to a big club like Manchester City, Bayern Munich or PSG, who have all shown an interest in him, or is it best for him to stay at Wolfsburg, who will surely play in the Champions League next season (they are now 12 points clear from Borussia Monchengladbach in fourth) and make a name for himself there?

It all depends on the numbers in the checks. 

Written by Victor Pasquier - Madrid, Spain

Can Arsenal Win the Premier League?

It's April 15th and Arsenal sit in second place in the BPL, 7 points away from Chelsea who have a game in hand. Is it possible for the Gunners to perform the impossible and win the league, or is it a “bridge” too far?

Arsenal have impressed in this second part of the season, winning 9 of their last ten games despite losing a handful of first team players to injury. This may be what has enabled them to accumulate so many points and maintain the consistency they’ve so often lacked in the past when the dog days of the season arrive. With the injuries to their main defensive midfielders, Arteta and Flamini, Arsene Wenger was forced to call back Francis Coquelin from his loan spell at Charlton Athletic, and he has proved to be a solid and consistent alternative. In fact, since Coquelin’s return, Arsenal have won 85% of the games in which he has started.

Another youngster that has proven to be a revelation this year is the Spanish right back Hector Bellerin. Bought in 2011 from the Barcelona youth academy, the defender has been able to bring pace and technique to Arsenal’s right wing and has even proven to be a quality goal scorer when he curled in a stunner passed Mignolet recently against Liverpool. The youngsters are not the only ones Arsenal supporters have to thank for the recent run of form. Olivier Giroud has now scored 7 goals in 6 games and is proving that he can be a quality striker with great finishing ability. Another player who has been under great criticism lately who has proved he is worth the 50£ million pounds the club paid for him is Mesut Özil. The German, injured for most of the first half of the season, has improved greatly and is now a real Premier League player showing strength in his duals and great accuracy in his assists.

So with all this, is it possible to believe that arsenal could reduce that 7 point deficit or is it just the dream of a disillusioned Arsenal fan? For that, Chelsea need to lose most of their last remaining games and, even though their form has been very poor lately, barely winning against Hull City and Stoke, they do have a squad full of quality and a manager who is known for winning ugly, which seems the only way to win the Premier League these days. But hey, to all the other Arsenal fans, let us not give up yet. We are the mighty Arsenal and we will always put up a fight! And hey, if Man City did it last year, why not us? #COYG

Arsenal play Sunderland Saturday at the Emirates.

Written by Victor Pasquier - Madrid, Spain

The Bad Boys of Soccer

Soccer has long been a game associated with class. IKE writer Victor Pasquier gives a run-down of ten players who simply don't give a f*** - on or off the pitch. 

With Liverpool trading in the cannibalistic Luis Suarez for Italian bad boy Mario Balottelli, lets take a look at some of the sport’s most controversial players - The "Bad Boys"

1.  Eric Cantona

First on our list is the Frenchman Eric Cantona. Cantona enjoyed a prolific career, most notably at Manchester United, winning 4 premier league titles in 5 years and scoring 64 goals for the Red Devils. Despite his success on the pitch, Cantona legacy will likely be defined by one particular history: During a game against Crystal Palace, he was sent off for a terrible challenge against defender Richard Shaw. While walking back to the dressing rooms, Cantona proceeded to launch a “kung-fu kick” toward Crystal Palace fans that led to him being arrested and convicted of assault, resulting in an 8 month ban handed down by the FA and a fine of £20,000. When asked about the incident, Cantona simply spoke, “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much”. Yeah, I don’t get it either…

2. Joey Barton

Next up is current QPR player Joey Barton. Barton was never surrounded by the best of people growing up as his brother was sentenced to a life in prison on conviction of murder. Barton himself also spent some time in jail for numerous assaults, including once putting out a cigar in a teenager’s eye. But Joey Barton’s bad boy status wasn’t only off the pitch. Barton averages 1 red card every 45 appearances and was famously sent off for kicking Sergio Aguero and subsequently resulting in QPR’s relegation.

3. George Best

Ex-Manchester United player, George Best, is the next bad boy to make the list. Like Cantona, Best had a brilliant career at Man U, scoring a total of 137 goals for the club. He was also known for having an extravagant life style off the pitch, being the proud owner of a nightclub in Manchester. Unfortunately, the lifestyle led to George Best becoming a full blown alcoholic, resulting in several incidents such as drunk driving and even stealing money to buy drinks. When asked about his dependency, George Best once said “I’ve stopped drinking, but only while I sleep”.

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

One of the most talented strikers of our generation, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a BAD MAN. The Swede never backs down on the pitch, collecting 10 red cards during his career at big clubs like Ajax, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and PSG. Known to kick his teammates, several of these kicks were recorded and have gone viral on the internet (YouTube: Ibrahimovic kicking teammates). During his time at Ajax, Zlatan had a feud with then-teammate, Raphael Van der Vaart, who accused him of deliberately injuring him during training. Zlatan responded by threatening to break both of Van der Vaart’s legs if he continued to accuse him. Despite moving on from Ajax, the Zlatan’s bad boy behavior seemed to stick with him, as he broke one of his team mate’s ribs during his time at Milan, and once ran over a journalist.

5. Paolo di Canio

Mostly remembered for his time at West Ham and managing Sunderland, Paolo di Canio is a bit of a unique case. When playing for Lazio, di Canio used the ancient roman salute, adopted by the fascists and the Nazis during the 2nd World War, to celebrate his goals. Di Canio did not hide his admiration for fascism and Italian dictator Mussolini, whom he described as "basically a very principled, ethical individual" and “deeply misunderstood”. His fascination for Mussolini doesn’t stop there, as he sports a tattoo of Mussolini in a military helmet and the notorious fascist imperial eagle, used by the Nazi party.

 6. Vinnie Jones

Simply looking at Vinnie Jones makes you shit your pants. The 6’2 ex-Wimbledon player amassed 12 red cards during his career and holds the record for the quickest booking in a football match, drawing the card after only 3 seconds. He is also infamous for grabbing players by the balls and was caught punching Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne’s family jewels on camera during a game. Vinnie Jones is now an actor, playing in a number of different movies such as “Eurotrip” where he played the role of a Manchester United hooligan. As you can imagine, the role fits him perfectly.

7. Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli, or “Super Mario” as some call him when he decides to play, is a fiery talent. The new Liverpool player is without a doubt considered as one of the most talented players of his generation, but his reputation for laziness and a short temper on and off the pitch have derailed his quest to become one of the greatest Italian players of all time. One of his most notable mishaps on the pitch was described by Jose Mourinho, his manager at Inter. In his latest biography, Mourinho recalls spending all of half time speaking to Balotelli so that he would not get a yellow card in the second half, being crucial he not get sent off as he had already received a yellow in the first half. What is the first thing “Super Mario” does when getting back on the pitch? He tackles a player from behind, ignoring all instruction and getting sent off only minutes into the second half. Super Mario was once seen firing a pistol in the Piazza della Repubblica in Milan, and also managed to lite his house on fire when trying to set off a firework inside it. Mario, Mario, Mario.

8. Luis Suarez

After the most recent World Cup, Luis Suarez is known to the whole world for his cannibal-esque biting habits. I mean, once is alright, but three times? The guy really needs to start eating more before a game because taking a chunk out of the opposition’s defense is just not okay. Biting incidents aside, Suarez is notoriously known for the 2010 World Cup match against Ghana, where he blocked the winning shot with his hands, receiving a red card, and then celebrating when the penalty was missed. Another ordeal that makes Suarez one of football’s bad boys is the racial abuse incident with Patrice Evra. Suarez was accused of referring to Evra’s ethnicity but continuously denied it during the trial. Suarez was still found guilty and was banned for 8 games and had to pay the sum of £40,000. Suarez denied the incident, refusing to shake Evra’s hand when Manchester United and Liverpool met during the next game.

9. Diego Maradona

Everyone knows Maradona. The Argentinian is wildly known for being one of the best players to ever play the game. However, he had a reputation of abusing drugs during his career. Maradona tested positive for cocaine while playing for Napoli, and was sent home from the World Cup once for the same reason. In addition to his episodes with cocaine, Maradona was known to have a hatred for journalists, once firing an air rifle at one. Not only that, but Maradona once accused a journalist of jumping under the wheels of his car after he had run over him.

10.  John Terry

The last player on our list is current Chelsea player John Terry. While John Terry is a very solid defender (and this is hard to admit as a die-hard Arsenal fan), he isn’t the nicest guy. Like Joey Barton, Terry didn't have the greatest family life growing up, his mother getting caught for shop-lifting several times and his father selling cocaine. On the pitch, Terry is not scared of putting in a hard tackle and he has the same reputation off the pitch. John Terry has been involved in a number of fights in nightclubs. After 9/11, Terry mocked American tourists while in a bar with a few other Chelsea teammates. In 2010, word got out that Terry was involved in a 4-month affair with teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend. The story was so big that Terry lost his England captaincy to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. A few years later, Terry was involved in racist allegations towards Ferdinand’s younger brother Anton, being fined £20,000 and banned for 4 months. 

Top Imports: The Most Impactful Transfers of Summer

As the transfer window dust begins to settle, IKE writer Keaton Walkowski identifies the top impact transfer for each major European league. 

Fresh off a World Cup, the summer transfer window is entering its peak here in the dog days of summer. This transfer period has already yielded some huge moves - whether they’ve been across the city, country, or to a different continent, marquee faces will debut in new places. We’re here to break down each major league’s top import.

BARCLAY’s PREMIER LEAGUE

Top Import: Alexis Sanchez

Garnering a transfer fee around $54 million, Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez relocated from Barcelona to Arsenal to become the club’s most expensive acquisition since paying off the Emirates Stadium. Sanchez made 32 appearances for the Catalan giants last year, netting 19 goals and dishing 11 assists. His 19 goals were good enough for fourth in La Liga, while his 11 assists were 8th highest.  Sanchez was efficient, achieving a league match rating of 7.52, good enough for sixth overall. This past month in Brazil he played quite well as the heart of a Chile team reaching the round of 16 despite sharing a group with world powers Spain and Holland. Sanchez scored twice and assisted once in his teams four appearances, earning him a gaudy World Cup average match rating of 8.17. From a scouting perspective, he is noted as a player with great commitment, desire, and coachability, while also displaying great defensive hustle backtracking from the winger position. The twenty-five year-old’s strong finishing will be a welcome injection into an Arsenal offense that managed only 68 goals last year, lowest out of the top four teams. With his standout performance in the World Cup, I give him a slight nod over the next guy.

Honorable Mention: Diego Costa

Despite a disappointing performance during Spain’s brief stay in Brazil, Diego Costa has been killin’ it, also taking his talents to London as Chelsea brought in the skilled striker on an identical fee of $54 million. In past seasons, Costa has helped turn Atletico from “that other team in Madrid”, into a perennial European power. Last season he tallied 34 goals across all competitions in 45 appearances, earning him a strike rate of 1.3 games per goal. He notched 27 goals in La Liga, third behind superstars Messi and Ronaldo. Those stats, along with 4 assists, were enough to earn him a spot in Futbol España’s “Team of the Year”. Noted as a strong finisher, solid passer and aggressive in 1v1 situations, Costa should fit in perfectly with a Chelsea lineup that features a plethora of creative midfielders. As previously mentioned, a lackluster performance for Spain this summer has him slotted slightly below Alexis Sanchez.

LA LIGA

Top Import: James Rodriguez

The former Monaco man has made quite a name for himself in recent months. Appraised by Sky Sports as being worth $68 million, his top notch form in Brazil resulted in a $107 million transfer to Real Madrid. For James, however, his solid body of work precedes the World Cup. Last year in Ligue 1, the Columbian scored 9 times while chalking up a league best 12 assists. Real Madrid now have the look of a fantasy team, with a projected front four of Ronaldo and Bale occupying the wings, Benzema up top, and James holding the number ten spot. The twenty three year old will be a sight to see this year at the Bernabéu for los blancos.

Honorable Mention: Luis Suarez

Everyone’s favorite vampire. After his most recent relapse, world class striker and noted Nosferatu impersonator, Luis Suarez, will be on ice, surrounded by garlic, for the first four months of his tenure at Barcelona. Before all this nonsense and the $128 million transfer, Suarez put Liverpool on his back, carrying the Merseyside club with an astounding 31 goals in 33 Premier League appearances - tops in the league by 10 goals. His 31 goals tied the Premiership record for goals in a 38 game season, and after CP3-ing his way to 12 assists (second highest in the BPL), he was named PFA Player of the Year. Suarez scored 2 goals in 2 appearances in Brazil before making lunch of Giorgio Chellini. Because he is set to be out of action the first chunk of the year (pun intended), he narrowly misses out on being La Liga’s Top Import.

BUNDESLIGA

Top Import: Ciro Immobile

German teams execute most of their bidding within the league, so high profile imports aren’t as common as they might be in La Liga or the BPL. That being said, Dortmund have gone against the grain, finding their replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the form of twenty four year old Ciro Immobile. The Italian international scored a Serie-A best 22 goals in 29 appearances for Torino. A strong finisher and considered one of the most lethal poachers in Europe, Immobile does most of his work in tight, as 20 of his 22 goals have come inside the box. His 2013-14 season was strong enough to earn him a trip to the World Cup with Italy, where he played a total of 88 minutes in a reserve role behind Mario Balotelli. Looking to this year, with quality midfielders such as Reus and Sahin, Immobile is sure to get quality service and should perform quite well in his first season in the Bundesliga.

SERIE A

Top Import: Alvaro Morata

With the incoming of young starlet Álvaro Morata along with acquisitions of aging Premiere stars Vidic, Cole, and Evra, the battle for power amongst newcomers in Serie A is a battle of old versus young. Sticking with the youth movement, Morata takes the cake as most exciting acquisition, joining Serie A champion Juventus for a fee of $27 million. At twenty one, the former crown jewel of Real Madrid made 23 appearances in La Liga, scoring 8 times. The striker debuted for Madrid at the age of seventeen, and with RM Castilla (the reserve team), netted an impressive 50 goals in 83 appearances. Known as a smart player with solid speed/strength combo, he is also a strong aerial threat, standing at 6’3. This year should be a fantastic learning experience for Morata, where he’ll be able to refine his craft under the tutelage of Carlos Tevez.

LIGUE 1

Top Import: David Luiz

This has been a relatively uneventful summer for Ligue 1 imports compared to the last two, where they brought in the likes of Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Falcao, and James Rodriguez. PSG made the biggest splash with the pre-world cup signing of David Luiz. The former Chelsea man was brought to the City of Light for close to $85 million – a record for a defender. It’s worth noting, however, that this deal was drawn up and completed prior to the world cup. In Brazil, Luiz had a very interesting time, as being both the hero and goat for the most soccer crazy nation in the world is now something he can check off his bucket list. Scoring two goals and compiling assists whilst averaging a 7.35 rating was good, but in the semi against Germany the man went rogue, making ill advised runs up the attacking third. Of the 7 goals Germany scored, he was at fault for at least 3. The humbling loss left him in tears, but before all that, he was a world class defender, champions league winner, and emotional leader at the club and national level. For his and PSG’s sake, let’s hope he can shake off that brutal game and regain his prior form.

MLS

Imports worth noting: David Villa (Athletico Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Kaka (AC Milan)