Dives, Red Cards and Rants · Yellow Fever Nga Wana Kowhai · Supporters of the Wellington Phoenix

The Times
Top ten football dives Russell Kempson

1. Rivaldo
World Cup 2002. Ball hits leg, Brazilian falls to ground clutching face to get Hakan Unsal sent off.

2. Roberto Rojas
Chile goalkeeper pulls razor blade from glove and slashes himself to get game against Brazil abandoned.

3. Slaven Bilic
World Cup 1998. Earns Laurent Blanc a red card with an outrageous tumble. Blanc misses final.

4. Jurgen Klinsmann
1990 World Cup final. German gets Pedro Monzon sent off with an ostentatious dive-cum-body jerk.

5. Paul Alco**
1998. Falls to ground in slow motion after being shoved by the red-carded Paolo Di Canio.

6. Morten Gamst Pedersen
Delayed reaction sprawl having been clipped by Bacary Sagna. Emirates Stadium, March 2009.

7. Robert Pires
September 2003. Trips himself up going past Dejan Stefanovic. Wins penalty for Arsenal.

8. Diego Simeone
Back-heeled by David Beckham in 1998 World Cup. Falls as if shot, Beckham sent off.

9. Francis Jeffers
December 2002. Trips over "space" where leg of Liverpool's John Arne Riise might have been.

10. Francis Lee
Too many tumbles to mention. 1971-72 season, scored 15 penalties, many from own theatrics.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6798832.ece

From Times Online August 17, 2009
Top ten football red cards Russell Kempson

1. Eric Cantona
January 1995. Dismissed for fouling Richard Shaw, kung-fu kicks Crystal Palace fan on way off.

2. Andre Bikey
Cameroon defender shoves medic treating team-mate Rigobert Song in African Cup of Nations semi-final.

3. Zinedine Zidane
After verbal exchange during 2006 World Cup final, the Frenchman head-butts Marco Materazzi in chest.

4. Pepe
April 2009. Real Madrid defender pushes Francisco Casquero, kicks him, then slaps another Getafe player.

5. Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer
2005. Fisticuffs between Newcastle team-mates. Red cards for both.

6. David Pratt
Real prat, December 2008. Chippenham Town striker dismissed after three seconds against Bashley.

7. Paolo Di Canio
Sheffield Wednesday striker pushes the referee, Paul Alco**, as he makes pitch exit.

8. Wayne Rooney
July 2006, World Cup finals. Forward stamps on Ricardo Carvalho, pushes Cristiano "The Winker" Ronaldo.

9. Ricardo Fuller
Saw red after slapping Stoke team-mate, Andy Griffin, for failing to clear ball.

10. David Beckham
1998. England midfielder flicks out at Diego Simeone and is slaughtered by a distraught nation.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6798919.ece

The Times - Top ten football rants Russell Kempson

1. Roy Keane
World Cup 2002, to Mick McCarthy: "You were a crap player, you are a crap manager."

2. Didier Drogba
Champions League semi-final. Cue to camera ... "It's a disgrace, a disgrace. A f***ing disgrace."

3. Eric Cantona
Something about seagulls, trawlers, sardines and the sea. Genius.

4. Kevin Keegan
1996. "I'd love it if we beat them [Manchester United], I'd love it."

5. Joe Kinnear
October 2008. Swears 52 times in five-minute tirade at press.

6. Rafael Benitez
"It's a fact." Attacks Sir Alex Ferguson from prepared statement.

7. Garry Cook
Manchester City chief executive on AC Milan: "They bottled it."

8. Giovanni Trapattoni
Bayern Munich's Italian coach lambasts media in pidgin German.

9. Jose Mourinho
2005. Former Chelsea coach rails against Luis Garcia's "ghost" goal at Anfield.

10. Darren Bent
Twitter twit. "Do I wanna go Hull City? NO. Do I wanna go Stoke? NO ..."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6798889.ece

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