Football is a fickle business, the majority of modern players will never truly sympathise with the fans, no matter how much they may profess a love for the club. In a pinch, a player will always favour their own career - or possibly worse, their pay check.
Heroes can quickly become villains in a summer transfer window, should they decide they wish to seek a future elsewhere.
Obviously no club wants to lose their star players, but if a move isn't sanctioned, players will often flex their star power in an attempt to force their employers hand. Here five of the dirtiest tactics players have employed, in a bid to force through a move...
5. Going on Strike/Going AWOL
The most common ploy of a wantaway player, refusing to turn up for training or games. There are a number of approaches, from publicly stating they will never play for the club again, to simply not contacting the club, or returning their calls.
Riyad Mahrez was the latest high profile player to go on strike as recently as this January, in attempt to force a move to league champions Manchester City. He pleaded his desire to play under Pep Guardiola but it fell on deaf ears, with Leicester unwilling to sanction a move.
Leicester incredibly rebuffed a £60m offer for the player making their own desires clear, but Mahrez was unhappy with the decision and refused to turn up for training.
It ended as it it often does, with the player needing to swallow their pride, accept a fine and return to their club. It’s an unprofessional act that does little to impress potential suitors, it doesn’t stop players from trying it though.
4. Causing Unrest Behind the Scenes
For players seeking a more proactive, there’s always the option to fall out with fellow team mates or any of the backroom staff. If other key members of the squad can’t stand having you around a situation can quickly become untenable.
Players can deliberately look to cause a rift between themselves and the manager by undermining their authority and criticising their approach. Or they could take action to create other enemies within the side, in extreme circumstances even physically assaulting their fellow professionals.
The now popular TV pundit Robbie Savage was no stranger to controversy in his playing days. Since retiring Savage has admitted he was a bit of a bad egg at times, especially when he didn't get what he wanted.
He even confessed to deliberately starting a punch up with his goalkeeper in training, in a failed attempt to force through a move away from Birmingham.
3. Publicly Criticising Teammates
In order to make more of public statement though, some players may seek to manipulate the media, to alert other clubs. Top clubs keep a close eye on their player’s media responsibilities, so sometimes they have to be even sneakier by contacting the press in their native tongue.
Whilst away on international duties or visiting families it’s an easy opportunity to express homesickness, or other reasons for your ‘unhappy’ lifestyle.
Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri recently adopted this strategy, conducting an interview that was coincidently published just a few weeks ago with his club on the verge of relegation. Shaqiri took the opportunity to take a thinly veiled swipe at his teammates, and their lack of quality that is holding him back.
An unsanctioned interview in which Roy Keane criticised his teammates also inadvertently played a big part in his eventual departure from Manchester United. Whatever the reasoning not many players want to train alongside someone who thinks they are better than them.
2. Turning Up at QPR
In the most extreme of examples, players can even attempt to take their transfer into their own hands, without the approval of their club. Having their agent put them in the shop window or even contacting other clubs directly.
Tapping up players is illegal but interested parties will often be willing to go around the laws of the game to get their man. As Sam Allardyce once famously explained, their are ways to get around FIFA or FA regulations, especially if a player takes it upon themselves to do the legwork.
In one of the most bizzare deadline day stories ever, Peter Odemwingie once turned up outside Queens Park Rangers hoping to sign. Unfortunately for Odemwingie, out of respect for his then current club West Brom, they refused to grant him access to the training ground.
Odemwingie spent most of the day sitting in his car outside of Loftus Road, before having to turn around and make an awkward drive back up north.
1. Upsetting the Fans
When all else fails there’s always the nuclear option, going straight for the heartbeat of the club. If attempts to undermine the manager, disrespect teammates and contact other teams have still left the board standing firm on your status.
The last thing a player wants is to spend the rest of their days, watching their contract run down from the stands. Some chairman have been rigid enough in the past to ensure their star won’t play for anyone, leaving him frozen out and training on his own.
There is one voice no chairman can avoid for long though, the voice of the fans. Referring to current employers as a ‘small club’, insulting the clubs ambitions, ethos or even surrounding area is a sure fire way to upset the fans.
Dimitri Payet left such a bad taste in West Ham fans mouthes that the club had to position security personnel to guard his mural outside of the stadium for fear of it being defaced. Payet didn’t stop there, continuing to take swipes at the club post departure.
- 90Min