Top Famous Players Sacked By Their Clubs | 2024

In football, players getting sacked is not an everyday affair, but when it happens, it’s quite memorable, each case with its unique set of reasons.

Teams, no matter the level, have the authority to let go of players who tarnish the club’s reputation.

Many soccer players have weathered controversies, often finding themselves on the sidelines until a decision is made – whether to loan them off or wait for their contracts to run out if termination negotiations fall through.

Curious about the players who have been sacked from their clubs? Wondering why they got the boot?

Keep reading to uncover the stories of top famous football players who experienced the not-so-pleasant side of parting ways with their teams.

Top Soccer Players Sacked By Their Clubs

1. Joey Barton (Rangers)

Joey Barton, the maestro of controversies in the football world, is a name that resonates with trouble more than a fire alarm in a crowded theater.

The Englishman, known for his combative playing style, controversial comments, and dalliance with gambling, was practically a walking storm.

In 2016, Scottish giants Rangers decided to roll the dice and handed him a two-year deal.

The troublemaker, however, stayed true to his reputation.

Despite the ink barely drying on his contract, Barton managed only eight appearances for the side. The breaking point came just three months into his Rangers stint. A heated training ground scuffle with teammate Andy Halliday led to a three-week suspension, and eventually, the termination of Barton’s deal.

A Joey Barton career without the drama of getting sacked by his club would be like a movie without a plot twist.

The man practically wrote the script on stirring the pot, and Rangers had a front-row seat to the chaos.

2. Nile Ranger (Southend)

Nile Ranger, the 27-year-old professional footballer, has crafted a rather extensive rap sheet featuring charges like robbery, assault, criminal damage, and conspiracy to defraud.

Despite the legal entanglements and associated controversies, several clubs have been willing to take a gamble on the striker, hoping for a redemption story.

Southend was the latest team to extend a lifeline to Ranger, even standing by him during a 10-week prison stint for his involvement in online banking fraud.

He made a return to the pitch for the Shrimpers, but by January, the patience had worn thin.

Southend decided to sack Ranger, citing “recurring disciplinary issues” as the grounds for terminating his contract.

It appears that even in soccer, second chances come with an expiration date, especially when off-field troubles persist.

3. Adrian Mutu (Chelsea)

Back in 2004, Mutu got sacked from Chelsea for his not-so-secret rendezvous with cocaine.

The English Football Association also slapped him with a football ban until 2005, making him the star of headlines nationwide.

Chelsea didn’t just let him off the hook, though.

They hit him with a whopping £15m legal fine, making it the biggest legal slap in FIFA history at the time. Mutu, who had strutted into Chelsea on a five-year deal from AC Parma in 2003, managed to squeeze in 38 games, scoring 10 goals and tossing in six assists.

Not bad for a year’s work, right? Well, not good enough for Chelsea, who decided to part ways and demanded some serious fine.

Now, Mutu, being the cheeky fellow he is, tried to fight the fine, but alas, the appeal didn’t stick.

As of now, that £15m hasn’t found its way back to Chelsea, and Mutu seems to be holding onto his wallet for dear life.

And just when you thought his reputation couldn’t sink any lower, he got slapped with another ban for playing around with some forbidden substances while at Fiorentina.

4. Ahn Jung Hwan (Perugia)

In 2000, Ahn made headlines by joining Perugia on loan, becoming the first South Korean footballer to grace Italy’s Serie A.

Yet, his Italian adventure was anything but glamorous, as he faced isolation from captain Marco Materazzi and teammates, enduring a regrettable bout of racism during his two Serie A seasons, making 30 appearances with five goals.

Fast forward to the 2002 FIFA World Cup on home turf, where Ahn found himself in the South Korean squad.

In a match against the United States, he decided to channel his inner speed skater during a goal celebration, taking a stand against the controversial Winter Olympics disqualification of Korean skater Kim Dong-sung, which paved the way for American Apolo Ohno to snatch the gold.

Then came the round of 16 showdown against Italy, where Ahn missed a penalty but later redeemed himself with a golden goal in extra time – a header that propelled South Korea into the quarter-finals.

However, the triumph was short-lived.

The day after his heroics, Perugia’s owner, Luciano Gaucci, dropped a bombshell, canceling Ahn’s contract and lamenting, “I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football.”

Initially blaming it on controversial comments and not the goal, Gaucci later did a 180, approving a £1.2 million option to sign Ahn permanently.

But, with a touch of defiance, Ahn declined the offer, refusing to show up for pre-season training, and declaring, “I will no longer discuss my transfer to Perugia, who attacked my character instead of congratulating me for a goal in the World Cup.

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5. Jeffrey de Visscher (FC Emmen)

The ex-Aberdeen player reportedly got sacked from FC Emmen for an unconventional night out, where he allegedly decided to take a public bathroom break.

Caught by the police in a compromising position beside his car, De Visscher’s defense was a classic “blame the friend” move.

He insisted that a friend had taken the wheel, but the powers that be weren’t buying it.

He ended up getting sacked but De Visscher, in a plot twist worthy of a sitcom, maintained that the real reason for his exit was not a lack of discretion but a lack of playing time.

In his own words to Voetbal International magazine, “Stories are doing the rounds, but it’s utter rubbish. I had nothing to do with it.

“I was released from my contract at Emmen because there were no more chances for me.”

6. Mark Bosnich (Chelsea)

The Australian goalkeeper, once a part of Manchester United, made his way to Chelsea in 2001. However, Sir Alex Ferguson had already labeled him a less-than-stellar professional during his time at Old Trafford.

He was riding high on a weekly Chelsea salary of $130,000 (about £45,500).

Chelsea soon discovered the hard truth as Bosnich grappled with fitness and injury woes, making a measly seven appearances over three seasons.

However, his glory days took a nosedive during a match against Everton in November 2001, marking his final straw for the club.

Things went from bad to worse in September 2002 when he flunked a drug test, leading to his Chelsea sacking and a nine-month ban from football.

The plot thickened as Bosnich embraced a $5,000-a-week cocaine habit, morphing into a recluse who consumed enough white powder to rival a bakery’s flour stash

At one point, he even mistook his father for an intruder and nearly shot him with an air rifle – a plot twist fit for a Hollywood thriller.

7. Lee Clark (Sunderland)

Even in the days before everyone became an amateur paparazzo on social media, the ex-midfielder wasn’t about to slide under the radar with this one.

Clark, a die-hard Newcastle fan and a former player for the club raised eyebrows by making a switch to Sunderland in 1997.

But loyalty to his childhood club still pulsed through his veins.

Fast forward two years to Newcastle’s FA Cup final, and there’s Clark in the crowd, proudly donning a T-shirt that boldly declared, ‘Sad Mackem Bast***s.’

This fashion statement turned out to be a career faux pas, leading to the end of his stint with Sunderland.

His manager at the time, Peter Reid, didn’t beat around the bush, saying,

“As soon as pictures of him started popping up in the media, it was clear to everyone at Sunderland, especially me, that his time with us was done.

When I saw him next, I told him it was time to go – simple as that. Our fans wanted him out, and there was no turning back.”

Oops, a fashion statement with career consequences.

8. Patrice Evra (Marseille)

In 2017, Evra found himself in a bit of a pickle.

While playing for Marseille in the Europa League, he got into a squabble with a fan. It wasn’t your normal disagreement, though – Evra went all kung-fu on the fan.

UEFA wasn’t too pleased with this impromptu martial arts display and slapped him with a ban until 2018.

Evra, feeling the heat of alleged abuse from a fan on the sidelines, decided to channel his inner Jackie Chan. A red card and a swift termination of his contract by Marseille.

The club, while acknowledging the fans’ not-so-friendly behavior, didn’t let Evra off the hook either. They promptly declared him sacked, making it clear that even professionals can’t go kicking fans.

Now, Evra, not one to stay down for long, bounced back in 2018, joining West Ham United, making five appearances before gracefully exiting on a free transfer.

Retirement from the professional game came knocking in 2019, perhaps signaling the end of Evra’s career.

9. Nicolas Anelka (West-Brom)

Given Anelka’s history of wandering around 12 clubs, the odds of him parting ways with one weren’t exactly slim.

The twist in the tale came when he joined West Bromwich Albion. In the summer of 2013, Anelka, who had previously graced the fields of Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus, PSG, and Liverpool, donned the Baggies’ colors.

However, his time at the club hit a low at the end of the year when, after scoring a brace, he celebrated one goal with a quenelle hand gesture, a move popularized in France by his comedian friend.

Here’s where it gets messy: the quenelle gesture carried strong anti-Semitic connotations, and West Brom decided they’d had enough.

Anelka, in his defense, claimed it was a protest directed at the then-WBA manager Steve Clark, who wasn’t of Jewish descent.

10. Emmanuel Eboue (Sunderland)

Emmanuel Eboue, a beloved figure from his Arsenal days, took an unexpected turn on the path of football.

A player known for his good-natured spirit, he found himself on the less-than-enviable list of players sacked by their clubs. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Arsenal or his subsequent team Galatasaray that showed him the exit.

In the spring of 2016, Eboue inked a short-term deal with Sunderland.

However, just three weeks later, he found himself handed a one-year ban from all football-related activities. The reason? Failure to pay a former agent.

Eboué’s legal saga took a detour to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but unfortunately for him, the appeal didn’t swing in his favor. FIFA decreed that a ban be slapped on him for a year, or until he sorts out his financial tangle with his former agent, Boisseau.

The governing body unraveled a timeline of Eboué’s fiscal woes: In July 2013, he was initially instructed to cough up an undisclosed amount. Fast forward to September 2014, and he found himself with a fine of SFr30,000 (£21,650) for failing to dance to the compliance tune.

Talk about your own goal off the field. Sunderland, not one to wait around, released him in April 2016 without him even making a single appearance for the English club.

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11. Sergi Guardiola (Barcelona)

In the world of football, not every Guardiola can paint a masterpiece at Barcelona.

While Pep, the maestro, orchestrated a legacy lasting two decades at the Nou Camp, his namesake, Sergi, experienced more of a flash-in-the-pan performance.

The drama unfolded in 2015 when the younger Guardiola—no family ties to the revered Pep—was heralded as Barcelona B’s newest sensation.

However, this story took an unexpected plot twist.

Within hours, Sergi found himself unceremoniously shown the exit door. The reason? Some tweets emerged from the depths of the internet, revealing his admiration for Real Madrid and less-than-complimentary remarks about Catalonia.

In a post-tweetstorm interview with Spanish radio station Cope, Sergi acknowledged the misstep, stating, “I know I made a mistake. I apologize to Catalonia and Barcelona. I understand the decision; I’d do the same.”

I want to make clear I didn’t write those tweets. A friend took my phone and did it. It’s a misunderstanding. The tweets are from 2013, a joke from a friend, I didn’t even know the tweets existed.

“Barcelona have treated me very well. I understand their decision. Now I’m going home, we’ll see what happens.”

12. Dani Osvaldo (Southampton)

This Argentinian-born Italian player wasn’t exactly a stranger to trouble, even back in his Roma days when he threw a punch at Erik Lamela for not passing him the ball.

Southampton, however, witnessed the full of Osvaldo’s antics.

The tall striker, amidst a physical altercation with Jose Fonte on the training ground, also didn’t hold back on verbally assaulting a caretaker manager for benching him.

Osvaldo, instead of making headlines for his football talent, found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons on the South Coast. Midway into his debut season, he was fined and banned for violent conduct.

Loaned out shortly after the incident, never graced the Saints’ field again. His contract, initially set for four years, got sacked after just two.

13. Dennis Wise (Leicester)

He joined Leicester in 2001, but his time in the East Midlands turned out to be a bit of a footballing nightmare.

In his debut season, the former England midfielder managed just 17 appearances, and the script took a dark turn when he was shown the exit door by the Foxes.

The reason?

Wise decided to settle a dispute with a teammate, Callum Davidson, with his fists, resulting in a double fracture of his right cheekbone. It wasn’t exactly the best way to kick off a new chapter.

A week after this unfortunate incident, Leicester held a disciplinary meeting, and the verdict was clear – Wise had to go.

To add to the woes, this decision came at a time when the club was grappling with financial issues, having gone into administration and suffered relegation from the Premier League.

It was undeniably a low point for the Foxes, with Wise’s departure being one more blow during a tough period.

14. Papy Djilobodji (Sunderland)

Sunderland shelled out a hefty £8 million to snag Papy Djilobodji from Chelsea in 2016, expecting a defensive maestro.

However, this hefty investment turned out to be more of a fiscal fumble, leading to his dismissal within just two years.

In his first season, the Senegalese international made 23 appearances but lost his starting spot after a suspension for violent conduct. Sunderland’s woes deepened as they suffered relegation from the Premier League that season.

To add salt to the wound, new manager Simon Grayson reportedly informed Djilobodji that he wouldn’t be gracing the field in the following campaign.

Sent out on loan for the season, Djilobodji didn’t make a return until the new season was already underway.

Sunderland, now competing in League One after relegation, claimed that the Senegalese defender didn’t show up for preseason until September and failed a fitness test.

A swift sacking by Sunderland, followed by an out-of-court settlement months later as Djilobodji had gone off the radar.

This pricey transfer turned out to be a costly misstep for the Black Cats, leaving them with a financial hangover and a lesson in the perils of big-money transfers gone wrong.

15. Adil Rami (Marseille)

In the summer of 2019, Rami found himself benched during Marseille’s pre-season tour to the United States.

This exclusion persisted into the competitive season, notably in the club’s first match under new head coach André Villas-Boas – a disheartening 2–0 loss to Stade de Reims on August 10, 2019.

The drama escalated on August 13, 2019, when Marseille sacked Rami, citing ‘gross misconduct.’

The club had been investigating the defender for skipping a crucial training session at the end of the 2018–19 season, claiming to be recovering from an injury.

The plot took an unexpected turn when it was revealed that on the very day of the missed session, Rami was busy trying his luck on a French TV game show called Fort Boyard.

The show featured contestants taking on various challenges, from mud wrestling to demanding physical stunts, all in the hopes of winning some prize money.

Talk about multitasking – though, maybe not the smartest career move.

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