8 insane quotes by footballers on managers

Football is not only a game that tests your ability to play the game but also a test of mentality and character. Some players are admired and immortalized for their sportsmanship combined with their brilliance on the field.

But an important factor in determining the legacy of a player is the relationship he has with his managers. A few legends have owed everything they have ever done to their managers while others are not as graceful because of a more fractious relationship.

Here are 10 players who completely fell out with their managers in the ugliest way possible:

#8. Eric Cantona on Didier Deschamps

Eric Cantona is one of football’s most eccentric men. He was also one of France’s greatest players not to mention a Manchester United legend. He was teammates with now France manager Didier Deschamps and it is safe to say the two did not have the most friendly of relationships.

Deschamps was the captain of the national team and when you have an ego like Cantona you are bound to have differences of opinion, to put it mildly. Cantona decided he did not like the way the National team was being run and said this about his captain:

“Deschamps gets by because he always gives 100 percent, but he will never be anything more than a water carrier. You can find players like him on every street corner.”

Cantona was also involved in a kung fu related controversy in that period and after he was banned from football for 8 months he never played for the French national team again. Deschamps went on to become the manager of the French national team who lost to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016.

#7. Antonio Cassano on Fabio Capello

Antonio Cassano is one of the more famous journeymen of football. The controversial midfielder has played for the likes of Sampdoria, Bari, Roma, Inter, AC Milan and Real Madrid but has never truly realized his potential.

Now 34, the player is back at Sampdoria having failed to make a mark with big clubs. He was known for boasting about his fitness levels and his unusual methods of attaining said fitness.

He also had a very confusing relationship with Fabio Capello. There were times when the former Real Madrid manager praised Cassano and times when he was left utterly frustrated.

Here is one of Cassano’s more infamous quotes on Capello: “In the locker room I told him ‘you’re a piece of sh**, you’re more fake than Monopoly money.”

#6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Pep Guardiola

If there was one player who epitomized the rivalry between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho it was Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The big Swede has played for both managers and has won titles under both as well but has varying degrees of respect for both.

In Pep Guardiola’s case, Zlatan has nothing but contempt for Spaniard for the way he was utilized at the Catalan club. Arguably his worst ever season as a player Zlatan does not have fond memories from his time at Barcelona.

The player has several times insulted and accused Pep of many things which has given us several memorable off the pitch moments to savour but we picked out this particular quote to describe precisely how he felt at playing second fiddle at Barca:

“When you buy me, you are buying a Ferrari. If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway and you step on the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a spin in the countryside. He should have bought a Fiat.”

#5. Mario Balotelli on Brendan Rodgers

If you expected any list without quotes from this man then you probably did not know what you were getting yourself into. Balotelli has a bunch of quotes to pick out from. From his infamous bust-up with Roberto Mancini to his distaste for Jurgen Klopp, the controversial moments are endless when it comes to Super Mario.

Probably the only player to tell it as it is when it came to former Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers never wanted to sign Balotelli but was forced into the move after Liverpool were short on strikers and the transfer committee decided to take a gamble on the Italian.

Safe to say his spell with the Reds was not the most productive. He only managed 1 goal in 16 appearances and did not have a very good relationship with Rodgers either. When asked in an interview as to whether he has had problems with any of his managers he said: ‘It was disastrous only with one… Brendan Rodgers.”

Steven Gerrard also recalled a particular incident when Balotelli surprised everyone in training when asked to defend corners by Rodgers. He said, “I don't mark on corners. I can't”

Here’s to many more memorable Balotelli moments to come

#4. Roy Keane on Mick Mcarthy

Manchester United seem to be making a habit of developing great players with great character with even greater chances of expressing their opinion when they want to. Not many people would cross Roy Keane because of his intimidating personality.

He was never afraid to say what he thought which was also the reason he left Manchester United. He has even lost his temper against Sir Alex Ferguson on more than one occasion in the dressing room.

But probably his biggest outburst was when he let his temper get the better of him against former Ireland coach Mick Mccarthy. Here is what he said:

“Mick, you're a liar... you're a f****g w*****r. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a f******g w*****r and you can stick your World Cup up your a***e. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your b******s.”

#3. Joey Barton on Big Sam, Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes

Joey Barton believes himself to be a man who is complex and an enigma but really he’s just another footballer with too much time on his hands. There is no denying his quality and has had a career with spurts of success but when it comes to controversy, the list is very long.

Barton managed to insult three managers all at once in this wonderful byte from an interview he did. This is what he had to say on two respectful managers and one not so successful one:

“Sam Allardyce is England manager. Well, am I a better player than Sam? Well, yeah, of course. Do I believe, if Sam can get to be England manager then I can? Of course I do. What’s Sam got that I haven’t got? I look at Roy Hodgson in the England job and look at the way he handled it. Surely even you think you could have done a better job. And I look at other managers. Mark Hughes is a terrible manager.”

#2. Serge Aurier on Laurent Blanc

Serge Aurier leads the new generation of footballers with controversial moments that dominate media headlines. His most recent remarks that caught the attention of everyone in the world was his remarks against former Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc:

During a fan interaction session on social media streaming tool Periscope he said things you should never teach your kids to say. When asked about his Blanc he called him a ‘une fiotte’ which translates to ‘a Fa***t’.

Then he went on to say that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has s*****l relationships with the manager saying ‘he takes everything’. He also called fellow teammate Van Der Wiel ‘wetter than wet’ whatever that is supposed to mean and then berated goalkeeper Sirigu as ‘guez’ which means ‘uselsess’ or ‘finished’.

Safe to say he did not have a pleasant meeting with the boss the next day and he later apologized for his actions as well.

#1. Nicolas Anelka on Raymond Domenech

The FIFA 2010 world cup was arguably one of the least entertaining editions of the tournament in recent years. Spain scored in single digits to lift the world cup but the talking point of that tournament was the fall out in French national team.

Several players refused to play for coach Raymond Domenech after the coach sent Nicolas Anelka home. Before that, during a game he was subbed off at halftime to which he responded with these words : “Son of a w***e” The French striker then went on to say this about the coach in a fit of fury during an interview:

“I insulted a coach who the whole of France had already insulted, a coach who had never won anything apart from Ligue 2 and the Toulon tournament. When you have been coached by [Carlo] Ancelotti and other greats, it's hard to be coached by Domenech.”