The 5 most unsporting moments in World Cup history

#5: Bilic gets Blanc sent off, World Cup 1998

Former Croatian defender Slaven Bilic now has a reputation as one of football’s nice guys, but his behaviour in the 1998 World Cup semi-final certainly suggested otherwise.

His side were facing hosts France, and with Les Bleus going into a 2-1 lead with about fifteen minutes to go, he evidently decided that desperate times meant for desperate measures.

As France were about to take a corner, the players began to jostle for position in the Croatian box, and French defender Laurent Blanc looked to shake off his marker, Bilic.

As Blanc turned away from him, Bilic suddenly hit the deck like he’d been shot – clutching his face for good measure – and the referee immediately blew his whistle.

Seconds later, an incredulous Blanc was shown the red card for a supposed elbow – while Bilic remained on the ground to seemingly ensure that his opponent was dismissed.

Post-match, Bilic was condemned for his actions by all corners, despite claiming that he was struck in the face – something that the replays showed clearly wasn’t true.

Unfortunately for Blanc – one of France’s outstanding performers during the tournament – there were no rules to be able to overturn the incorrect red card, and he was forced to miss France’s triumph over Brazil in the final.

This was a piece of unsporting behaviour with possibly the worst consequences, as not only did it cause Blanc to receive the only red card of his career, but it forced him out of what would’ve been the biggest game of his career, too – a total injustice in every sense of the word.

Follow Sportskeeda for 2018 World Cup Scores, Latest News & Updates, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more.