ISL: Veteran bad boys of football find new home in India

New Delhi, India:  The Indian Super League (ISL), which kicks off Saturday, will feature some of the most illustrious names in football from the past two decades, albeit some best remembered for the wrong reasons.

AFP takes a look at six of the bad boys who have a history of attracting headlines:

Nicolas Anelka (Mumbai City)

Anelka, the original enfant terrible of French football, has been a byword for controversy in a career that has featured multiple bans, busts-ups and a storm over anti-semitism. After a sensational start with English giants Arsenal, top-scoring for the Gunners as they won the league and FA Cup in 1998, he spent much of the next season agitating for a move, earning himself the nickname Le Sulk. He eventually secured a transfer to Real Madrid but soon fell out with his new employers, receiving a 45-day suspension for refusing to train. [caption id=“attachment_1717015” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nicolas Anelka. Getty Images[/caption] After spells with the likes of Liverpool, Fenerbahce and Chelsea, it had been thought that Anelka had mellowed. But he showed he had lost none of his capacity for controversy during the 2010 World Cup when he launched a foul-mouthed tirade against coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during a match against Mexico. He was subsequently banned for 18 matches, effectively ending his 69-game international career. His last spell in European football was with English club West Bromwich Albion that ended when he was served with a five-match ban for an anti-semitic gesture known as a “quenelle”. Adrian Mutu (Pune City) The Romananian forward has the unwelcome distinction of being banned for drugs in two of Europe’s top leagues – the English Premiership and Italy’s Serie A. He was sacked by Chelsea in 2004 after testing positive for cocaine, triggering a lengthy legal saga as the London club sued Mutu for breach of contract. He resurrected his career in Italy, first with Juventus and then with Fiorentina before being caught doping once again in 2010, resulting in a six-month ban. Mutu was also banned from the Romanian national team after posting an image on Facebook depicting his manager as Mr Bean. Marco Materazzi (Chennaiyin) The Italian, a former World Cup and Champions League winner, was player-coach of Chennaiyin in last year’s inaugural season and is back in the dug-out this time round. During a career which included stints at Inter Milan and Everton, the heavily-tattooed Italian was known as one of the hardest central defenders of his generation, picking up around two dozen red cards. But he is best remembered for provoking Zinedine Zidane into headbutting him in the 2010 World Cup final after insulting the French legend’s sister. Zidane was sent off and Italy won the tournament. Steve Simonsen (Pune City) Goalkeeper Simonsen’s career in British football came to an ignominious end when he was banned earlier this year after being found guilty of betting on dozens of matches while playing for Scottish giants Rangers. The Englishman, who has previously played for teams such as Everton and Stoke City, did not have his contract renewed after serving the ban. Freddie Piquionne (Mumbai City) The much-travelled Piquionne, who hails from New Caledonia, enjoyed success at a host of clubs in France, England and the United States, including Monaco and West Ham United. But his time at the French club Saint Etienne ended in 2007 when he was convicted of assault for breaking the nose of a supporter who had insulted him in the club car park. Didier Zokora (Pune City) Veteran Ivory Coast midfielder Zokora, who is his country’s most capped player, won many admirers in Europe during spells in England (Tottenham Hotspur), Spain (Seville) and France (Saint Etienne). But his time in Turkey, where he played for Trabzonspor, was shrouded in controversy when he kicked the former national captain Emre in the crotch in apparent revenge after being racially abused in an earlier game. AFP