Top 5 Biggest Scandals in the EPL

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In this post, we will check out the top 5 biggest scandals in the EPL.

It is quite common knowledge that of all the hundreds of sports that exist, none is as popular and entertaining as football. It is one of the very few games that is played around the globe on a 24/7 basis.

This means there is always a live football game going on somewhere in the world. Being one of the most disciplined sports on the planet, football often acts not only as a mode of entertainment but also as an embodiment of some of the most cherished values of society.

In this sense, people get to expect the reflection of these values in every aspect of the game, be it in the playing arena, team/club management, or to some extent, the private lives of both players and officials.

Failure to uphold these values often leads to criticism or, as some would rather put it, disappointments. Scandal is the popular description of such incidents. As usually advised by the best sports betting agent, these rare events are often good to watch out for, especially for those who enjoy sports betting.

While they can often go unnoticed in other football competitions across the globe, they hardly hide in the English Premier League. Here are some top examples.

#5 Bruce Grobbelaar’s match-fixing Scandal

In football, not so much attention is ever given to goalkeepers. A fan might know just about every player in a team but have no clue whatever of the goalkeeper’s status. Unless a goalkeeper is exceptionally good or bad to attract attention, making headlines is never an easy task.

Grobbelaar was one of the most iconic Premier League goalkeepers in the early 1990s who became known to many, not for talent but for all the wrong reasons. The Zimbabwean was accused of match-fixing in 1994.

The SUN newspaper had spread the news and later on, he was charged. However, without any evidence, the case was dropped after making a lot of headlines. It remains one of the most scandalous events in Premier League history.

#4 The John Terry Affair

The loss of reputation sometimes leads to very undesirable consequences. That’s because humans very much care about their public image since it is from there that they are judged.

In football, it is very difficult to separate success from reputation. One single mistake can end a player’s career and destabilize entirely whatever has been built till then.

Thus, players try as much as possible to project the best image and hide their skeletons farthest from public reach. However, they hardly succeed though. The gossip magazines’ search lights never let them rest.

Just like Giggs, John Terry, before making headlines with his racist scandal in 2012, was reported in 2010 to have been involved in an extra-marital affair with Vanessa Perroncel that led to a pregnancy, then, an abortion.

This was a trying time for English football. Before the news went viral, reports claimed Terry tried preventing it from being reported by the media. Unfortunately, the gossip magazines had it already.

#3 The multiple affairs of Giggs

It is hard to define what makes up a player’s or star’s private life. More often than not, it is a sharing with the public. People want to know exactly how they leave off stage.

They want to know if they are married, what color of dress they love most, the number of cars in their garages, how many bets they own, the kind of house live in, the number of children, shoes, watches, and so on.

Some even go as far as investigating how much they spend on food, family, etc. This, no matter how off it might seem, is part of the public will to know if those who appear as role models truly leave as such. And when irregularities are found, they go viral.

Ryan Giggs in 2012 was a subject of public scrutiny as a dive into his private life revealed, the innocent-looking gentleman player who earned for himself a great deal of respect had been involved in a series of extramarital affairs, one involving his own brother’s wife.

This was a gentleman highly esteemed as an embodiment of great marital virtues. Unfortunately, when the veil was lifted, Ryan was seen from another angle that hardly reconciled him with the first.

#2 The EPL match-fixing ring

Match-fixing is a very dangerous crime in sports that often gets the heaviest punishment possible. Almost every sports organization, player, and bookmaker dreads the phenomenon and would do whatever it takes to prevent its occurrence.

Yet, it still happens anyway. Some sports such as Snooker have already earned the reputation of unfair play so much so that fans have begun doubting the authenticity of their outcomes. In football, however, this sort of fraudulent practice is usually unheard of.

Because of its disciplined nature, this dangerous act is prevented at almost every possible cost, especially in top reputable leagues such as the English Premier League which is often seen as the standard of world football.

Since 2012 however, the EPL has been under investigation following a statement from former Southampton defender Claus Lundekvam that gave the impression that he and a few of his teammates alongside rival captains had benefited financially by manipulating the outcome of certain events.

He said they would internationally stage events such as corners, cards, and penalties after betting on them. Interpol has been following the issue closely as new reports recently emerge, claiming the existence of a worldwide circle that benefited from match-fixing in European football.

#1 The John Terry Racist Scandal

Racism is one of the biggest issues that continue to plague the English Premier League. Every now and then, the issue either arises on the field or off the field. Players get mad at each other and spill out venoms that often end up in sendoffs or even bans.

These of course are things that club managers try to control at all levels. Unfortunately, anger management in the field sometimes becomes so difficult that the connection between discipline and indiscipline gets cut off for a few moments to help release the tension within.

In a 2011 match between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea, John Terry appeared to have uttered Racist words against Anton Ferdinand. The words which were traced from video footage included “You f***ing Black C**t.”

In effect, Terry was put under investigation and in 2012, got a ban for four matches and a £220,000 fine. The incident made a lot of news with most people labeling it as the most disgraceful racial issue in English football.

There are indeed a lot of scandals in the English Premier that continue to baffle the public. Some, have often ended up being nothing but mere accusations while others truly expose the weaknesses of the League.

Sexual misconduct, racism, and match-fixing are some of those areas where the league has been greatly hit. You can always keep track of these events by staying up to date with the latest sports betting news which pays very keen attention to them.