Former Melbourne Victory captain and current manager, Kevin Muscat, was crowned football’s dirtiest player in the history of the game, according to a list of the most violent players compiled by a popular Spanish football website.
El Gol Digital has listed their top ten worst offenders of the past and present ever seen in the game, including Manchester United legend Roy Keane and the hardman Andoni “The butcher of Bilbao” Goikoetxea. But no one could beat Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat, who came out number one.
Muscat first made a name for himself as a hard man in the United Kingdom while playing for Wolves, Crystal Palace, Glasgow Rangers and Millwall but it was the end to his A-League career that earned him the unflattering attribute.
Footage of Muscat’s tackle on Melbourne Heart winger Adrian Zahra in 2011 – which resulted in a career ending suspension – went viral and became his lasting reputation in Europe.
Other most violent player in the history of football include: Pepe, Portugal/Brazil; David Navarro, Spain; Andoni Goikoetxea, Spain; Luis Suarez, Uruguay; Gennaro Gattuso, Italy; Roy Keane, Republic of Ireland; Mark Van Bommel, The Netherlands; Marco Materazzi, Italy and Nigel De Jong, The Netherlands.
