With all the intensity involved in football, players sometimes lose control over themselves. Many footballers have had a reputation for losing control on the pitch several times through physical confrontation, eventually leading to their sending off.
The game of football never stops to amaze us with all the passion and entertainment. Involved, and it is incredible how fans religiously follow the game around the globe.
It is not just the fans that are crazily passionate about the game. Passion and adrenaline flow insanely among fans and the footballers on the pitch. Players have been known to go into some shady tackles and pose a risk to opposing players.
One of the most passionate footballers on the pitch during his time was Roy Keane. His tackles were quite intense and risky at the same time. But surprisingly, the Irishman is not on this list of footballers that were being sent off.
From there, we look closely at the 15 Soccer Players With the Most Red Cards who have been sent off most times.
#1 Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is one of the most significant football players throughout the entire existence of the game. He is known for his prosperity as a soccer player and triumphs as a football director. Be that as it may, he is one of the footballers with the most red cards ever.
His extraordinary soccer abilities clashed with his ferociousness at the hour of committing fouls, which drove him to be profoundly reproved by all his fans. The countless foul tackles he submitted per game drove him to have 13 red cards on his record.
#2 Matuzalem
Matuzalem was a Brazilian midfielder, having played for multiple European clubs in his football career, including Lazio, Piacenza Calcio, Brescia Calcio, Genoa, Napoli, and Hellas Verona in Italy's top division.
With his aggressive style of play, Matuzalem was on the receiving end of a red card more often than not. He was sent off ten times in Serie A. He received his marching orders twice while playing for Real Zaragoza. Matuzalem was also sent off once in the Europa League while playing for Lazio.
#3 Philippe Mexes
Philippe Mexes started his career in France with Auxerre. The French center-back player has a reputation for turning extra aggressive and losing control.
This has more often not resulted in him being sent off than. He was sent off only once at Auxerre. It was with AS Roma that the Frenchman was shown the red card eleven times.
#4 Joey Barton
The former Man City and Newcastle United playmaker were sent off 6 times with a total of 9 dismissals against his name throughout his football, which involved 1 for Ligue 1, where he conflicted with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva.
The bad boy player was handed his 9th dismissal after he struck out with City's Tom Huddlestone during a premier league clash.
#5 Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson is a previous Scotland international. He incidentally went excessively far and was always known to punch and head-butt his rivals too.
His vicious style of play brought about 9 red cards in 1994. He is famous for the nicknames "Big Dunc" and "Duncan Disorderly."
#6 Pepe
The Portuguese international Pepe is the spec of footballer that fans love to despise; some part of that is his propensity to get red cards.
In the 2014 World Cup, the Formerly Real Madrid defender was sent off for butting heads with Germany's striker Thomas Muller. He has ended up at the focus point of various brutal injuries during his football.
Precisely as being in double figures about red cards, Pepe also has been intensely scrutinized for his unsportsmanlike propensities, involving diving and faking an injury. Pepe raked up 14 red cards in his career.
#7 Sergio Ramos
Red cards and Sergio Ramos have always gone hand in hand. The Spanish defender has been a star player throughout his football career and continues to be a massive player on the pitch.
Ramos has also been tempted to be rash and reckless on the pitch. He loved getting into disagreements with the opposition, which constantly resulted in him being sent off. The Stellar has a legendary status at Real Madrid, and all his 26 red cards have come while playing for them.
#8 Diego Costa
Diego Costa has been criticized and punished for several confrontations with opponents. His aggressive play style made him difficult with officials anywhere he has been.
The 34-year-old striker is undoubtedly a power to be dealt with. Still, his inclination towards rough playing implies that he doesn't struggle to transition from kicking footballs to kicking footballers.
Diego Costa reached has 8 red cards in his career and about 91 yellow cards. The striker may be popular for his aggressive style of play, yet surprisingly he managed to keep a good disciplinary record at Chelsea and wasn't sent off once in his 120-game streak.
#9 Edgar Davids
The way Edgar Davids has the epithet 'Pitbull' shows so much about his style of play. However, it is lamentable that his rigorous power now and then landed him in a difficult situation. Davids showed a lot of hostility in his play while he was a skillful midfielder and racked up 25 red cards in his career.
The previous Juventus, Barcelona, and Ajax superstar was sent off countless times in UEFA Champions League and multiple times in Italy. He was one of the footballers selected by Pele In 2004 to feature in the FIFA 100, his list of the world's best-living soccer players. Despite his short height, he was fiercely solid and positively snuck up suddenly like Stephen.
#10 Gonzalo Rodriguez
Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off eight times for the Yellow Submarine. He was a regular face at Villarreal after spending nine seasons in Spain.
During that duration, The tall center-back joined Fiorentina in Serie A in 2012 and spent five seasons there. Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off twice with the Italian side while playing in the Europa League, where he was sent four times for his reckless approach. In total, the Argentine totaled 17 red cards in his epic career.
#11 Richard Dunne
Alongside Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira Richard Dunne, the footballer holds the record for most red cards in history. He also holds the record for scoring 10 own goals.
The former Republic of Ireland international may have been Manchester City's Player of the Year for a long time from 2005 to 2008. Still, he took carelessness seriously, having been shown the red card 8 times. Dunne has been lauded for his savvy and obstinate style of punditry.
#12 Cyril Rool
Cyril Rool is another player to sit on the list of most red cards in football. The French defender was known for his rough, ruthless tackling and accumulated 27 red cards. In addition, he has also received another 187 yellow cards, a Ligue 1 record.
With 22 send-offs, Alexis Ruano Delgado is next on the list of most red cards in football history. The versatile defender was La Liga’s 2006-07 season Breakthrough Player. However, his disciplinary issues often saw him sitting on the sidelines rather than playing on the pitch.
#13 Alexis Delgado
With 22 send-offs, Alexis Ruano Delgado is next on the list of red cards in football history. The vibrant defender was La Liga’s 2006-07 season Breakthrough Player. Yet, his disciplinary issues often saw him sitting on the sidelines rather than playing on the pitch.
Alexis Delgado is a former Getafe player remembered for the infamous red card he received for punching Atletico Madrid’s Mario Mandzukic in the 2014-15 La Liga season. He received a four-match suspension as a reprimand for his actions.
#14 Francesco Totti
The former Italy international was one of the most talented footballers of his age. However, he had a mean streak, which caused him to get 11 red cards in Serie A during his Roma career.
Francesco Totti got his record with a total of 15 red cards while playing for Roma and was likewise sent off at the 2020 World Cup.
#15 Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is one of the best French soccer players ever, with amazing degrees of expertise. However, he also had a gigantic shortcoming, his searing disposition even before his hilarious headbutt to Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup.
Zidane had gained popularity for getting angry during matches. He was been sent off in the 1998 World Cup for a stamp on Fuad Anwar from Saudi Arabia.
Zidane also acquired 12 red cards over his clubs, which isn't run off the mill of a footballer famous for his elegant style of play.