In its 22-year existence, the Premier League has witnessed some of the largest scandals and controversies. The league is the subject of every issue the international media can find, whether it is related to sexism, racism, or adultery. This elite English football league is well-known for both its elite clubs and players. It's also one of the leagues that gets the most international attention. While these controversies occasionally detract from the football game, they also serve as a source of diversion for onlookers. The top 5 EPL scandals of all time are listed in this article. 1. John Terry Racism John Terry faced consequences in 2012 as a result of his racist statements directed towards Anton Ferdinand. This damaged the player's reputation in addition to demonstrating the prejudice that pervaded the game. On November 1, 2011, after video surfaced of Terry mouthing the phrase "You f***ing black c**t" at Ferdinand during a game against Queens Park Rangers, the police opened an inquiry against him.
The player was accused of aggressive behavior, which included making disparaging remarks against the opposing player's race, ethnicity, or color. As a result, the center-back received a four-match suspension and a £220,000 fine—equivalent to a week's salary—for his actions. Even if racism was a huge issue in sports in nations like Ukraine and Russia, it wasn’t so extensively aired in England before this event. But Terry's bigoted comments demonstrated that more has to be done to prevent abuses like these that might harm the league. 2. Ring of match-fixing Former Southampton defender Claus Lundekvam said in 2012 that he, his teammates, and opponent captains would purposefully alter some aspects of the game in order to profit monetarily. Even though he made a solid living from this, the retired defender stated he wasn't proud of it.
Lundekvam said, "I made agreements with the opposition captain practically every week, wagering on who would have the ball, who would get a yellow card, who would start with a penalty, etc." The EPL is currently looking into this match-fixing problem, which may have an impact on both the league and sport globally. A global network was reportedly making money from European football match-fixing, according to recent reports. This is said to have helped Liverpool against Debrecen in the 2009 Champions League. This is still being looked at by Interpol, and the results might be surprising in the near future. 3. The Wayne Rooney incident It is said that in 2010, while Coleen, his spouse, was expecting their first child, Rooney had seven dates in four months with prostitute Jennifer Thompson. The English football media covered the incident furiously since Rooney was a well-liked player since his early adolescent years.
Formerly regarded as one of England's greatest football players, Wayne Rooney was considered a national treasure. This event harmed the reputation of this Premier League star and shone light on the challenges that a few English players face in keeping their personal lives clean as their management demand. 4. Sexist statements made by Andy Gary and Richard Keys In recent years, gender opportunity and equal rights for women in football have been major debate subjects in the football world. Nevertheless, it appears that Andy Gray and Richard Keys oppose these rights. For almost two decades, Gary and Keys served as Sky Sports' primary football presenters and the unofficial faces of the Premier League. But in January 2011, things quickly altered. This occurred when the two were discussing their worries that a lineswoman would be engaged in an EPL match when someone overheard them off the radio.
An off-air recording of the two criticizing the choice to include Sian Massey, a woman, went viral. In the video, Keys also said, "The game's gone insane." She might not be familiar with the regulations, they advised. More of the two's misogynistic comments in the studio were soon captured on camera. Gray was dismissed and Keys resigned as a result. Undoubtedly, such antiquated perspectives have no place in the contemporary society. The two currently converse on talkSPORT radio. 5. The Ryan Giggs controversy With a reputation as an upright family guy, Giggs was well-liked on the list of esteemed football players in the English Premier League. However, this was prior to his February 2012 involvement in a sex scandal being public. This was the biggest sex scandal in Premier League history. People were aware that Giggs was involved in a covert affair after he was revealed on Twitter. The House of Parliament was informed about this incident and learned that Giggs had many relationships.
The Welshman was found to have had an eight-year affair with Natasha Giggs, his brother's wife, and an extramarital affair with Imogen Thomas, a Big Brother participant and former Miss Wales. In addition to this, Giggs was a party to a contentious 2011 case involving super-injunctions, parliamentary privilege, and privacy. The Manchester United player has been concentrating more on the field than anything else since this incident. These therefore were a some of the issues that have surrounded the English Premier League in its brief existence. These scandals have everything in them, ranging from racist and sexist statements to sex scandals and match-fixing. And they aren't simply little disputes like a player getting wasted the night before a crucial Premier League match. They really are.
