Football Rebels: A History
As Carlos Tevez awaits his fate after his rebel act, ESPNSTAR.com takes a look back at other players who said 'no' and the consequences that followed.
By Kelvin Yap
Tevez isn't the first rebel in the world of football, but previous cases of players refusing to play for their team have been far and few in between in the history of football.
We browse through some of the old cases that were brought about through circumstances similiar to Carlos Tevez's.
Pierre van Hooijdonk, Nottingham Forest (2008)
The Context: Van Hooijdonk arrived from Celtic when Nottingham were languishing in the then-Division One. Despite a rough first season, van Hooijdonk turned on the form in his second year in England, helping Forest return to the Premier League with 34 goals in that season.
However, the sale of his strike partner Kevin Campbell to Turkish side Trabzonspor angered him.
The Act: Van Hooijdonk asked to be placed on the transfer list. He went on strike from the start of the season (August) until November, returning to Holland to keep himself fit.
The Consequence: Van Hooijdonk eventually relented and took his place in the squad, but his rebellious act did little to impress his teammmates. They refused to celebrate the goals he scored with him. Van Hooijdonk was sold to Vitesse Arnheim at the end of the season.
Paul Scholes, Man United (2001)
The Context: Scholes was dropped from the first team due to a combination of a poor run of form and being played out of position after the arrival of Juan Sebastian Veron. He was benched in a crucial league tie against Liverpool, one which United lost 3-1, much to his frustration.
The Act: Scholes was asked to lead a young side up against Arsenal in the League Cup a few days after. Seeing that as an insult to his ability, the Ginger Prince flatly refused to play, incurring the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Consequence: He was fined two week's salary but patched up with Sir Alex, going on to enjoy a successful career at Manchester United until his retirement in 2011.
Paul Scholes, England (2004)
The Context: Due to then-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson's attempt to accommodate the emerging talents of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, Scholes was played out of position as a left midfielder.
The Act: Scholes decided to call time on his England career at the age of 29, an action that was labelled by many as a distinct lack patriotism.
The Consequence: England felt the loss of the Ginger Prince keenly, with all of the following England managers attempting to persuade him to return to the international set-up - but to no avail.
Luis Figo, Inter Milan (2008)
The Context: Rumours abounded of a dressing room unrest in San Siro; players were reportedly unhappy with the way Inter Milan's then-manager Roberto Mancini was handling the team.
The Act: In a case eerily similiar to Tevez's situation, Luis Figo was benched in the first leg of the Champions League knockout fixture against Liverpool. He was seen warming up on the touchline throughout the match and was expected to come on early in the second half.
Mancini chose to bring Figo on after Fernando Torres put Liverpool in front in the 63rd minute. Figo pointedly ignored the Italian and stormed out of the stadium thereafter.
The Consequence: Mancini turned out to be hugely unpopular at the San Siro and was subseqeuntly sacked because of that performance against Liverpool. Figo retired a hero at Inter Milan and continued on as technical director.
Robbie Fowler, North Queensland Fury (2010)
The Context: Fowler was hugely popular in the Australian A-League side as their marquee signing, captaining them the season he joined and scoring two goals against arch-rivals Gold Coast United.
The Act: The former Liverpool man was named on the bench for a match against Brisbane Roar, with the coach citing a change to the 4-5-1 formation being the reason. However, being on the bench didn't suit Fowler, who was known as 'God' in his Liverpool days. He refused to appear for the match, fuelling speculation that his Queensland Fury career had come to an end.
The Consequence: Fowler did play three more games for Fury before he left for Perth Glory months later, but not before suing them for their mistreatment of players.