Top 10 Least Professional Football Players Ever Ranked

Football demands more than skill; players must also show the right mindset, discipline, and preparation. Still, many have fallen short of this standard, with some displaying outright unprofessionalism throughout their careers. Here are ten footballers known for their questionable attitudes and behavior.

10. Mario Balotelli (Italy)

Mario Balotelli's antics, like setting off fireworks inside his home and smoking on holidays, earned him a reputation for poor professionalism. In 2018 and again in 2020, reports surfaced that he returned to pre-season training overweight—Brescia even publicly noted he weighed nearly 100kg. His confident and cocky demeanor added to his image as one of football’s most arrogant players. Even Phil Foden, at just ten years old, called him out for having a bad attitude.

9. Mark Bosnich (Australia)

Once a talented goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich struggled with fitness and professionalism. Paul Scholes recalled Bosnich tiring quickly during shooting practice. Sir Alex Ferguson was critical, recalling how Bosnich indulged heavily in food, including ordering takeaways while at Manchester United, ignoring advice about his weight and diet.

8. Antonio Cassano (Italy)

Antonio Cassano was outspoken and never held back his opinions. In 2024, he controversially excluded Cristiano Ronaldo from his top 10 players, claiming Ronaldo didn’t know how to play football. Cassano's lack of professionalism is believed to have hindered his potential. At Real Madrid, his excessive Nutella consumption reportedly led to a 14-kilo weight gain. He famously said, “Nutella was one of the sponsors of the club and each month they gave us five kilos of the product. In seven months I gained 14 kilos. I ate Nutella directly from the bottle and I didn't care.”

7. Winston Bogarde (Netherlands)

After playing for Ajax, AC Milan, and Barcelona, Bogarde joined Chelsea in 2000 but only appeared 12 times in four years. Following a Boxing Day match in 2000, he never played another Premier League game but stayed at Stamford Bridge for four more years, earning £40,000 a week despite being unwanted. Bogarde shrugged off criticism, stating, “I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership but I don't care.”

6. Jesse Lingard (England)

Jesse Lingard’s career has divided opinions. He was part of England’s 2018 World Cup semi-final squad but faced criticism for professionalism during his time at Manchester United. A holiday video featuring heavy swearing intensified scrutiny. Lingard later moved to Asia to revive his career and maintained a mischievous reputation, even drawing police attention in South Korea in 2024 for riding an electric scooter without a license.

5. Ross McCormack (Scotland)

Despite scoring 100 goals for Leeds and Fulham, McCormack’s £12m transfer to Aston Villa in 2016 failed to impress, with only three goals in 20 league games. His unprofessional moments included missing training because a broken electric gate trapped him at home. He recalled telling the club he'd be late, only for the manager to lose patience when no one arrived promptly to let him out.

4. Paul Gascoigne (England)

Paul Gascoigne was a creative force in British football during the 1990s but often displayed unprofessional behavior. Before England's World Cup semi-final against Germany in 1990, he was caught playing tennis at 1am. Reflecting on that time, Gazza said, “When I see clips of Italia 90 I feel great, then immediately sad. It was the best time of my life... Nothing fazed me, I wanted to be in the World Cup, every player's dream. But it felt like I was going on holiday — I was playing tennis, table tennis. I loved every minute of it.”

3. Eden Hazard (Belgium)

Eden Hazard dazzled at Chelsea with his dribbling skills but struggled at Real Madrid, scoring just seven goals in 76 matches. Jose Mourinho pointed to Hazard’s lack of effort in training, saying, “Amazing player with awful training.” Mourinho believed Hazard could have reached greater heights had he applied himself more seriously.

2. Amr Zaki (Egypt)

On loan at Wigan, striker Amr Zaki scored 11 goals in 32 appearances but frustrated manager Steve Bruce with repeated lateness returning from international duty. Bruce once declared, “I can honestly say that in all my time in football, I have never worked with someone as unprofessional.” Zaki later expressed goodwill, saying he would hug Bruce if they met again.

1. Stan Bowles (England)

Stan Bowles is remembered as Queens Park Rangers’ greatest player but was also a true maverick. After QPR won the 1973 FA Cup, Bowles once bet he could hit the trophy during warm-up and succeeded, damaging the cup. His pre-match routine involved spending time in the betting shop until just before kickoff, hardly a model of professionalism but certainly a gifted footballer.