As has been said on many occasions, football is a beautiful game. With it, we laugh, we cry and we sometimes throw things at our television screens, but that doesn't diminish our passion.
What might accomplish that, however, is the constant need for social media to single-handedly try and shatter the illusion that surrounds these overpaid heroes we watch week in and week out.
It's time to address the elephants in the room - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, step right up. Whether it's an offensive statement or a pre-prepared load of corporate nonsense, there isn't much good that stems from footballers being on social media. Whilst it offers an opportunity to connect with them on an incredibly small level, there's been countless times when things have gotten far too out of hand. If you need examples, here are five of the worst.
#1. Samir Nasri
:O Photo: @ayyy_west | Twitter
If you haven't heard this one, then you may be living under a rock. Good old Samir Nasri was just a top tier footballer a few days ago, but now he's the subject of mockery from people across the world. Nasri claims his account was hacked, there are claims that it was his girlfriend who hacked his account to expose his infidelity and it's all very confusing but hilarious.
#2. Andre Gray
These ones are just plain upsetting. Andre Gray has been enjoying life as a top flight striker for Burnley in the Premier League, but he will forever be tagged alongside the horrendous comments he made back in his youth. The racist, homophobic and sexist statements don't even deserve to be reiterated, and all that needs to be said is that we hope Gray has moved on from this tripe.
#3. Rio Ferdinand
Photo: @kieronhb | Twitter
Rio Ferdinand started a twitter furor after calling Ashley Cole “choc ice”, a derogatory term for a person who’s black on the outside but acts white. This all came after Cole had defended John Terry in his trial for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother, Anton.
#4. Joleon Lescott
Bro, you just lost 6-0. Photo: @NewsbeatPortal | Twitter
What a dick. Joleon Lescott's career has taken a nosedive, and the former England international didn't help matters when he tweeted a picture of a rather expensive car just hours after starring in a 6-0 loss with relegation-bound Aston Villa. The now 34-year-old tried to pass it off as a mistake, but none of us are truly that stupid.
#5. Wayne Rooney
@WayneRooney I'll put u asleep within 10 seconds u little girl. Don't say stuff and not follow up on it. I'll be waiting
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) May 17, 2011
In order to properly understand how little Wayne Rooney understood about social media back in the day, just take a look at this piece of brilliance. Who was that directed at, you ask? Why none other than Wayne himself. Yup. Such is life, I guess.
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