The reckless tackle from Liam Roberts on Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is hard to view and even harder to understand.
Millwall's keeper ran out of his goal during the FA Cup's FA Cup fifth round of the defeat by the Eagles on Saturday and clashed with the head of the Frenchman and the ball.
Mateta was admitted to the hospital by a horror challenge, while Palace chairman Steve Parish, who called the challenge as the worst he has ever seen in football, accused the Lions keeper of endangering the lives of the striker.
To make it even worse, because Mateta was provided oxygen and was taken to a stretcher to be taken to the hospital, Millwall fans sang: “Let him die, let him die.”
Roberts' shocking tackle quickly made comparisons with some other horror challenges in football over the years, especially after the parish claim.
Many of the worst examples resulted in serious injuries that, in some cases, influenced the rest of their career. Just like Saturday's incident in Selhurst Park, some even threatened more than the victim's career.
9. Roy Keane on Alf-Inte Haaland 2001
During a Manchester Derby in 2001, Roy Keane was rightly sent for a horrible error on Alf-Iing Haaland after he deliberately planted the studs of his right-hand boot in the right knee of the city player.
Keane did not break the leg of Haaland, which could complete the full 90 minutes. But that does not mean that Keane did not intend to seriously injure Haaland.
Keane had apparently been on revenge due to an incident that took place in 1997 when the Irishman was accused of the fake an injury after tearing his ACL.
While referee David Elleray lifted the red card, Keane shouted at Haaland – who was still on the floor: 'Never stand over me again and grin over female. And tell your friend [former Leeds defender David] Or are there for him. '
Keane received a ban of three games through the FA fined £ 5,000. He was punished again the following year – when he was suspended for another ban on five games and hit a fine of £ 150,000 – after he had suggested in his autobiography that he had meant Haaland.
8. Paul Gascoigne on Gary Charles 1991
The terrible tackle of the enigmatic midfielder on Gary Charles van Nottingham Forest in the 1991 FA Cup final eventually hurt him.
A pumped Gascoigne, a year a year of conquering the imagination of the country on the World Cup 1990, was launched a wild tackle on Charles who led him to tore his cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The 23-year-old was lucky to escape a red card for a pathogenic stamp in the box of Forest's Garry Parker in the first seconds of the game. He admitted in 2011 that he still regrets the Tackle on Charles, so he put off a year offside.
“I didn't respond to that challenge to really hurt Gary Charles,” he said. “I said sorry then and wanted to make sure he was good and still had a career for him, and he appreciated that.
“I tried to take on a good challenge to let him know that he was in a game. I just failed. It was crazy and I was stripped about that.
'I am probably one of those players who could not tackle. When I see the challenge, I shrink myself. It is the biggest regret of my career. '
7. Harald Schumacher on Patrick Battiston – 1982
Perhaps the most famous wrong tackle of a keeper came during the collision between West -Germany and France and on the World Cup 1982.
A miraculously through the ball of Talisman Michel Platini led to a foot race between Patrick Battiston and Stopper Harald Schumacher in the 60th minute of the epic semi -final.
Battiston just came up in the box, long before the German, but hit the target wide.
The FC Koln keeper had enough time to apply the brakes. Instead, he jumped into the air, turned his body and plowed his hip in the face of the Frenchman at high speed. The Frenchman was beaten unconscious, lost teeth, broke three ribs and suffering lifelong damage to his vertebrae.
Remarkably, there was no mistake, punishment or even a yellow card. Instead, the Dutch referee Charles Corver gave up a goal kick.
“I had not long after it happened,” Battiston told Mail Sport in 2016. “It was someone near Schumacher who said he wanted to meet me. I was told that it had been very unpleasant for him and his family. I wanted to meet him to see if I could calm down the situation.
“There were many media and he was called many things. I went to him and we spoke about how we felt. For me that was the end of it. I no longer know if he apologized, I am not sure, but after we met, it was over. Not bad blood. '
6. Graeme Souness on Gheorghe Rotariu – 1988
After his trophy loading for six years on Merseyside with Liverpool Graeme Souness, time spent it in the Serie A with Sampdoria before he returned to his native Scotland for five seasons with Rangers.
There, the legendary hard man produced one of his most shocking tackles that led his victim to need an operation.
De Gers took on FCSB – formerly known as Steaua Bucharest – in the European Cup in 1988. In the first half of the second stage in Ibrox, Souness ran to Steaua star Gheorghe Rotariau, and a red card even more shocking escaped.
The Romanian revealed in 2019 that the challenge burst his lymph nodes and left him that required a 'fairly difficult' operation.
“My lymph nodes are bursting after this tackle,” he told the Romanian outlet -GSP. 'During the break, the doctor used a syringe to draw the lymphogue. My leg started to swell heavily. He made a connection around my thigh.
“I didn't feel my leg anymore but kept playing. I was not in pain because I didn't feel my leg. After the game the leg continued to swell. The doctor had to draw the lymph fluid again.
“I was operated on the next morning. It was an operation … a difficult one. Very difficult. That is why I missed the semi -final of the European Cup against Benfica. '
5. Kevin Nolan on Victor Anichebe – 2009
Victor Anichebe took legal steps over the Tackle of Kevin Nolan on him in 2009. The Nigerian striker was sidelined for 11 months after the Newcastle star went aggressively in the tackle, missed the ball and planted his studs on his leg.
Nolan was shown a straight red card for the challenge and then apologized. Anichebe was denied the opportunity to play for Everton in the FA Cup final of that year and took legal steps under loss of income with regard to bonuses for club and country.
The striker settled outside the court with the Magpies in 2011.
Shortly after the incident it was claimed that the £ 12 shin pads that Anichebe wore, saved his right leg because he was 'broken in two'.
“When it happened, I thought,” That's my time, “he said,” he said. “But luckily I have strong legs. If that was someone else, their leg would have broken two.
'I have never felt so much pain in my life. I couldn't even look down. It was a terrible tackle, but I don't think he really meant it. He came and said sorry, but what can you do? '
4. Mason Holgate on Kaoru Mitoma – 2024
Mason Holgate became the fastest player broadcast last season after he was fired for only 13 minutes in the collision of Sheffield United with Brighton.
The defender struck in a tackle on Kaoru Mitoma from Brighton in the opening fairs in Bramall Lane, in a collision that caused indignation of the outing.
Holgate initially received a yellow card for the tackle before referee Stuart Atwell checked with his assistants, and after a second look at the VAR screen, the punishment was upgraded to a straight red card.
Responding to the incident during the break, Jamie Redknapp called the challenge 'one of the worst tackles' he had ever seen and insisted that it could have ended the career of Mitoma.
“It is an attack, one of the worst tackles I have seen in years,” said Redknapp on Sky Sports. “Even in my era, that would have been a scandalous tackle.
'How the hell Mitoma in it has succeeded in avoiding his left leg, I have no idea. Thank goodness he has, otherwise that career. His career would be ready. '
3. Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsey – 2010
Aaron Ramsey's horrible leg fracture by Ryan Shawcross in 2010 is one of the most unpleasant of the Premier League era.
The Stoke Defender brought a double leg fracture to the Welshman who had put him offside for nine months, although Ramsey needed much longer to restore the trust with which he erupted the scene on scene as an early rich younger.
In 2022, the one -off English international revealed that he never spoke with the former midfielder of Arsenal about the incident. Neither did he suffer from how it was about his career for so long.
In the meantime, Ramsey explained how the challenge influenced him in an interview in 2013 and how difficult it was to recover.
“It was really difficult to continue and I don't wish it on someone,” he said. 'The determination and professionalism you need, all the hours you have to spend in the gym, it is quite difficult.
“But I endured that. It took me a little longer than I wanted, but I am now happy where I am, and hope to improve and continue with this good form in which I am sitting. '
2. Martin Taylor on Eduardo – 2008
The first of two really pathogenic injuries to Arsenal players came in 2008, when Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor Eduardo's leg broke in two.
Arsenal -Baas Arsene Wenger called on Taylor to be banned for life, although he later withdrew his hasty explanation.
It was an example of the trauma that so many experienced that day in St. Andrew. Not least by Taylor that was shaken by the effect of his tackle on the Brazilian. Taylor wrote in 2019 and revealed that he had received death threats, but found support in his club.
“Birmingham was fantastic with me,” he wrote. 'There was no formal counseling, but there was support from my family, teammates, manager Alex Mcleish, Agent Gary Porter and people in football who sent messages of support.
“I closely followed Eduardo's recovery through the media and was happy when he was at the highest level.”
1. Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes – 2006
The horror -challenging of Manchester City Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes in 2006 left the then Portsmouth player unconscious and needed hospital treatment.
The defender was hit with an unprecedented ban of six games and £ 130,000 fine. The FA later handed over an eight-game suspension, with another ban of 15 games suspended.
After he was released from the hospital, Mendes spoke about the incident for the first time and promised to help the FA to book Thatcher.
“The moment was terrible,” said Mendes. 'After the incident my head collapsed in the fence and I don't remember anything until I was in the hospital. In the beginning I had a real fear of possible after effects of the incident, but the doctors told me that they are optimistic, it will be fine.
'I am a strong person and one day I hope to forget what happened. But this is the worst thing that ever happened to me in my career. It is the most difficult to deal with.
'The Tackle was completely unnecessary by Thatcher, but the subject is in the hands of Portsmouth and the FA. If I am called to speak by them, I will give my opinion. '
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