Football fans of a certain generation can often been heard harking back to the ‘good old days’ when footballers ‘went to war’, a far cry from the theatrical tumbles often seen in the modern game.
Whether you’re in the camp that thinks footballers of today are pampered prima-donnas and soft touches or not, there’s no denying that today’s stars often operate under a very different set of rulings to clashes of yesteryear.
Fans clamour for their sides to leave it all on the line upon the field of battle, but competitive spirit can also often lead to lines being crossed and throughout the years we’ve seen some notoriously ill-tempered clashes.
For the sake of those involved, it’s perhaps fortunate VAR was not present for some of these fiery fixtures.
From rash tackles, to red cards and full-blown on-pitch brawls, the latest video for our YouTube channel looks back at five of the dirtiest football matches ever witnessed.
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