If you are a football fan, it’s normal to feel rivalry for other clubs. The reasons are numerous.
Some football clubs are hated because of their play style, success, or some players’ arrogant behaviour.
Let’s look at the top ten most hated football clubs in the world and check if your favourite club is among them!
Rangers FC
The famous Scottish side Rangers FC is one of the most hated football clubs globally. The hate mainly comes from being the most successful club in the history of Scotland and the most successful club in Europe when it comes to trophies. Its success includes 116 trophies during its 150 years of existence.
Moreover, their religious ideologies are more conflicting than the rest of the country. While the majority of Scotland’s population is Christians, most Rangers fans are protestants. The hate comes from supporting the English monarchy and its pro-UK unionisation beliefs.
Rangers are also known for their rivalry with Celtic FC, known as the Old Firm. They have around 9 million supporters and over 600 supporters clubs worldwide. The most hardcore fanatics are often called arrogant glory hunters.
RB Leipzig
The Red Bull company purchased SSV Markranstädt in 2009 to advance the new club to the top German league and named it RB Leipzig. Thus, the club’s development started, and the fans’ resentment came with that.
The masses hate the club for bypassing the German standards and rules and equipping the team with good players. No other Bundesliga team scored as many goals as Leipzig in season 2018/2019. The club finished third and reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
Arsenal
Arsenal or “The Gunners” was among the most hated football clubs. But with one of the biggest fanatical supporters.
Besides its rivalry with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Fulham, it has the third-largest fanbase in the UK. What is mainly causing hate among rival fans is the management’s purchasing decisions and the decisions made by Arsenal’s coaches.
Arsenal is a part of “The Invincibles” along with Preston North End, which nickname stands for completing an undefeated season. They achieved this record in season 2003/2004 under Arsene Wenger. It was something unlikeable to rival fans.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich, with over 70 titles to its name, is not only one of the greatest and most valuable clubs in Germany but also one of the most despised.
It is mainly hated by opposing fans for its arrogant attitude. This football team has shown dominance in major European leagues, fans’ pride, and self-importance. Moreover, the winners are known in advance since they always buy the best players from their rivals.
Bayern’s last-minute goal-scoring and winning luck also drive the rival fanatics crazy.
Chelsea
The second-most hated Premier League team is Chelsea. When Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought it, everybody knew that Chelsea will have one of the biggest Premier League wage bills.
The club and other London clubs have a long history of conflict. Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United are just a few of them.
Chelsea became more hated by bringing in individuals with a bad reputation, such as Jose Mourinho and Diego Costa.
However, it is one of the top six clubs in the Premier League and won 20 titles under Abramovich’s ownership.
Related: Chelsea’s all-time top scorers
Millwall
The English club and London football club, Millwall, is renowned for having one of the most dangerous fanbases, known for their violence. They have been shown in a few documentaries about the opposing sides of football for their hooliganism. That’s the main reason making Millwall one of the worst clubs in the UK.
Another thing that incites hatred is the fanbase’s official chant, “No one likes us, we don’t care.”
Millwall shares a bitter rivalry with West Ham United, Leeds United, and Crystal Palace. The local derby against West Ham has been played almost a hundred times, followed by numerous riots caused by the fans.
Barcelona
With millions of fans worldwide, Barcelona is one of the best clubs in the world, and their La Masia academy has produced some of the biggest talents in football. But, there are also many haters, especially from rival fans. Despite their dominance and envious trophy count, they are the most hated football team.
Barcelona has gained haters due to their Tiki-Taka style of play, certain players’ simulations and Messi’s huge influence.
They are also referred to receive help from match officials. Such an example is a case from 2009 when a scandal in the semi-final duel against Chelsea FC happened.
Also, the sponsorship’s choice sparked many controversies. It was a suspicious deal with Qatar Airways and the agreement with Rakuten after the discovery of dealing with whale meat and elephant ivory.
Juventus
The Turin-based giant is one of the most dominant clubs in Italy. So it comes as no surprise that it attracts a lot of haters. It is considered a club of the Italian elite and often receives help from the referees in their matches.
The club has been hated for its fortunate side because of scoring late winning goals.
Juve dominated for nine seasons in a row, winning the Serie A titles to come to a total number of 36 Scudettos. So it is a thing that incites jealousy among the rival fans.
Regarding the controversies, in 2006, Juventus’ manager was caught up in a match-fixing scandal known as Calciopoli. The team lost its Serie A championships in 2005 and 2006 and was relegated to Serie B.
Real Madrid
As one of the greatest sports clubs in the world, it’s no wonder that Real Madrid found its place on the list of most hated football clubs. It is due to their relations with the Spanish dictator General Franco, dating back to the 1930s, and the fact that they have one of the craziest fan bases in the world.
Furthermore, Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez is one of the most unfavorite people. He is known for his controversial policies and arrogant behaviour.
Some of Real Madrid’s players are also known for the dirty way of play which has been in the spotlight several times during important matches. The way they treat their legends makes the club notorious, which is the case with Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Did you know: Real Madrid has the biggest shirt sponsorship deal
Manchester United
For decades, Manchester United has been the most hated Premier League team. It was mainly during one of the greatest managers of all time Sir Alex Ferguson, when they won 38 trophies. They’ve been known as a fortunate side throughout the years, and their fanatics are often called “glory hunters”.
The Red Devils have been often blamed for being protected and favoured by the referees. Even Ferguson himself harassed the referees to make decisions his way when they played in one of the best English football stadiums, Old Trafford.
With Ferguson retiring, the hatred hasn’t faded away. What irritates the audience is how arrogantly they stated they could sign anyone, such as their record £89 million signing of Paul Pogba.
Related: Is Manchester United the most successful team in England?
Bottom Line
These are the top 10 most hated football clubs, whether because of arrogance, buying good players and benching them or jealousy.
And just like the passion and mixed emotions that football can cause, it’s also natural to feel hatred for the opponents of your beloved club.
So, there’s a possibility that you found your club on our list. However, remember all of its achievements and how glad you are to have supported it.
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