5 players who get booked way too often
Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently complained about the lack of bookings and the increasingly physical nature of the modern game, in their post-match interviews. While a well-timed tackle remains one of the most exciting sights on a football pitch, an ill-timed tackle can potentially be career-threatening.
Football in the 21st century has seen more instances of referees going to their pockets for a foul to prevent these serious injuries, as compared to that in earlier years. Some players, though, have picked up the knack of consistently being at the receiving end of yellow and red cards.
On that note, here's a look at the five players who get booked way too often.
#5 Dani Alves
Dani Alves is undoubtedly one of the best full-backs of his generation, spending most of his time on the pitch in the opposition half.
That also means why the Brazilian has received over 200 yellow cards since his move to Sevilla before the 2002-03 season. During his eight-year stint at Barcelona, Alves was booked 86 times and was sent off on four occasions. He even missed the 2009 UEFA Champions League final due to a yellow card suspension.
The Brazilian was the first player to be booked in the Blaugrana’s second leg of the semi-final against Chelsea that year. Andres Iniesta scored a late winner for 10-man Barcelona in that game. In Alves’ defence, that Champions League thriller witnessed seven bookings and the sending off of Eric Abidal.
Dani Alves has been sent off 13 times in his career, but he is one of the game's most successful players. He has laid his hands on the UEFA Champions League, Copa America, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and more recently, the Olympic gold medal, to name a few.
#4 Ruben Neves
Ruben Neves has recently been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, following stellar performances in the last few seasons for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
However, Neves has been booked 25 times since his Premier League debut in 2018-19. He has made a combined total of 112 fouls in his last three Premier League campaigns. The Portuguese was booked 11 times, and sent off once in the 2017-18 Championship - his debut campaign in English football.
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League at the moment. He has been pivotal in keeping Wolves in the English top flight, registering a direct involvement in 30 goals (20 goals, ten assists) in 178 appearances.
However, Neves has also been booked 38 times, and sent off once during his four-year spell at the Molineux. He has received 51 bookings during his career.