10 Most controversial football matches of the last decade

Most controversial games of the last decadeSports and controversy are two things that go hand in hand. And in an end to end game like football, controversies always seem to emerge and engage fans in endless debates, some which are etched in our memories forever.And those disputes evolve from several causes – some from poor sportsmanship, some from accusations, poor refereeing and more which ultimately decide the encounters leaving many with a sour taste.And in the last decade, we have experienced many such games that were overshadowed by all the above mentioned causes. As we come to the end of 2014, we take a look back at ten of the most controversial games that were played in the last decade.

#1 Manchester United 1-2 Real Madrid: Champions League 2013

In the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League season (Jose Mourinho’s last year as Blancos manager), Real Madrid were drawn against Manchester United as early as in the Round-of-16 stages after finishing second in their group behind Borussia Dortmund. 

With two of Europe’s titanic clubs coming face to face and the return of United’s hero Cristiano Ronaldo at the Old Trafford, this was “The Anticipated Encounter” of the tournament.

But in the end, it was a controversial red card that changed the whole dimension of the game. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw as United headed back home with a crucial away goal. The pressure was on Mourinho’s men as they had to score in the return leg. But an own goal from Sergio Ramos made things further difficult and United took the lead at the Old Trafford.

The game was moving on in strong favour of the Red Devils up until the 56th minute when Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir's one decision turned it around for the Spanish outfit. After Nani’s unintentional aerial challenge on Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa, Cakir directly showed him a red card and an infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson’s team were down to ten men.

From that point on, it was Real who took the advantage of the numbers’ game and struck twice in three minutes, including a goal from former player Ronaldo, which saw them through to the next round while United had to settle for an early knockout and unfortunate, as many would say, to be on the receiving end of a controversial decision.