--- title: "5 Biggest Scandals in Premier League History" description: "The five biggest scandals in Premier League history. Race rows, third-party ownership, kung-fu kicks, FA charges and the moments that reshaped English football." canonical: "https://anyseats.net/blog/5-biggest-scandals-in-the-english-premier-league" type: "blog-post" topic: "Premier League scandals" --- # 5 Biggest Scandals in Premier League History The Premier League's commercial scale has amplified every disciplinary case, every off-pitch indiscretion, and every governance failure into a global news event. Below are five of the most consequential scandals in Premier League history, ranked by lasting impact on the competition's rules, club reputations and FA disciplinary precedent. ## 1. Luis Suárez and Patrice Evra race row (2011) _Liverpool vs Manchester United · October 2011 · 8-match ban_ Luis Suárez was found guilty by an FA independent commission of racially abusing Patrice Evra during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Anfield on 15 October 2011. Suárez received an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine — at the time the longest racism-related Premier League suspension. Liverpool's response, including manager Kenny Dalglish wearing a Suárez t-shirt in support, drew significant criticism and prompted FA-wide reforms on disciplinary handling. - [Liverpool tickets](https://anyseats.net/liverpool-tickets.md) ## 2. John Terry and Anton Ferdinand racism case (2012) _Chelsea vs QPR · October 2011 fixture · 2012 verdict_ Chelsea captain John Terry was charged by the FA with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's 1-0 away defeat to QPR in October 2011. Terry was acquitted in a criminal trial (July 2012) but found guilty by an FA independent commission (September 2012), receiving a four-match ban and a £220,000 fine. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy as a direct result. The case ran for almost a year and reshaped FA disciplinary protocols. - [Chelsea tickets](https://anyseats.net/chelsea-fc-tickets.md) ## 3. Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick (1995) _Crystal Palace vs Manchester United · 25 January 1995 · 9-month ban_ Manchester United striker Eric Cantona was sent off during a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on 25 January 1995. While walking off, he launched a flying kick at Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons after being verbally abused. The FA banned Cantona for eight months and fined him £20,000. He was also sentenced to 120 hours of community service by Croydon Crown Court. The incident remains the most infamous on-camera assault by a Premier League player on a supporter. - [Manchester United tickets](https://anyseats.net/manchester-united-tickets.md) ## 4. West Ham, Tevez and Mascherano third-party ownership (2007) _MSI / Just Sports Inc · 2006-07 season · £5.5 million fine_ West Ham United were fined a Premier League record £5.5 million in April 2007 for breaching league rules by allowing third-party ownership of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. The players were registered to West Ham but ultimately controlled by investment vehicles linked to Kia Joorabchian. Tevez's goals kept West Ham in the Premier League at the expense of relegated Sheffield United, prompting a long-running legal dispute and a record settlement. The case led directly to Premier League and FIFA bans on third-party ownership. ## 5. Diego Costa, Gabriel and the Arsenal-Chelsea flashpoint (2015) _Arsenal vs Chelsea · 19 September 2015 · Mass FA charges_ Chelsea striker Diego Costa was at the centre of a touchline melee with Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista during Chelsea's 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on 19 September 2015. Gabriel was sent off; Costa was not. The FA later overturned Gabriel's red card and retrospectively banned Costa for three matches. The incident is remembered as one of the most contentious refereeing flashpoints of the modern era and prompted Premier League VAR-precursor discussions. - [Arsenal tickets](https://anyseats.net/arsenal-tickets.md) - [Chelsea tickets](https://anyseats.net/chelsea-fc-tickets.md) Premier League scandals have repeatedly reshaped the competition's rules. The Suárez and Terry race-row verdicts triggered FA-wide reforms of discriminatory-conduct handling. The Tevez/Mascherano case led to the global ban on third-party player ownership. Cantona's kung-fu kick remains the highest-profile fan-assault incident in the league's three-decade history. Each scandal has left a lasting trace in either the rules of the game or the governance of the league. --- **Machine-readable**: this page's data is also available as JSON — `GET https://anyseats.net/api/v1/events` to search, and `GET https://anyseats.net/api/v1/events/{id}?listings=1` for every listing on an event. Prices include fees: the number returned is the number paid at checkout. Canonical page: https://anyseats.net/blog/5-biggest-scandals-in-the-english-premier-league