In Depth

In pictures: sporting villains of 2015 from Blatter to Fury

17 Dec 2015

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } 17 Dec 2015

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--2U97yu-B--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053472/theweek/2015/12/blatter.jpg { display: none !important; }

Fifa debacle

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--euqNv-s4--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053474/theweek/2015/12/robshaw.jpg { display: none !important; }

awful Rugby World Cup campaign

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--kSJgZovH--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053470/theweek/2015/12/mayweather.jpg { display: none !important; }

'Fight of the Century'

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

£49m transfer from Liverpool

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--YcVPwCaN--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053477/theweek/2015/12/kyrgios.jpg { display: none !important; }

astonishing run-in with Stan Wawrinka

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--kO4LXVIu--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053484/theweek/2015/12/fury.jpg { display: none !important; }

blotted his copybook

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--F7GlYHiW--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053479/theweek/2015/12/brady.jpg { display: none !important; }

'Deflategate'

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--zwEDyzsk--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053486/theweek/2015/12/mourinho.jpg { display: none !important; }

disastrous Premier League campaign

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--OJQWoTjl--/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1/v1603053481/theweek/2015/12/gatlin.jpg { display: none !important; }

showdown with Usain Bolt

Verstappen or Hamilton: F1 title permutations

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--35mOSoZM--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1634114057/theweek/2021/10/Lionel-Messi-Cristiano-Ronaldo-Getty-Images.jpg { display: none !important; }

Profile

Messi vs. Ronaldo: football’s great rivalry

Workers at the site of the Lusail Stadium in 2019

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--rAD8xCQs--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638457173/theweek/2021/12/Lusail-Stadium-Qatar-World-Cup-GettyImages-1189658454.jpg { display: none !important; }

Why we’re talking about . . .

Qatar’s tainted World Cup

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--zGve566g--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638442829/theweek/2021/12/Ralf-Rangnick-GettyImages-1235597179.jpg { display: none !important; }

Profile

Ralf ‘professor’ Rangnick takes charge at Man Utd

Peng Shuai has won two grand slam women’s doubles titles

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--BToryklN--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638440332/theweek/2021/12/Peng-Shuai-WTA-tennis-China-GettyImages-1200831826.jpg { display: none !important; }

The latest on . . .

Peng Shuai: WTA makes ‘unprecedented statement’ on China

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--GUsn8-cy--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638359149/GettyImages-1172004243.jpg { display: none !important; }

Pros and cons

The arguments for and against boycotting sporting events

Tiger Woods spoke to the media ahead of the Hero World Challenge

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--cpdDXpeI--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638368578/theweek/2021/12/Tiger-Woods-PGA-Tour-Hero-World-Challenge.jpg { display: none !important; }

The latest on . . .

Tiger targets The Open: ‘I would love to play at St Andrews’

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--SwJO8QJs--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1604858268/theweek/2020/09/claire_williams_and_frank_williams_are_leaving_williams_racing_f1_team_gettyimages-1161574780.jpg { display: none !important; }

Profile

Frank Williams: a ‘one of a kind’ F1 team principal

Is Boris Johnson’s authority ‘evaporating’?

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--gs7UWUV---/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1638368501/theweek/2021/12/GettyImages-180776878.jpg { display: none !important; }

In Depth

Is World War Three looming?

Vladimir Putin and his now ex-wife Lyudmila Putina

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--veW6PEOL--/f_auto,t_card-mobile@1/v1637751883/theweek/2021/11/The%20Putins%20in%20June%202007%20in%20Rostock-Laage%2C%20Germany.jpg { display: none !important; }

Profile

Vladimir Putin and his mysterious love life

.imgHideOnJavaScriptDisabled_https://mediacloud.theweek.co.uk/image/private/s--ncUcJBMU--/f_auto,t_banner-image-mobile@1/v1623327551/Misc/theweekuk-footer-image.png { display: none !important; }

In pictures: sporting villains of 2015 from Blatter to Fury

Recommended

Verstappen or Hamilton: F1 title permutations

Messi vs. Ronaldo: football’s great rivalry

Qatar’s tainted World Cup

Ralf ‘professor’ Rangnick takes charge at Man Utd

Peng Shuai: WTA makes ‘unprecedented statement’ on China

The arguments for and against boycotting sporting events

Tiger targets The Open: ‘I would love to play at St Andrews’

Frank Williams: a ‘one of a kind’ F1 team principal

Popular articles

Is Boris Johnson’s authority ‘evaporating’?

Is World War Three looming?

Vladimir Putin and his mysterious love life

Discover The WeekDay

A twice-daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from our website