Is there a worse sight in football than an opposition player racing to the away end to silence the travelling fans? Or when a player rubs salt in the wounds of rival stars by replicating the celebration often seen in front of their supporters? For fans, the answer will be a resounding no. For football's greatest wind-up merchants, however, there will be no sweeter feeling.
After Neal Maupay recently hit a James Maddison-esque bullseye into the minds of Tottenham Hotspur fans, Football FanCast has taken a look at the top 10 best football wind-up merchants, based on who fans of other teams love to hate the most.
10 Robbie Savage
Now known for leaving some fans frustrated in the gantry, there was once a time when Robbie Savage was leaving his opponents on the pitch just as frustrated. Though he was never a standout player, the Welshman was someone you'd rather have on your team rather than provoking you in the heat of battle in the Premier League.
It is fitting that Savage's voice is now often the one associated with the mute button among English football fans, given that it's an option that many of his opponents likely wish they had during his playing days.
9 Pepe
If this was a list of football's most brutal players, then Pepe would undoubtedly sit top. During his early Real Madrid days in particular, the veteran defender was as violent with his challenges as they come, often seen losing his head at opposition players.
That temper has often come at a cost throughout his career, however, having received 17 red cards and once even banned for 10 games during his time in La Liga. The Portugal defender is not one to mess with, as he took a more lethal approach than light-hearted teasing.
Ultimately, the fact that Pepe will go down as one of football's hotheads rather than one of the most impressive defenders to grace the game perfectly sums up just how many moments he had to forget.
8 Alfredo Morelos
Mention the name Alfredo Morelos to Celtic fans and you'll see the impact that the striker made during his time in the Scottish Premiership. In fact, mention his name to many Rangers fans and they'll likely have a mixed reaction, for the Colombian was often the man behind his own downfall at Ibrox.
By the time Morelos left the Gers last summer, he had built a reputation for saying the wrong things, receiving red cards at the worst possible times and clashes with Celtic captain Scott Brown. The forward just couldn't help himself on the biggest stages but will go down as one of the most famous players to pull on the Rangers colours in recent history, nonetheless.
7 Joey Barton
Stealing the headlines for his controversial comments about women's football ever since losing his managerial role at Bristol Rovers, Joey Barton wasn't exactly a well-liked character during his playing career, either, and that's without mentioning his sudden French accent whilst at Marseille.
The midfielder, often dubbed as one of football's villains, has a whole list of moments to forget, even spending time in prison for assault and affray and getting into a fight with teammate Ousmane Dabo. The list could go on, too. The fact is, it's not a real surprise that Barton is once again stealing the headlines for all the wrong reasons even after retirement.
6 Sergio Ramos
A serial winner and one of football's greatest-ever centre-backs, Sergio Ramos has taken every chance he can get to wind up rival fans throughout his career, all whilst winning every top honour possible. No matter the stage, though, Ramos has played up to his role as a pantomime villain.
The Spaniard particularly left Liverpool fans angered when he dragged star man Mohamed Salah down in the 2018 Champions League final, dislocating the Egyptian's shoulder and ending his night in the process. The Reds went on to lose in Kyiv and Ramos went on to lift a third consecutive Champions League trophy.
Months later, in an awkward moment, Ramos tapped Salah on the same shoulder on his way back from collecting his UEFA Defender of the Year award.
5 Emiliano Martinez
Whether it's celebrating in the faces of Manchester United fans after denying Bruno Fernandes from the spot or showing off his best dance moves in David Moyes-esque fashion, Emiliano Martinez is quick to rub salt in the wounds.
The Argentine hero's biggest wind-up moment came on the biggest stage when he won the World Cup Golden Glove following Argentina's penalty-shootout win over France in the final. Presented with the award, Martinez gestured towards the on-watching France fans, before later admitting: "I did it because the French booed me."
4 Neal Maupay
Quickly rising up the ranks for his antics is Maupay. The Brentford striker rarely misses the chance to take aim at the opposition and recently stole the headlines for copying Maddison's famous darts celebration at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But that's not the first time that the Frenchman has left plenty of north London fans unhappy.
Back in 2020, the Frenchman took aim at Arsenal fans after scoring against Southampton. A week prior, the then-Brighton & Hove Albion man had inadvertently injured Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Hitting the crying celebration to the cameras, Maupay admitted after the game that it was a dig aimed at those at the Emirates.
3 Jamie Vardy
No matter how far Jamie Vardy has come in the world of football, his knack for winding rival fans up has not changed. The Leicester City legend is often the first player booed by rival fans and, in turn, the first to celebrate right in front of them. He's even prone to mocking the mascots of opposition teams whilst celebrating, having once flapped his arms like an eagle against Crystal Palace and howled in front of the Wolves fans.
Where there is a Vardy goal, there is likely a celebration aimed at rival fans that follows to cement his place alongside some of football's greatest-ever wind-up merchants.
2 Diego Costa
One of the Premier League's craziest strikers, where there was drama, there was often Diego Costa. During his time at Chelsea, the forward somehow came away with just one red card, with his focus instead on ensuring his opponents were dismissed themselves. The most famous example of this came against Arsenal, as Costa somehow found a way to avoid red himself while getting Gabriel Paulista dismissed.
A natural goalscorer and one of the greatest wind-up merchants around, it will be a long time before Chelsea find a striker quite like Costa again, allowing Premier League fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
1 Luis Suarez
If you're Branislav Ivanovic and Giorgio Chiellini, look away now, as Luis Suarez enters number one as football's greatest wind-up merchant with his most famous moment in that regard coming at the expense of David Moyes.
The Uruguayan was accused of diving by the then-Everton boss in the build-up to Liverpool's Merseyside derby clash against the Toffees, leading to the infamous celebration. Clearly catching wind of the accusation, Suarez wheeled away in celebration after netting for the Reds, before diving right in front of Moyes' technical area.
Suarez, more so than anyone on this list, was often at the centre of football's dark arts all whilst earning a place in history as one of the best players to grace the beautiful game he made rather ugly at times. There was simply no beating the former Liverpool and Barcelona man, who is now plying his trade and likely winding up opposition fans in MLS with Inter Miami.