A look at five sporting tantrums

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Some of sport’s most famous bust-ups

Tennis turned ugly at the weekend as we saw Canadian Denis Shapovalov fined £5,600 for hitting an umpire in the face with a ball in a fit of rage at the conclusion of his Davis Cup match.

Losing to Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 at the time, the 17-year-old chose to take his frustrations out on the man in the middle, whacking the ball at Arnaud Gabas, defaulting the match. He later apologised for his out-burst, and the Tennis Federation says no further action will be taken against the player.

But it got us thinking about the famous temper tantrums witnessed in sport over the years, some more hilarious than the savage attack on Gabas that saw him pay a visit to Ottawa General Hospital. To be fair, it was a great shot from Shapovalov, and he probably couldn’t do it again if he tried, as you will see below…..

Football – Eric Cantona

There’ no better place to start than Eric Cantona’s dislike for Crystal Palace fans. A genius on the football pitch, and one of the most iconic players to pull on a Manchester United shirt, but there was no doubting the Frenchman’s short-fuse. Watch what has been dubbed the most famous common assault case in English legal history. No amount of paint the fence could’ve stopped this…..

Boxing – James Butler

Just as controversial, but twice as brutal, boxer James Butler, once a respected name in his field, couldn’t handle losing to Richard Grant, so much so that after the decision was announced, he walked across the ring and, with gloves removed, knocked ‘The Alien’ out cold. He was charged for aggravated assault and spent four months in the slammer, I’m guessing with a cell to himself…..

F1 – Sebastian Vettel

Sports stars don’t always have to resort to physical violence, sometimes they use their words, and there’s few better outbursts than Sebastian Vettel’s radio conversations with his team. There’s lots to choose from, but we like this one best from the angry German. That’s taking road rage to new levels…..

Golf – Rory McIlroy

Golf, a relaxing pass-time for mild-mannered gentlemen and a great way to destress. Don’t believe it, at the highest level there’s little room for error, and when things don’t go according to plan, tempers reach boiling point. Watch Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy launch his club into the water. Give him credit, it goes almost as far as the ball…..

Rugby – Dinamo Bucuresti

We all know rugby lads love a brawl, but the Romanians seem to take it to a new level, with a mob of players in this Dinamo Bucuresti match going toe-to-toe. They’re all big boys too, and if they’re not careful one of those windmill punches could land…..

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