Cardiff City's new signing Gary Medel has previous with FourFourTwo. Even before he waved goodbye to La Liga, even before he waved hello by joining Sevilla in 2011, the combative/psychotic Chilean midfielder was featured in the magazine's regular Planet Football column, The Boy's A Bit Loco. Here's what we had to say in June 2010, when Medel was playing for Argentina's Boca Juniors...
Nutter credentials
The 'Pit Bull' is ferocious. In his four-year career he's had red cards for kicking, punching, swearing, elbowing and spitting. His behaviour away from the pitch isn't any better. During his several bans, he's attended games stripped to the waist alongside the club's most dangerous hooligans. Last year he crashed his car, sending himself hurtling through the windscreen. His explanation: "I fell asleep."
Most spectacular outburst
Having been sent off in the 16th minute of the Under-20 World Cup semi-final, he waited for the final whistle to have a 'word' with the referee. The resulting kerfuffle saw police use pepper gas and zap Medel with electric tasers.
They said
"He doesn't feel like talking in the dressing room - he's very silent"- Boca team-mate Nicolas Gaitan suggests Medel is trying to turn over a new leaf.
He said
"If it hadn't been for football, I would be stealing or trafficking drugs" - Medel tells it as it is.
Worth the hassle?
Last month, he netted twice in Boca Juniors' 2-0 victory over River Plate in the Argentine Superclasico. So he's probably worth the aggro... even though he was sent off in the same match for punching Marcelo Gallardo and kicking Matias Almeyda.
Words: Martin Mazur. From the June 2010 issue.
