10 Footballers Who Recovered From World Cup Disgraces

8. Frank Rijkaard

Someone should have bought Rudi Völler a pint after his amazingly calm display during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy. During the same tournament Stuart Pearce and Paul Gascoigne would be overcome with emotion, the German striker somehow resisted cuffing Dutch counterpart Frank Rijkaard around the ear.

Rudi may have been justified, because Rijkaard spat at him. Twice.

After picking up a well-deserved yellow card for his brutal challenge on the player, Rijkaard then aimed a disgusting stream of saliva at Völler. When the referee later stepped in to dish out some red cards (presumably because he was sick of the pair's antics), Frank spat at Völler again.

The media didn't exactly go overboard with the scandal, and that's something Rijkaard should be grateful of. He recovered from this disgraceful display to win the Serie A title with AC Milan, prove a success domestically and in Europe upon his return to Ajax and win the 2006 Champions League as a manager with Barcelona.

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