Sinisa Mihajlovic seems to have a faustian fascination with controversy. Lazio's Serbia-Montenegro international heaped more shame on himself and his team during their 4-0 home defeat by Chelsea when he spat at Adrian Mutu. Anyone who has followed his career, though, will not have been surprised.
His racial abuse of Arsenal's Patrick Vieira in Rome in 2000, in which he repeatedly called the Frenchman "a fucking black monkey", prompted an investigation by Italian police. The Serb might have faced a three-year jail sentence had Vieira pressed charges, but the inquiry was dropped after he apologised in the centre circle before Lazio's next home Champions League match.
Mihajlovic, 34, is both feted and reviled in Serbia for his fervent nationalism, association with notorious warlords, mafia and war criminals, and his fanatical support of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Serbian leader being tried for genocide in The Hague.
The Belgrade press reacted wearily yesterday to Tuesday's spitting incident, reporting without outrage that Mihajlovic could be suspended for several months. Serbian sport websites attracted strong criticism of the dead-ball specialist, with fans in Belgrade saying they were tired of his antics and that he was a national disgrace.
But that did not appear to reflect the consensus in a city where during the Milosevic years, football was a highly politicised and lucrative arm of the regime. The warlord Zeljko Raznjatovic, aka Arkan, gunned down in a Belgrade hotel in 2000, was indicted for war crimes after leading his "Tigers" paramilitaries on killing sprees in Bosnia and Croatia.
When Arkan was shot, Mihajlovic paid for tributes to him in the Belgrade press, and bared his torso to Lazio fans to reveal the dedication, Tiger.
"People no longer care about their political affiliations if someone's a big star," said Dejan Anastasijevic, a Belgrade commentator. "As long as these guys are successful, they're forgiven their follies."
The perception of Mihajlovic as a neo-fascist has often endeared him to many of Lazio's hardline fans, but the relationship has often been shaky. On his arrival in Serie A, with Roma in September 1992, many Italian supporters jeered him for his Gypsy heritage.
Though his reputation as a midfielder-cum-central defender with an ability to score from magnificent free-kicks won over Lazio's hard core after his move there in 1998, the love affair almost broke down last year. After sustained baiting of him in a defeat by Milan, Mihajlovic marched over and spat at the Curva Nord, home to Lazio's irriducibili , an act that almost precipitated his departure.
They have since patched up their differences and, though his reputation would suggest he has no redeeming features, Mihajlovic has his admirers.
Mihajlovic does not lack belief in his own football abilities and appears to feel he is discriminated against. In 1999, when well beaten in the European Footballer of the Year voting by Rivaldo, Mihajlovic said he failed to win because he was a Serb.
Uefa are investigating the latest incident, in which he also appeared to kick Mutu. Mihajlovic was later sent off for two lunges at Damien Duff, and is set for an extended ban.
The dismissal and his past record - Mihajlovic was given a two-match ban for "unsporting actions" during the 2000 game with Arsenal - are likely to end his participation in this season's Champions League. "An investigation is under way," said Uefa. "We will look at the whole incident and consider what may have provoked it." There were suggestions that Mutu elbowed Mihajlovic just before the spitting incident.
"It was humiliating to be spat at," said Mutu, "but I didn't react as I put the team before any personal vendetta. He has a very poor sense of humour. Some exchanges were made but he couldn't take it, so he got violent. It was unprovoked and he started it."
The Serb has his defenders. In his book Sven-Goran Eriksson On Football, England's coach applauds his will to win. Eriksson is such an admirer of Mihajlovic that he took him from Roma to Sampdoria and then to Lazio, considering his left foot the source of half a dozen goals a season.
More surprising, perhaps, is the character reference from Eriksson's personal manager Athole Still, who knows Mihajlovic socially. "His behaviour on Tuesday was unacceptable and unforgivable," said Still. "But he is a Jekyll-and-Hyde character who transforms on the pitch. As a family man, he is the most benign, relaxed, pleasant character."
Bad boys: Those we have loathed
Andoni Goicoechea
Capped 29 times for Spain but best known for smashing Diego Maradona's ankle in a horrific challenge during a domestic Spanish match. Maradona was sidelined for months; Goicoechea was instantly dubbed the Butcher of Bilbao. He keeps the boot which did the damage in a glass case in his front room.
Harald Schumacher
The German goalkeeper's flying assault on Patrick Battiston during the semi-final of the 1982 World Cup left the French defender in a neck brace for weeks. The referee didn't even give a foul. Schumacher later offered to pay for Battiston to get his smashed teeth capped. In a French poll for the most unpopular man Schumacher beat Hitler into second place.
Edmundo
Trouble has a habit of following the excitable Brazilian forward, known as the Animal. Last season alone he was sent off seven times. Off the field he received a jail sentence for causing a car crash that killed three people and was fined for getting a chimpanzee drunk.
Johnny Giles
Connoisseurs of nastiness salute the gifted Irish midfielder as the pick of Leeds' 1970s side. QPR's Stan Bowles said of him: 'He was a bit tasty and sly with it. He'd wait until the ball had gone and kick you one. When Chopper [Harris] took your legs from under you at least he'd be up front about it.'
Vinnie Jones
The former hod carrier made his name by talking loud and kicking people. Famous for grabbing Paul Gascoigne's testicles, he was also booked after four seconds while with Chelsea. Now, in his film career, merely pretends to be violent.
Roy Keane
The volatile Manchester United captain harboured a violent grudge for 3 years against Alf Inge Haaland after injuring himself trying to foul the Norwegian. 'Take that!'