Who is Ryan Babel? ‘Love Undercover’ star fined $15K for criticizing match referee during X rant
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ryan Babel, a retired footballer hailing from the Netherlands, has had a successful career in the Premier League. He last played for the Turkish team Eyüpspor and has represented his country in two FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Babel, who is known for his entrepreneurial endeavors, is set to make his debut in the upcoming debut season of 'Love Undercover' on Peacock. His goal on the reality dating show is to find a kind-hearted woman to connect with.
In regards to the Twitter scandal involving Liverpool striker Ryan Babel in 2011, he was issued a fine of £10,000 ($15,890) by the English Football Association (FA) for sharing edited images of referee Howard Webb on his Twitter account, according to CNN.
The FA's regulatory commission determined Babel's actions to be inappropriate and he was cautioned about his behavior moving forward. Subsequently, he was the first Premier League player to face charges and incur a penalty for his "inappropriate" social media posts.
The Dutch soccer star utilized his Twitter platform to express disapproval towards Webb, the referee assigned to oversee Liverpool's FA Cup third round clash with Manchester United.
In the World Cup final, referee Webb controversially awarded Manchester United a penalty and subsequently issued a red card to Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard, leading to their 1-0 loss in Kenny Dalglish's debut as the manager at Anfield.
Babel later shared a photoshopped image of Webb in a United jersey and criticized his refereeing skills, questioning his reputation as one of the best referees in the game.
"And they call him one of the best referees? That's a joke," he simply wrote alongside the edited snap of Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt.
Afterwards, he issued an apology, clarifying that his remark was intended to be humorous. However, the Football Association did not see it that way and expressed disapproval of his comments.
Does 'Love Undercover' star Ryan Babel regret his controversial Twitter rant?
During a conversation with The Athletic, Babel opened up about his 2011 Twitter outburst regarding the match referee Howard Webb, discussing the controversial rant in depth.
“I would probably still do it again, but maybe in a different way,” the former athlete told the media outlet.
The 37-year-old footballer went on to say, “At that time, there were no real laws or rules regarding social media, so I became the very first football player to be fined and, because of that, they eventually started implementing those things in contracts about social media use and fined you if you embarrassed the club and so on. It was a new time.
'Love Undercover' star Ryan Babel reveals he 'felt unhappy and anxious' when he joined Liverpool
Babel made the move to Liverpool from Ajax in 2007 for a fee of £11.5 million ($14m), but many believe that he did not live up to his potential during his time with the Reds. Despite playing in 146 games, he only managed to score 22 goals.
Now, at 37 years old, Babel has opened up about the difficulties he faced when he first joined Liverpool, including feeling isolated by then-manager Rafael Benitez and ultimately why things did not work out for him at the club.
“It was a little bit disappointing for myself because when I eventually chose Liverpool, I was promised to get time and was told they would really work with me. But from day one, I was on my own, left to figure stuff out myself and that was very tough," he said.
He added, “I was 20 years of age, it was my first time living abroad, the first time living by myself because I was still at my parents’ home in Holland. So it was a lot of new challenges that I had to deal with at once. That made it very difficult."
“I had times where I felt unhappy, not completely myself or was anxious. I think now we live in an era where you want to support a player who is vulnerable. I came from a time when showing weakness was unacceptable. You would have been written off by some," he concluded.
Former Liverpool player Ryan Babel dishes on finding love in 'Love Undercover'
Now, Babel is embarking on a new and exciting project as he joins a group of fellow footballers on the American dating show 'Love Undercover'. Alongside former Liverpool defender Lloyd Jones and Jamie O'Hara, Babel will be taking on secret identities to woo women in Los Angeles who are unaware of their celebrity status.
The show is set to premiere on Thursday, May 9, exclusively on the streaming platform Peacock. Fans can expect to see a different side of Babel as he navigates the world of dating under the guise of anonymity.
Talking of his love life, Babel said, “The majority of my life I have played football, where you are trying to work out if someone you meet actually likes you for who you are or likes you for what you do."
“Now there was an opportunity to actually see if you could make genuine connections with your status, title and achievements stripped away. I’m curious as to how it will be received," he told the publication.
The 'Love Undercover' star went on to say, "I was very self-aware and very conscious to make sure that I didn’t necessarily make a fool out of myself, but at the same time, I think I played my part.”
'Love Undercover' drops on May 9, 2024, only on Peacock.