4 Football legends who retired with unexpected clubs
A number of football legends have made some strange transfers over the years. In the modern age of million-euro football, it's not new for players to switch clubs. Money is certainly king in today's game and can see players land at any outfit with a big enough budget. However, some transfers are more unexpected than others. The latest headline-grabber was Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr.
Additionally, as players age out of their primes, they also tend to drop to smaller clubs as their careers draw to a close.
That said, these are the stories of four football legends who ended their careers with clubs that nobody saw coming.
#4 Johan Cruyff (Feyenoord)
When you think of football legends, Johan Cruyff has to come to mind. Not only was he a genuinely amazing player on the pitch, but he also made headlines in the transfer market.
During his club career, he scored over 400 goals and won many individual awards, including the Ballon d'Or three times (1971, 1973, and 1974).
Johan Cruyff, Feyenoord (1983) https://t.co/sQnDHZ2Giw
The legend had a thing for signing for unexpected clubs. In his final move, he caused a stir by joining Ajax's rivals, Feyenoord, in 1983, as revenge for not renewing his contract.
He played for one season at Feyenoord, and during his time there, he made 25 appearances and scored six goals. The Dutch legend helped the team win the Dutch Cup (KNVB Cup) in his last professional game.
#3 Pep Guardiola (Dorados)
Pep Guardiola's decision to join Dorados de Sinaloa, a lesser-known team in Mexico at 35, came as a surprise. Sinaloa, a region better known for its baseball team and notorious cartel activities, was an unexpected transfer destination for Guardiola.
Unfortunately, his time with Dorados was cut short due to injury. In all, he played just 10 games for Dorados, scoring one goal. During his time in Sinaloa, Guardiola began training as a manager, a path that would lead him to become one of the greatest coaches today.
#2 Alessandro del Piero (Delhi Dynamos)
After winning the Serie A in 2011, Del Piero was offered the rare honor of having his jersey number retired by Juventus.
The legend played for 19 years, scoring 290 goals in 705 appearances. However, Del Piero chose to keep playing and took his talents to Australia, joining Sydney FC in 2012.
In 2014, Delhi Dynamos made a statement of intent by signing Del Piero as player-manager.
He made just eight appearances for the team and scored four goals, after which he retired from professional football.
#1 Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pele (New York Cosmos)
The late Pele is widely considered to be the best footballer of all time. During his career, he won three FIFA World Cups, scored over 1,000 goals, and received numerous accolades for his performances.
He spent the majority of his career playing for Brazilian club Santos. When Pele retired from professional football, fans across the globe thought they had seen the last of the Brazilian legend on the pitch.
The unexpected happened when New York Cosmos managed to convince the legend to come out of retirement for one final swan song at 35.
For the next two and a half years, he thrilled American audiences with his extraordinary skills and sparked wide love for the game.
In his retirement match, Pele once again proved his greatness by scoring a stunning free kick from 30 yards out. This cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players to ever grace the game.