5 most valuable players at the time of retirement
Only a professional football player truly knows when is the right time to call curtains on their career. The game is dear to them and it is essentially the reason behind their identity, but there comes a time when one has to hang his boots. It is a sentimental moment and football fans have witnessed it many times in the past.
When cult heroes and legends say goodbye it provides an opportunity to look back at their journey and reflect on what they offered to the game. Some players etch their names in the history books, while some carve out a special place in the hearts of fans. But in football, money and the market matter as much as feelings do.
More often than not, money and feelings in football do not always tend to be kind to fans and their beliefs. While fans wish to see more of some of their favorite players due to feelings, sometimes they don't command enough respect in the market anymore.
There are, however, scenarios where players have the love from fans to continue at the club and the market sees them as relevant in terms of valuation. We are talking about some of the most renowned names in football. On that note, here are the five most valuable players at the time of their retirement:
#5 Pavel Nedved - €9 million
There were hardly any players who could replace French sensation Zinedine Zidane when he left Juventus in 2001. How do you replace the magician, a Ballon d'Or winner, a legend of the club? Well, you invest in Pavel Nedved and the rest is his job.
Filling the Zidane-sized void was a mammoth task at Juventus and Nedved, without flinching once, carved his own trail instead. Nicknamed 'Furia Ceca' which translates to Czech Fury, he was a force to reckon with in midfield. His movement was fast, graceful yet messy which made defending against him uncomfortable.
The Czech international had one of the most feared shots in Europe. He was able to pull out a thunderous strike from almost anywhere with little room. Nedved was full of creativity and amazing vision which saw him emerge as one of the best playmakers. The Juventus man won the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2003.
A MASTERPIECE from Pavel #Nedved! 😍
Is this the best #JuveBrescia goal? https://t.co/tAbDJpJ6ZE
He was tenacious, consistent with both his feet and had great reserves of stamina. After joining the Old Lady, Nedved was included in the UEFA team of the year, three consecutive times between 2003 and 2005. When the Furia Ceca retired in 2009, his market value was €9 million.
In his esteemed career, which spanned over 17 seasons, Nedved made 554 appearances. The prolific midfielder scored 121 goals and provided 75 assists in total. He secured three Serie A, two Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one UEFA Super Cup titles.
#4 Willy Sagnol - €9.5 million
The French defender moved from AS Monaco to Bayern Munich for a price tag of €7.7 million in 2000. The German giants came calling for Willy Sagnol on the back of a successful Ligue 1 winning season with Monaco. It was a move that benefitted Sagnol both in terms of his personal stats and adding to his trophy cabinet.
During his time with the two French clubs, Saint Etienne and Monaco, the right-back never registered a goal contribution. That changed in his very first season at Bayern. Sagnol was given a license to move upwards on the flank and contribute in the attacking third.
He was an important part of Bayern Munich's rearguard for eight years. His most prolific season for the Bavarians was the 2005-06 season, where he registered nine assists and one goal in 31 Bundesliga games.
Willy #Sagnol has got a nice collection of goals from his time as a full-back at @FCBayernEN 🙌 https://t.co/9lDiOA3ASq
During his final season in 2008-09 Sagnol did not feature in any games and hung up his boots in January. He won a total of five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokal titles and one Champions League. The Frenchman was a part of France's 2006 World Cup team that reached the finals and was one of the most consistent defenders of the tournament.