10 Footballers even rival fans can never hate

Being a footballer is one profession where you are bound to have a number of ‘haters’. Every move on and off the pitch is scrutinised by the media, pundits on television and fans on social media. It's a tough job – not one for the faint-hearted – and takes a lot of willpower and determination to succeed in what is now essentially a cut-throat business where players sometimes overstep their boundaries to ensure their teams come away with a win.But at the other end of the spectrum, there are players who step onto the pitch, do their job and do what is most important – play the game with respect. These are the players that fans love to watch and kids want to emulate when they grow up. They have earned so much respect and plaudits that even rival fans have no qualms about accepting the fact that they are a delight to watch.So we present to you footballers even rival fans just cannot hate!

#1 Santi Cazorla

He is easily one of the smallest men on the pitch, especially in the Premier League. But Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is a class apart and is loved by one and all – be it at the club or when he turns out for the Spanish national team.

The Spaniard is only 5’5” tall, but his love for the game and the talent he has is head and shoulders above 90% of the footballers in the world today. One of very few ambidextrous footballers in Europe, the little dynamite can shoot and even take set-pieces comfortably with either foot.

The man is always seen with a permanent smile etched on his face in training and always manages to lift the spirits of those at the club when he is around. And his opponents aren’t too far behind in giving him the respect he commands without even knowing it.

Cazorla is the living example of a man doing what he is asked to do while enjoying his football in the process.

#2 Andrea Pirlo

Here’s a one-line summary of the 2011/12 Italian Serie A season: AC Milan allowed Andrea Pirlo to join Juventus for free. For a player who served the club for a decade and helped them win titles and dominated Europe like they did with him in the side, it was unfathomable when Juventus signed Pirlo on a free transfer.

“When Andrea told me that he was joining us, the first thing I thought was: "God exists". A player of his level and ability, not to mention that he was free, I think it was the signing of the century!” – Gianluigi Buffon

To be fair, he didn’t become a cult figure in European football until he grew that magnificent beard. He was always world class, a player who redefined the regista role and became more prominent during his years at Juve, and helped them to four consecutive Serie A titles between 2011 and 2015.

A master of the free kick, the epitome of finding ensuring the ball reached his teammate’s feet no matter how far away they were or how fast they were running – Pirlo, past the age of 30, was setting the standard for young midfielders to emulate later in their career. Loved by one and all, it was heart-breaking to see his emotions when Italy were thrashed 4-0 by Spain in the 2012 Euro final.

This goal from his days in Milan is arguably one of the best he has scored in his career.

#3 Andres Iniesta

With world domination comes haters and that’s exactly what happened when Barcelona won every trophy available to them in the Pep Guardiola era. It even coincided with Spain’s continental and world domination. One integral member of both these squads was Andres Iniesta.

The diminutive Spaniard reached his peak during these years and was almost untouchable in matches. With the ball at his feet, Iniesta weaved magic all over the pitch with dazzling displays of dribbling, passing and just basically out-foxing his opponent whenever he got the chance.

How much is he loved? Well, the fact that he dedicated a World Cup final winner to a deceased player and friend Dani Jarque from a derby rival goes to show why even Espanyol fans will never hate him. The shirt associated with his most precious memory was later presented to Espanyol.

"It pains me a great deal to give this shirt away even though I think this is the best place for it. I scored the goal, but Dani will also be remembered." – Iniesta

Espanyol’s president added: "Iniesta is a great player, but for sure he will also be remembered with great fondness by the Espanyol supporters and the world of soccer when he retires."

#4 David De Gea

There is no sterner test of a player’s skill than asking a 20-year-old goalkeeper from a foreign league to be the #1 choice for the defending Premier League champions, but that is exactly what David De Gea went through. What’s more, it was also a record-breaking transfer fee for a goalkeeper in the league and he had to step into the boots of the highly rated Edwin van der Sar.

No pressure, right? Wrong! The youngster was thrown into the deep end and struggled to adapt to the physicality of the league, especially in dealing with aerial balls. He reached a new low when City demolished United 1-6 at Old Trafford. He was eventually dropped in favour of Anders Lindegaard and only returned after an injury to the Danish keeper.

But the Spaniard did not let the criticism get to him, put his head down and worked harder to improve himself between the sticks. Mistakes became stepping stones in an upward rise that now sees him as one of the best shot-stoppers in the EPL.

While rival fans may silently curse him for making save after save, they still do marvel at his abilities to make crucial saves with both his hands and his feet. No wonder then he became Iker Casillas' successor in the national team.

“De Gea has everything to be one of the greatest goalkeepers in the next ten years.” – Edwin van der Sar

Remember this fantastic save against Chelsea from his compatriot Juan Mata?

#5 Philippe Coutinho

If there is one Liverpool player who deserves the accolades coming his way, it is their star midfielder, Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has set the league on fire now and then with some sublime skill and artistry on the pitch.

The player came to the club needing a work permit but has slowly and steadily built his reputation to be picked in the Brazil squad on a regular basis. He thrives on his dribbling skills, close quarter control and the through ball in tight spaces. And of late, he has mastered the art of the long-range curler.

Under Jurgen Klopp, he has improved both his goalscoring return and assists per season. Not to mention his set-piece ability in crunch games!

#6 Branislav Ivanovic

Chelsea Football Club are never short of haters. After suddenly bursting onto the scene in 2004 thanks to a splurge from a Russian billionaire, they have made a habit of winning trophies on a regular basis. Having spent millions on getting star players in, it was what was expected from them and failure to win trophies led to a number of managers losing their job.

But Branislav Ivanovic wasn’t one of those world class players signed by the club. The Serbian was signed from Lokomotiv Moscow seven years ago and took a while to get going until he got used to the frenetic pace of the EPL. And once he did, it was tough to dislodge him from his right-back position. With the ability to play as a centre-back as well, Chelsea had in their squad one of the most complete defenders a manager could ask for.

He made the right-back position his own in his prime and was seen literally everywhere on the pitch – stopping wingers, defending set pieces and even getting into the box to score a number of vital goals for the Blues. And when you consider the 33 goals he has been scored in his Chelsea career, you can’t help but sit up and take notice.

Chelsea have had a lot of players rival fans love to hate, but Ivanovic is not one of them. In fact, many even wished he played for them. Not to mention the truckload of points he gives you in the Fantasy League.

Is he one of the club's best signings? I think so. He came immediately after I left (2007) and after that he made a fantastic contribution for this club. He is a competitive animal with a big heart. – Jose Mourinho

#7 Isco

Who doesn’t love the underdog? Unfortunately, for the talented midfielder, Isco is an underdog in his own team. Signed after an immense season at Malaga where he scored 12 goals in 2012/13, he was initially a regular starter for Los Blancos and managed to get on the scoresheet a number of times.

Sadly, Isco was sidelined in favour of more accomplished players such as Luka Modric and Toni Kroos when Carlo Ancelotti changed his system. Blessed with the skills to dribble, hold on to the ball and passing at the opportune moment, the Spaniard was one of the key members of the Spain squad that won the European Under-21 Championship in 2013.

Fans from rival clubs have always been impressed with his control and they see a youngster with immense potential but maybe in the wrong setup. With a philosophy of constantly buying star players at exorbitant amounts, Isco may never get the chance to realize his full potential at Madrid, which is why he would be a decent addition to most sides looking for an attacking midfielder.

Zinedine Zidane has tried to rectify that in recent months but it will be a long time before he starts over 30 games in the league every season.

#8 Philipp Lahm

You may not have supported Germany and you probably hate how Bayern Munich have dominated the Bundesliga and Europe. But admit it, you smiled when Philipp Lahm lifted the World Cup trophy high over his head in Brazil in 2014. It’s easy to see why – the smallest person in the squad was also the captain of the best team on the planet.

Tha ‘Magic Dwarf’ has been a mainstay in the German and Bayern setup for more than a decade and we have seen him play either as a full-back or a defensive midfielder. Yes, the man who is barely over five-and-a-half feet tall has bossed the middle of the park – a position that is usually home to the tall, powerful and mighty players.

The fact that he seamlessly transitioned from one position to the other with minimum fuss is proof enough of his versatility. Under his captaincy, the club reached back-to-back Champions League finals, winning one in a historic treble. They even won the league the next season with seven games to spare!

Pep Guardiola, the man who coached a Barcelona side – one of the greatest club teams in history – said of Lahm: “He is perhaps the most intelligent player I have ever trained in my career. He is at another level."

#9 David Silva

Another Spaniard makes the list and midfielder David Silva is undoubtedly the one player who makes Manchester City tick. He was already hot property when he was at Valencia in his early 20s and made the step up to elite class after his move to the blue half of Manchester in 2010.

What makes Silva so well respected is his versatility to play in any position across the pitch near the final third and is a master of the final ball. A prominent member of the all-conquering Spanish side between 2008 and 2012, Silva’s quality has never been in question.

Even in the Premier League, he quietly goes about with his business, never one to vociferously display his emotions after scoring a goal. He’s not one to get into altercations with his opponents and lets his football do the talking – creating chances galore for the likes of Sergio Aguero and co.

He’s a player constantly on the move, ready to pounce on one single mistake and punish them for it. No wonder then that Gary Neville even called Silva the ‘Messi of the Premier League’ during City’s title-winning campaign in 2011/12.

#10 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

While Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not be a popular choice among some club’s fans (Hello, Serie A fans), there is no denying that he was always loved when he did play for those respective clubs. It was only after he left (and the manner in which he did) that there was a little bit of animosity.

With one-half of football fandom rallying behind Lionel Messi while the other lends their support to Cristiano Ronaldo, both factions are united in their respect of the Swedish striker and what he has accomplished wherever he has played. With a trophy room brimming with 13 league titles in four different countries, the nomadic striker is a serial winner of titles – save for the Champions League trophy.

But it is the ego and persona of the man which charms football fans worldwide – be it his quotes in the media or the outrageous goals he scores. The man continues to amaze one and all with skills that sometimes defy the laws of physics and biomechanics.

Like this one that helped him win the Puskas Goal of the Year award.