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Football is an emotional sport and sometimes fans can’t help but get attached to the players on the field. This attachment may, however, be both positive and negative, depending on how the players perform.
Just as fans criticise footballers who put up below-par performances, so are they certain to praise the players when they flip the scripts. For this singular reason, every club has its present and past players put in two categories – the flops and the legends.
While no football fan would usually want to talk about his or her club’s flops, waxing lyrical about its legends comes with some level of pride. Fortunately for some players, they are legends at multiple clubs.
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Although this is not an easy feat to achieve, there is a select group of footballers who have done exactly that. These are footballers who not only thrived with two clubs, but also won laurels with them. Below, we take a look at five players who are legends for two clubs:
#5 Johan Cruyff
There is a reason why some say Johan Cruyff’s name is a euphemism of football. The former Netherlands international transcended football and he gained legendary status at both Ajax and Barcelona.
Cruyff played at Ajax for 10 years, winning a host of trophies with the Dutch giants, including three consecutive European Cup titles. He then crossed carpets to the city of Catalonia, where he fit in seamlessly at Barcelona.
He may not have replicated his European successes with the Blaugrana, but Cruyff remains a big part of the club’s history, having introduced a footballing philosophy that has become synonymous with Barça. Whether as a player or as a manager, the man was just legendary.
Also read: 14 quotes capturing the essence of Johan Cruyff
#4 Andrea Pirlo
Many remember Andrea Pirlo for his masterful performances in the Juventus shirt. The midfield maestro spent the majority of the latter parts of his career in Turin, where he emerged as multiple Serie A winner with the Bianconeri.
However, even before attaining legendary status at Juventus, Pirlo had already made his name with fellow Italian giants AC Milan. He played over 400 games for the Rossoneri, winning the Serie A and UEFA Champions League twice apiece.
Pirlo’s class in midfield distinguished him from other players and, interestingly, like fine wine, he got better and better with age. It’s not easy to get into the Milan and Juve teams, let alone becoming a legend for both. But Pirlo did just that.
#3 Edwin van der Sar
Just like Johan Cruyff, Edwin van der Sar began his career at Ajax. The goalkeeper was part of the club’s golden generation at the time which included the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Frank de Boer, and Edgar Davids.
He played over 300 games for Ajax, winning four Eridivisie titles, three KNVB Cups, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Champions League. Winning it all with Ajax undoubtedly made him a club legend.
However, a move to Juventus threatened to set him back, before he rejuvenated his career at Manchester United, via a move from Fulham. The Dutch goalkeeper endured a hugely successful spell at Old Trafford, where he won multiple Premier League titles as well as the Champions League in 2008.
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#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
The man Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way to becoming a legend for three clubs, having played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and currently at Juventus. While he’s just a year-and-half into his Juve career, his successes at Man United and Real Madrid cannot be overstated.
The Portuguese became a global superstar when he joined the Old Trafford outfit and helped them to some important trophies. By the time he left England in the summer of 2009, he had won every domestic trophy, as well as the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo was even more successful following his move to Real Madrid, where he added four more Ballon d’Ors and led Los Blancos to an unprecedented four UEFA Champions League titles in five years; three of which came in succession.
His 450 goals also make him Madrid’s all-time top scorer. Ronaldo’s legendary status certainly spreads across Old Trafford and the Santiago Bernabéu and he would hope to attain same by the time he departs Juventus.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
When you take a critical look at Zinedine Zidane, it’s difficult to separate his football career from his career as a manager. This is because the Frenchman has been so successful at both. As a player, he won everything and as a manager he is taking the same path.
Zidane won the Ballon d’Or thrice but his very first came with Juventus. The French maestro also won the Serie A twice with the Bianconeri and ended up playing more than 200 games before joining Real Madrid for a world record fee.
As the most expensive player at the time, Zidane lived up to expectation and led Los Blancos to a host of trophies, including the UEFA Champions League. Zidane retired at the Bernabéu in 2006, but his legacy remains and he has continued to bring joy to Los Merengues even as a manager of the club.
Also read | 10 football legends who picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo
