The nine football players listed below have chosen to forego football in favor of something a little more unorthodox.
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9. Bixente Lizarazu – Brazilian Jiujitsu fighter.
Lizarazu was a huge success at the club level, winning league titles in both France and Germany, as well as the Champions League with Bayern Munich. But, in the end, it was not once, but twice, for his beloved France that he achieved his greatest success. He completed a hat trick by winning the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championships a few years later. The full back is one of only a few players in the league to achieve this honor. Lizarazu, on the other hand, can lay claim to being a one-of-a-kind athlete after winning two gold medals in two separate sports.
After only eighteen months in the sport and eighteen months after receiving his first blue belt, the Frenchman won his first event, the blue belt European Champion in the senior lightweight division.
8. Tim Wiese.
Because of his size, the former Hoffenheim goalkeeper opted to pursue a wrestling career after retiring from football.
7. Arjan de Zeeuw – Detective
De Zeeuw never played for his native Netherlands at an international level, but he had a long and successful career as a player, spending the majority of his time in England. He played for Wigan Athletic twice, including during the club’s first two Premier League seasons, before moving on to Coventry City for a year before retiring from football to join ADO ’20 in the Netherlands. Despite the fact that you’d think someone with so much experience and knowledge would want to give back to the game he loves, this is not the case. De Zeeuw, who has a medical degree, initially aspired to be a doctor, but he eventually decided to seek a career in law enforcement. He went on to work as a detective in the criminal justice system.
6. Ken Monkou – Pancake chef.
Ken Monkou is a no-nonsense Dutch defender who has played for Chelsea and Southampton in the Premier League. He elected to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions after his playing days were over, and he bought a pancake shop in Delft, Netherlands.
5. Grant Holt – Wrestling
The 40-year-old has had a stellar football career, but it was at Norwich that he formed a genuine bond with the supporters. He went on to play for Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, Huddersfield Town, and Wolves after being released by Norwich City. He scored 68 league goals in 154 games for the three clubs combined. He agreed to join the World Association of Wrestling, which seemed improbable at the time.
4. Dani Osvaldo.
After when a smoking incident in the locker room resulted in the cancellation of his contract with Boca Juniors, Osvaldo opted to leave soccer and pursue a career as a singer. During his playing days, he was undeniably a character, and he will almost certainly become one in the world of rock and roll in the future.
3. Jose Manuel Pinto – Zumba teacher
He may have spent the majority of his time at Camp Nou on the bench, but he was never one to sit still, which may explain his most recent professional move. Following his retirement from diving, the former goalkeeper took up dancing and is now a Zumba instructor for his dedicated and well-trained students. The 45-year-old has made considerable progress in his music career since hanging up his gloves, with two of his soundtracks being included in big movie pictures. His 2017 song, La Habana, was used in The Fate of the Furious and even cracked the Billboard Hot 100 top ten.
Instead of the glitz and glam of Hollywood or Champions League nights, the Spaniard can now be seen in a gym waving a skipping rope and showcasing his slick dance moves.
2. Fabrizio Ravanelli
Fabrizio Ravanelli is recognized for three things, in addition to his silver hair: his incredible goal totals for both club and country; and his crazy celebration. Fab shifted gears and donned Lycra after scoring nearly 200 goals in his professional career, and he now devotes his time to competing in Europe’s most grueling endurance cycling contests.
1. Curtis Woodhouse – Boxing
The professional career of the former Sheffield United and Peterborough United midfielder, who also played for England’s Under-21 side, has been fruitful. He soon became tired of the game and opted to seek a career in professional boxing, making his debut in 2006. Woodhouse went on to win the British light-welterweight title the following year after winning 24 fights in his professional boxing career.