Barcelona: Lionel Messi wants to leave Barcelona. The relation between Messi and the Barca officials has steadily worsened and according to reports, it might be a matter of moment of time, the Argentine would announce his new destination. The 33-year-old has been a legend for his Barcelona bagging 634 goals for the club in 15 years.
A goal contribution per match made the experts tip him the best player ever to exist in the history of football. But he has often been criticised for not being taking any transfer outside Camp Nou. His ‘so-called’ rival in the game Cristiano Ronaldo has played in England and Spain before moving to Italy. So when Messi is planning to leave for his new destination these are some facts about the legends of the game and how they coped in new conditions.
Pele: He was named the ‘Emperor of Football’. His records and antiques are still available on the history books. Three-time World Cup winner with Brazil, Pele has been to great lengths to prove himself. His mammoth thousand-goal scoring record throughout the career has made him a legend in the modern game. He joined New York Cosmos in the North American Football league at the ripe old age of 34. But he was not the same as before he was in Brazil.
Diego Maradona: ‘El-Diego’ has been the finest ever player to exist in the modern game. He almost single-handedly won the 1986 Fifa World Cup with Argentina. A man with a height of 5’5″ with his movement and passing while playing the game was so mesmerising that he gained mass attention. Later Maradona was heavily involved with drug-related problems and was being banned from the 1994 FIFA World Cup. His prolonged relationship with drugs continued for a long time but his legacy in football was never to be forgotten. He started his career with Boca Juniors and moved to Barcelona in the year 1984 later to Napoli. 13 years later at the ripe old age of 37, he joined Boca Juniors again and played his last game against River Plate in a Superclasico and ending up on the winning side.
Johan Cruyff: He was tipped as the father of ‘Total Football’. The Dutch and Barcelona legend’s antiques and passing game during the 1974 FIFA World Cup was witnessed by everyone. He was also a legend for his boyhood club Ajax. But in 1982-83 season at a ripe old age of 36, he left the club, as he was angry on the officials because they didn’t extend his contract. He joined the rival club Feyenoord and won the Eredivise title. Thus a happy ending to an illustrious career.
Ronaldo (Brazil): He was named ‘El Phenomenon’. The man was arguably named as the best forward and a goal-scoring machine ever to exist in football. Ronaldo was World Cup’s all-time top scorer with 15 goals later broken by Miroslav Klose of Germany. He played rival clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid so as Inter Milan and also AC Milan. For the last time when he joined AC Milan from Real Madrid at the age of 31, ‘El Phenomenon’ was no more the same man he was known for. Regular injury and less game time made him stocky and it was difficult for him to cope up with young players. He ended his career in Brazil with Corinthians at the age of 35 in the year 2011.
