Some have invested in luxury, others in talented children.
Given the huge sums available to players who are at the top of Europe’s strongest leagues, it is difficult to imagine that they could find themselves in dire financial straits. Where clubs provide footballers with colossal salaries, uncontrollable spending can follow, leaving the fortunes of many stars in decline as rapidly as they once rose.
It became known this week that former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has been declared bankrupt, although he was once earning £50,000 a week at Old Trafford. Shortly before that, former Liverpool star Craig Bellamy also admitted in an interview that he was bankrupt. In the story with Brown, the unsuccessful development of his own company takes place. And Wes broke up with his wife a couple years ago. The couple have three children. And my wife just left a successful business.
Bellamy has let loose on people, as he said himself. He himself does not lead a wild life, does not engage in betting. However, unsuccessful investments, as well as thoughtless spending to the right and left in support of numerous friends and just unfamiliar people, have led to the fact that now Bellamy cannot own real estate, does not have a car, does not have a house of his own . He lives in a flat rented from him by Burnley, where he works as assistant manager.
“I’ve lived the last five or six years as if I were on death row, Bellamy said. – I was just waiting for the door to open and they said to me: “Today”. It’s an exhausting wait. Financially, I have no future. I can’t own anything. Everything is finished. My life has been put on hold. I was too naive. Everything I had, I lost. If you don’t understand anything that is recommended to you, it can happen. It got to the point where the news of bankruptcy came as a relief. That means I can just live again. Some people will think I spent it all on alcohol, gambling or drugs. But I don’t do any of that. Unfortunately, I “played” with people.
Brown and Bellamy’s story isn’t great. This happens to the most famous footballers and former stars. Let’s remember a few more names.
Eric Djemba-Djemba
The Cameroonian was signed by Manchester United in 2005 on the rise. He was christened the heir of Roy Keane. And a year and a half later, due to bad form, he went to Aston Villa. At Old Trafford, Djemba-Djemba was making £75,000 a month, receiving £1.5million after moving to Villa. But he handled the money horribly. His agent later said the player simply had no idea about the money when he moved Manchester United. He spent it all on designer clothes, expensive interior decor, bought ten SUVs and filed for bankruptcy in 2007. He spent the next 11 years roaming the world hoping to make up for his losses by playing in Qatar, Denmark, Israel, Serbia, Scotland, India and Indonesia.
Jon-Arne Riise
In the same year as Djemba-Djemba, Riise, who had won the Champions League with Liverpool two years earlier, filed for bankruptcy. Then he was earning around £50,000 a week. Riise then got into a legal battle with his former agent over managing his money and investing in failed companies. The player is also involved in a £3 million fraud case in Norway.
After Liverpool, Riise moved to Roma for £4.4 million, but soon returned to the Premier League, where he played for Fulham. After completing his playing career, the Norwegian took up coaching. But in recent years he has once again faced financial and legal problems. He filed for bankruptcy of his personal company several times in 2019 and 2020.
Royston Drenthe
The talented Feyenoord talent has already shown on the pitch that he is not very good at handling the opportunity he has been given. At Real Madrid and Everton the Dutchman failed to open up as he potentially could. And off the field, his behavior was consistent with his attitude towards his talent.
Drenthe became interested in partying during his time at Real Madrid where he received £2.4million a season. His fortune was estimated at £3.2 million and he squandered it. Drenthe has invested in his clothing store and his career as a rapper and actor. Royston now works at a medical center where he cares for dementia patients.
Ronaldinho
It became known in 2018 that the Brazilian legend only had £5 in his account. The court found out when he checked his accounts owing debts of £1.75 million. Once the state of Ronaldinho was estimated at 67 million. When he signed for AC Milan in 2008, the Brazilian was earning £5.1m a year. Also, he had fabulous contracts with various sponsors.
But when the court found that Ronaldinho had spent everything and could not repay his debts, 57 properties were confiscated from him to settle his accounts. Then he managed to avoid prison. Although later he and his brother were arrested for using false passports when they wanted to get to Paraguay.
David James
The former England main goalkeeper made a lot of money at Liverpool, West Ham, Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Manchester City, but in 2014 he was forced to file for bankruptcy and started selling his property at auction. It is said that his debts began to accumulate after the divorce in 2005. When the sale of James’s things began, it turned out that he simply does not have. From his 70’s bike collection to his van and DJ rig with expensive vinyl. After 2014, James started drawing and illustrating children’s books.
Brad Friedel
The American goalkeeper at the peak of his career earned £40,000 a week. He was in Blackburn. But in 2011, while playing for Aston Villa, Friedel underwent bankruptcy proceedings. Due to debts, the total amount of which exceeded 5 million pounds. He has invested heavily in trying to secure the support of talented young players United States of America. It is burnt. There he created his own football academy, launching infrastructure facilities worth about 8 million pounds. And after the 2008 financial crisis, the banking situation has become critical. Now Friedel works as a football agent.
Diego Maradona
If you remember how Maradona lived, it’s easy to imagine that he also had financial problems. In this case taxes. Only the quantity can shock. The Italian tax authority has asked Maradona for a tax refund of 42 million pounds. So in 2009 he was reminded of the fraud committed when he was a Napoli player. The litigation was faced by the relatives of the legendary Argentine. They say that after Maradona’s death, only 75 thousand pounds remained in his account.
