7 Footballers Who ALWAYS Followed The Money

[@LucasL1ma]

As a Brazilian seeing Hulk career choices was so disappointing. He was so good at Porto and Zenit but never made that jump to a top league in Europe. I wonder how well he could have been playing in a big team in La Liga or Premier League. At least he has been playing very well at Atlético Mineiro, being one of the best players in South America.

[@alphomega2459]

I don’t think he would’ve been any good in the premier league but maybe la liga with his power. Prem I don’t think he would’ve been agile and quick enough (quick as in short bursts not pace)

[@HannahHäggAutisticTransWoman]

Givanildo Vieira de Souza known as Hulk he is now at Clube Atlético Mineiro. Yeah his choices are really a disgrace especially choosing to play in Russia and China.

[@TheMixCurator]

Always thought he fell in love with the idea of being a cult figure at lesser known teams/leagues. Maybe he didn't want to challenge himself and felt comfortable helping his future/family by going to China (for example)

[@slslskspslba2407]

@@alphomega2459 u need to be more agile in la liga lol

[@LucasL1ma]

@@alphomega2459 he clearly is not faster than players like Martinelli and Almirón but he is not a slow player either (even right now) and considering how strong he is and how well he use his body, i don't think that would be a problem, especially when we have example of players like Lukaku, Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo that used more force than velocity and did well in the premier.

[@f2pgamer994]

7 players who played more time for their national team then their clubs

[@kieronparr3403]

That sounds good. If there are enough

[@PH-jv4ik]

@@kieronparr3403 There should be a few but I'd assume mostly goalkeepers

[@UncleDusky]

Great recommendation

[@XARTHAM]

Most players in the smallest countries plays only for their national team. Oceanic, carribien countries etc.

[@channinglewis595]

@@XARTHAM Maybe then 7 best players who played more for their national team than their club team?

[@rednaskela4830]

Still buying Talisca to my Milan save on FM, gives me 25+ goals a season.

[@bigmaguire9714]

He is always insane in FM

[@RRAAII17]

@@bigmaguire9714 And Elite in FIFA too

[@offsetsface2135]

He is so broken on video games all the time because they always give him so much agility for his height

[@rodrigoandrade256]

@@offsetsface2135 That's not videogames, that's how he actually is in real life. Also a great finisher (like a REALLY great one)

[@antusgabor]

Players always tended to follow big money. It's just in the past, the big money were at big clubs. Something that nowadays isn't necessarily true anymore.

[@magicalhikari5859]

*Cough* the Middle East *Cough*

[@ST-tf4sq]

yeah but its so unfair.. a lot of best european clubs bought their titles... look at Man city, Psg and Real.. they can literally buy ANY player... Haaland got around 900k per week to play for man city, besides PSG and MAYBE real, who can give him that money? I miss the era of the 90s early 2000s, where clubs from Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Russia and other smaller leagues could actually compete. Now, those leagues cant compete with overpaid leagues, because the money difference is so huge, that you have to play for those clubs. When Qatar or Saudi leagues start buying players in their prime, then I will believe that players can follow huge money, but buying old players isnt really that impressive.

[@Eibarwoman]

If it's not about money, it's about either making their club a winner and taking a pay cut for more supporting cast around him (Mikel Oyarzabal to try to make Real Sociedad a trophy winner of some kind) or playing for a winner.

[@antusgabor]

@@ST-tf4sq There has been many instances when big, wealthy clubs bought the best players in a league, simultaneously strengthening their side, while weakening the other clubs. It's a tried and tested method. La liga was founded 94 years ago. 61 seasons either Barca or Real won it, often buying the best players from around the world. They also bought the league. They're just doing it for a longer time.

[@victoriap1561]

euros are some of the biggest hypocrites in the world. the players in their clubs are also mercenaries.

[@rory4605]

We all remember how exciting Hulk was when he was at Porto (If you're in your early 20s like me). He was in MATCH! magazine every week. It was him, Falcao, Lavezzi and Hamsik. All those names still take me back to opening a new magazine every week.

[@mori5481]

as a benfica fan I'll always remember a goal he scored against us cutting inside and shooting a shot with such power that though our goalkeeper got two hands on it, it seemed to have gone through his hands without slowing the ball down. Here's the link :D kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqKmdJuCfJxloM0

[@brakintelektualny7291]

Damn Lavezzi, loved him, also pastore

[@escowlz]

MATCH😭 damn took me wayyyy back remember the comics they was sooo good

[@jerichokane5880]

This makes me feel so old lol

[@5FT6MAN]

Cavani and Lewadownski too

[@martintemelkov]

Cannot believe you didn't include Oscar. Man went to China as a 26-year-old for £400,000-per-week. I mean, not that I am complaining, he brought Chelsea £67m which was waaaaay more than he was worth, but this move was absolutely incredible.

[@johndroos9486]

Or Alex Teixeira.

[@Keme_SMG]

chelsea didn’t want him and no other too clubs offered him anything

[@SonnyK248]

@@Keme_SMG He was a big player for Chelsea. I remember Juan Mata being an absolute assist machine at Chelsea and then Mourinho signed Oscar and Mata was on the bench. He was a really good player. He was no threat to say the top 25 players on the planet but he was still really good. I don't blame him for taking 400k a week to play in China though. I'd have bitten their hand off. He got to live in Shanghai, one of the best cities in the world for five years, make a tonne of money and just kick the ball around with about 1% of the pressure he'd have faced in Europe.

[@MrSmith1984]

To be fair, Oscar did spend a fair number of years at the highest level. Hence why it's not the best player to include.

[@thebbiddim882]

@@Keme_SMG Chelsea did want him but he wanted to move (400k a week) and China offered Chelsea a ridiculous amount as a transfer fee.

[@wife9571]

as someone who’s even more sympathetic to footballers than alfie, i urge everyone to also keep in mind that these are players whose futures could be destroyed by one bad injury in training. however unlikely a career-ending injury may be, a footballer cannot take a single day, let alone a season or multiple seasons, for granted. even an off-field issue or a steep decline in form could be career-ending as well. until the mega contract is signed, the money is handed out, and a player is making as much money as they potentially could, it will always be that - potential. that’s why players say they are “securing” their families’ future - they are ensuring that no matter what happens in the weeks/months/seasons to come they are well compensated and they are earning what they feel they are worth. these are peoples’ entire careers at stake, not to mention their family’s financial trajectory for generations to come, so i have no issue with a player sacrificing sporting integrity to accept a GUARANTEED payday. it is easy for us to say what a player “should” do with their careers, but these are men and women who put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and they don’t owe anything to certain clubs or fans. these aren’t millionaires withholding basic human rights in order to hoard a few more pennies, 99% of footballers come from the working class just like us - so we can’t judge the journey to financial freedom. imho!

[@moneyfeen420]

I agree! The club will never love you like your family will

[@manusiabumi7673]

True, a lot of fans tend to romanticize football (and sports in general) and expect the players to have the same emotional attachments to the team like they do or have the ambition to "get to the top" no matter the risk. While there ARE players who do exactly that not everyone is the same, some would rather be pragmatic prioritize their own future first bc at the end of the day, no matter how much enjoy doing it playing football is their job

[@jackgreven334]

Shocked not to see Paulinho on here. Was good enough to start in a barca midfield that had rakitic, vidal, Busquets, iniesta. But spent most of his prime in China and Saudi Arabia. Even started for Brazil.

[@drplayups4572]

He played in two top leagues so i guess why aha

[@bhutochakrabarti4173]

He was so good at barca from 2017 to 18. Was surprised af when he left .

[@clursunny]

@@bhutochakrabarti4173 He joined Barcelona just to play the World Cup

[@finfog4590]

@@bhutochakrabarti4173 That was some shady business dealings. He did well and then they loaned him out!? They had to make room for another player but it’s still weird.

[@markdowding5737]

The sacrifice these players are willing to go through for their families is nothing less than impressive and praise-worthing.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Lucky 7 Money Face

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

If they're actually sacrificing for their family it's praise-worthy. If it's so they can buy nice cars and clothes and spend more at the club then I have my doubts.

[@markdowding5737]

@@BiggieTrismegistus I was being sarcastic

[@moneyfeen420]

If u didn’t live in poverty you wouldn’t get it … potential generations of your family not having to work if you’re smart with the money > club loyalty . The club won’t love you like your family Will

[@abasi-iyanga-owoutuk1250]

@@moneyfeen420 Word

[@bumzuabo5201]

Without Freddy Adu, let's take a look at how the 15 point penalty for Juventus is impacting Syria

[@joshphillis2993]

That point penalty went a long way ngl, Syria looks completely different now

[@bierbaron1616]

African Players have often a big family or even a village which relies on them, so I think the motivation to give all your people a better life is something why many african players choose the money

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

True. That's why it's hard for me to blame them even though I'd like to see them shine on the biggest stages of the club game.

[@silviofelix1991]

Many African players who chase the money were born in France and never put a foot on an africa village. But yeah you're right. There are some cases like that you talked about.

[@idkjustchangingmyname7343]

Alfie is quickly approaching video introduction perfection: the point where the intro to the video is longer than the video itself.

[@morre6894]

Surprised to see Marcus Berg here but absolutely fair. Best player in Allsvenskan nonetheless...

[@marian9651]

Hulk dumping his wife and marrying her niece, certainly would not help paint him for a man with high principles 😂

[@noizee05]

wait wut?!

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

That's not a good look but I just looked up the niece and...the PR hit might have been worth it.

[@livwake]

the weirdest part is how age appropriate both relatiohships are

[@BrummieRoader]

I'm a West Brom fan. All of us are totally OK with Pereira precisely because he was so open about the fact that he was going purely for the money. He didn't try to gaslight us about the club or the fans.

[@camerondavis731]

Many players fall out of love with the sport as well. The Fame, time away from family, priority of winning at all costs, stiff competition for places can be enough to make a footballer hang up his boots. When that happens they feel trapped because they don’t want to come into work anymore. When that’s how you feel the least you can do is maximize the pay you’d receive, and be able to take a step down to a level that’s not as competitive granting you better job security and peace of mind since there’s less pressure to perform at the highest level. A few seasons in a non league might actually be enough of a break to revitalize your passion for the game and have another crack at playing at a much higher level.

[@benhaney9629]

I see why you didn’t include Oscar because he only made one “for money” move but he stands out to me. Here’s a guy that was a mainstay on the Brazil national team at 24. Scored the only goal in the infamous 7-1. Moved to China at 25 in 2016 and we’ve never heard from him again. Hasn’t been on the national team since. He’s still only 31 and I’ve heard that he can still play anywhere in the world. Barca wanted him last year. Yet he stays in China. Obliterated his whole career.

[@roranoazoro6961]

??? ”Obliterated his whole career” that’s just sounds sooo westerner’s superiority complex based the entire point of playing the sport Professionally is to make generational wealth....how does playing in china “kill his career”?

[@nikhilsrl]

@@roranoazoro6961 oooh some one us angry...

[@joshuaelder8983]

@@roranoazoro6961 he can't play in uefa competitions in China

[@hisham_hm]

@@joshuaelder8983 so what, he has one of the highest salaries in the world.

[@jordan_roadhouse4798]

​@@hisham_hm Weird how the dudes wallet size gives you a boner.

[@giovannigarcia9972]

Video suggestion: 7 countries where only one club is dominant (or something like that), such as Al Ahly SC in Egypt, Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova, etc.

[@stepheng8779]

Celtic in Scotland 🤔

[@Buccallmann456]

The Egyptian league is slowly becoming more competitive, I mean al ahly didn’t win the league last season

[@TheJosephhomere13]

I don’t blame any of these players. A football career is finite, and you have likely committed all your time to learning one skill and once you’re no longer needed you want to make sure your family is taken care of. Always take all the money available to you. The fans won’t feed your family when things go wrong.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

That's all true. I don't think any of us _as people_ can blame the players for the choices they made. On the other hand _as fans_ I think it's okay to be disappointed that we didn't get to see them play at the highest level. Does that make sense?

[@kamranrachlin2769]

Bosingwa catching strays here. He had just won the champions league final with Chelsea aged 30, harsh to be judged for chasing a bag at that point in his career EDIT: and no mention of Oscar? Left Chelsea at 27 with his stock still very high, explicitly for the money in the Chinese super league. The deal worked out for everyone involved but he basically declared he was giving up on his national ambitions for the money

[@luisdavasconcellos2914]

El 1-7 contra Alemania lo mató

[@Minidunkathon93]

Left Chelsea earlier than 27

[@monytep]

I mean the average playing is around 10-15 years only so those players are trying to maximize and earn as much as they can while they still can to provide for their family just like all of us working in our jobs to survive. They may not be remembered as one of the greats or winning a lot of achievement or accolades but they sure will (well, it depends on how they spend their wealth) have a comfortable life when their career is long gone.

[@adamcraft9118]

The average length for professional players is probably closer to 5 years. And a few hundred thousand euros total earnings.

[@Micfri300]

Hulk had the ability to play and star for barcelona/real Madrid. The zenit move was intelligent because he got paid a lot of money and still played in uefa competitions however moving to China doesn't really make the financial sense it really does because no top European club will want you after that.

[@monytep]

@@Micfri300 the guy got paid £320,000 per week whereas average Premier League footballer earns just little over £60,000 per week. and He's been very transparent that he moves to China for money. That's a hell lot of money if you ask me

[@monytep]

@@adamcraft9118 It is a very risky career too. Many players got injured that they sustained for the rest of their life so they're earning as much as they possibly could.

[@bababababababa6124]

@@monytep unless your name is Vincent Aboubakar or Cristiano Ronaldo your career is basically over the minute you move to an Arab or Chinese club

[@josephjoestar5690]

I'd like to see a Top 10 list of players who were/are famous but never played for any big clubs (such as Carlos Valderrama).

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

Heh. I'm an American who knew nothing about the sport until the World Cup here in 1994 but I somehow became aware of Valderrama. The way he was covered made it seem like he was mutli-time ballon d'or candidate.

[@sithvsjedi9696]

Alan Shearer

[@g-rich1588]

The most ruthless channel I have ever seen when it comes to KZbin and football. All of your videos are spot on. I think you need a real challenge... 7 players who could've been the GOAT, but never played in one of the top 7 leagues in Europe

[@willmurrill3572]

If you have a chance to get the bag, you take it. Any player is one injury away from never playing again so you need to make it count when you can. If you want to follow the money, go get it!

[@Chefkejr]

The Witsel one isnt fully true. After his time in Russia, he actually did try to go to juventus, getting so far as to buy a home in Turin, thinking the deal was as good as done. Juventus however decided to let it fall through last minute, where Witsel had now bought himself a dream in a city he wouldnt live at. By then he just wanted to recupperate the cash

[@Erredupizer]

Ah, I remember Mierzejewski from Ekstraklasa and our NT a decade ago. Then he completely disappeared from my radar. Now I know why.

[@WERTYUIO821]

3:45 Berg was forgotten before moving to Greece and scoring in the League and in Europe League. I agree he jumped ship from Greece to go to Middle East but going from a top 5 Leagues that has no ambition apart from "surviving" to a team that challenges its League like Panathinaikos is not a "money grabbing move". It is not like Panathinaikos payed enormous amounts either.

[@jshall14]

A Part 2 would be good. Would it be possible to do a Least Greedy Players list?

[@PassivesAbseits]

That list has to end with Uwe Seeler, who stayed faithful with Hamburg, long before you made a shitload of money (Seeler actually worked part-time for Adidas besides playing for the HSV), and refused to go to Italy. But I agree: A historic list of players, who refused to sell out, would be awesome.

[@Poseedons]

totti

[@jamesduffy7549]

Le Tissier

[@johnselwitz5362]

Marco Reus

[@ethanpower381]

Rogerio Ceni

[@rogerelwynjones1366]

Great video again Alfie. Keep it up. What you have to remember that for pro footballers, football is just a job. Several I know have no real interest in football and one or two don’t even like the game. What they love is the lifestyle pure and simple, and it’s far better than working in a factory or on a building site. Also some of the African and South American youngsters come from real poverty.

[@Riviscira]

it is such a wholesome view seeing such players love their families

[@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm]

Hulk loves his family so much that he married his ex-wife's niece

[@jea450]

4 minutes & 20 seconds, that’s how long this intro was & very well done at that, Alfie. Another fantastic watch as always!

[@twilliamspro]

I remember Pereira going to Saudi. I thought Fair play to him at least he was honest with his statement about money

[@migueldomingues3739]

From a Benfica fan, Hulk was legendary in his own way.

[@tidesofsulfurcb]

Winston Bogarde! Was on crazy wages (for the time) at Chelsea but rarely played, had offers to play elsewhere but chose to warm the bench at Stamford Bridge because no other club were willing to pay him the same wages

[@vulgocaio2227]

As a Brazilian and supporting Atlético Mineiro ( hulk’s team) I can say that, after all those massive contracts that hulk had along his carrear, he chose Atlético Mineiro not because of the money ( cuz the team doesn’t have much 😂) but because of the project and the love and joy that the fans gave him

[@giovanni385]

Or maybe he actually didnt had better offers in Europe

[@vulgocaio2227]

@@giovanni385 he actually had. Tottenham had an offer for him

[@Melgacius]

Talisca was kinda forced by Benfica to take Besiktas loan deal after some disagreements with the staff, and the transfer for China, again, was a mix of the biggest bid and a bit of Benfica's bad will towards the player. Talisca always wanted to go to England, but he was never as good as people think he was.

[@MargoGuryanFan1]

He’s definitely good enough to be a star player for a European team in Europa league. I don’t think it’s about him… not being as good as people thought.

[@Melgacius]

@@MargoGuryanFan1 I guess that if you say Europa League caliber, I have to agree.

[@seandelap8587]

Players that started off being decent but ending up fading into obscurity

[@josephpotter7776]

Dele Alli

[@robw6241]

I think players get too much flak for essentially doing what most other people would do, given the opportunity. It doesn't matter how much they earn, it's their choice, their career, their life. Not everyone who is good at a sport actually enjoys it and it's okay. Let them live

[@alphomega2459]

No a fair comparison tbh. Once you hit a certain wealth, you don’t need to keep chasing the wage whereas I work in pizza express on min wage so I’d jump at the chance of a wage increase but if I was playing prem football on 50-100k a week I’m not jumping for anything unless it’s beneficial to my career.

[@robw6241]

@@alphomega2459 You might not need to, but if you want to, it's your choice and your right. No-one tells the people who pay the footballers to stop making money. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't impose our values on others, they have the right to chase as much money as they want

[@yourmum955]

@@alphomega2459 It is. If you want money, go where the money is. It's their life, they want money, they go for money. You never know what could happen after retirement so set up your life

[@petesmart1983]

Hulk made loads of money in Porto and huge money in zenit when Russian clubs were spending a lot of money, then instead of joining a big club he joined a Chinese club for similar wages to russia

[@jordanmince7613]

@@robw6241 most people would do the same just wouldn't admit it

[@HFC786]

Definitely do the opposite video too

[@RoyMatzem]

Rogério Ceni refused a Arsenal offer to play his entire career on the club he loves, he must be on the list

[@mosanso]

Basically this kids, if you are offered the chance of generational wealth for kicking a ball take that every single time

[@ankitsathya2354]

love it , make a part 2 xD. don't normally comment but commenting to help support the channel.

[@Sirinwara]

Please do a part two video as well. There are plenty of true mercenaries who did not get the chance to be revealed for what they really are or were. So here are my suggestions: - Oscar of Chelsea fame (he was like in his mid-twenties when he headed for China) - Sebastian Giovinco - Robinho - Aaron Ramsey - and being Hungarian, the biggest of them all must be *Balázs Dzsudzsák* . Relatively unknown in England, he got his big move to PSV Eindhoven at a very young age, where he spent three seasons and he was just incredible. Playing on the left flank he could beat defenders with such ease that the Dutch media would praise him week by week and would try to guess where he could go next as they too felt that he was becoming too good for the Eredivisie. The next stop at his career could have been anywhere from England to Spain (Hamburg inquired for him as well). So he chose Anzhi Makhachkala where he had the chance of playing together with Roberto Carlos and Eto'o - although these stars were already a hundred thousand years old and Dzsudzsak was only 24 when he chose big money over a decent career. From there he moved around in Russia and went to the UAE with a one year long stopover in Turkey. He had the ability to make it big in the best leagues of Europe but he chose money and so - his career turned out to be a joke. And the most annoying thing is that in every single interview he tried to play it off by saying that the UAE has the best league (in Asia) and this is the best career move which he could have (which was not true).

[@BasementBubbatunde]

Talisca and Hulks were the biggest for me. Even as an Arsenal fan I wanted their links to the league to come true but that didn't happen unfortunately 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@caioaugusto2213]

Brazilian here. It comes as no surprise that most Brazilian players come from poor childhoods. So whenever a Brazilian player, who is not at the level of a Neymar, chooses money over fame, I can't blame him.

[@AquaSteez]

The obafemi martins transfer to china was great for the sounders because it gave us the funds to buy Nicolas lodeiro the next summer. The best player in our clubs history.

[@luishernandezblonde]

Given what I saw from this, I think we may need to look at the Arab monarchies of the Gulf as well. These monarchies are among the richest in the world and as such, their leagues are among the wealthiest as well. But because of the massive wealth these countries possess, they have an unwritten law of banning their local players from transferring elsewhere; but these regimes permit buying superstars abroad. This is why we have cases like Matheus Perreira, Andre Carrillo, Kim Seung-gyu, or David Ospina - and they are expanding as these regimes become more aggressive on transferring market. The case of Cristiano Ronaldo may soon become the next person to follow money instead - CR7 himself had chosen clubs largely benefited his financial demands since 2016. Overall, these regimes only want power and reputation, but not football. Saudi Arabia's arrogance about their massive wealth and, perhaps, their shock win over Argentina, only to condemn them to bottom place show how much these regimes actually care about football. Their football is not genuine - it is driven by wealth and delusion of superiority. But these nations are also representing new examples of how players can be corrupted with money.

[@AdamCanavan12]

All football is driven by wealth now, just look at the amount of owners from the Middle East, China and the US in the premier league and leagues around Europe now.

[@khldwb1425]

Stfu. Don’t just accuse an entire country/region by saying “the football is not genuine”. Blatant ignorance at its finest. Football culture in Saudi Arabia is bigger than most countries. Literally ask any Asian or someone who visited Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been a powerhouse in Asia for more than 4 decades now. Long before any Cristiano Ronaldo or Mathieus Pereira joined. If you say that Saudi Arabia’s football isn’t genuine, then so is any other asian country.

[@zizoushifty1483]

Lmao, tell me you're Eurocentric without saying it.

[@luishernandezblonde]

@@zizoushifty1483 Say the person who idolised Zinedine Zidane lmao.

[@DeTaxxman]

Other leagues do this too but they don’t outright “ban” players from leaving. They do it through having much higher wages than they would get in other leagues.

[@interfear1]

Couple of things that I noticed as a person of West African descent born and raised in the Spanish Caribbean: - The majority of players on the list are of African ancestry. - Those countries tend to be quite poor. - Polish, as Eastern Europeans, are looking for money just as much as us in Latin America and Africa. Western Europe has been ahead in financial stability for comparison. I'm sure that, if us in the Spanish Caribbean islands where more football soccer and not baseball, we would be on the list.

[@noizee05]

That's true and it can feel disingenuous to blame them for "thinking about wealth".

[@Eibarwoman]

I'd reckon the same would apply with certain areas of the US if the US's model was more like Europe's club funded youth systems but more due to wealth inequality being more akin to Africa or a post-communist Eastern European country than Western Europe.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

@@noizee05 It is disingenuous to merely say the players are thinking about wealth but from a fan's perspective we wanted to see these players play on the highest level. I certainly don't blame to players at all but I think it's okay for us _as fans_ to be disappointed at how they went about their careers. _As people_ we can have no complaints. Does that make sense?

[@LindleyVI]

14:35 is a quote of epic proportions.

[@John17489]

A video on the fall of Everton fc and how they've ended up where they are? Also going into detail about clubs deemed "too big" to be relegated but were relegated due to unrest from in the board, such as the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Aston Villa

[@TGFLdn24]

Damn, a bit early there ? 😁😁😁😁 Let's wait until next season.

[@joachimhovgaardramlau3064]

best player every decade from the 1870s to the 2010s

[@itmkoeln]

I really only can think of one pro that never chased the money... Timo Horn of 1. FC Köln in Cologne. Scouted in the early 2000s by 1.FC Köln became number 1 in Cologne in the 2nd Bundesliga after the starting in the 12/13 season. And stayed Number one till a knee injury ruled him out last year. Though chased for signatures by other bigger teams, Horn sticked with the FC untill at least the end of this season. I happen to have been classmates with Horn between 2003 and 2007 when the FC sent him of to a boarding school.

[@NaZtRdAmUs]

Gotta respect the player's who are honest about getting the bag over playing at a higher level.

[@leemanley5415]

7 greatest footballers to not receive a international cap

[@AquaSteez]

obafemi martins in seattle was a fucking savage player in mls alongside clint dempsey and ozzie alonso

[@waterman2433]

11:05 you have made a little mistake Al ain is a City in the UEA a 2 hour drive from Abi Dhabi

[@tc98826]

Oscar went to China at his peak and as one of the best AMs in Europe. Totally threw his career away.

[@alphomega2459]

Must be hard being financially independent as a professional premier league player in 2023 tbf

[@edotball]

asamoah gyan the man the myth the legend

[@grokopf142]

Reminds me of me and my mate's fifa save back in like 08 or something. We were at Celtic and offering 15k a week to some random midfielder from Serie A. He didn't come and the reason was "I can't feed my family on that wage" lmao

[@CharlieCade]

What about Marko Arnautovic who left werder bremen in 2013 after wide spread interest across major teams, to join stoke who gave him the biggest paycheck, when they got relegated he joined west ham as they would give him more money. When China came calling he obviously he ran as fast as he could to the far east and stayed there until it collapsed last year.

[@XBR4Da]

Absolute banger of a video idea Alfie. Nice work and I'd love to see a part 2

[@seandelap8587]

Non big 5 football leagues with the biggest potential could you do a video on that

[@PILKK90]

If I was a footballer and done one asked me why I signed for someone, I'd just play Mr Krabs on repeat

[@alexsch5583]

Gotta love that not so subtle social commentary hahaha

[@jeffrystephan6992]

Hulk has now made a good choice playing for Galo.

[@hisham_hm]

When Brazilian players say they want to make money to take care of their family, in some cases it means taking care of dozens of extended family members who moved out of slums and don't have means to pay rent or maintain their new homes, paying school and college tuitions for tens of second-degree cousins, etc.

[@Dench999or911]

Very well said on that final point about Ronaldo, Messi and Becks. As if they have not made enough already, they decide to assist the sportwashing efforts of oppressive regimes...says a lot about a person

[@youngbuck189]

If you aren't extracting as much money as possible from your employers, you are an enemy to yourself. Footballers are laborers, and should act the same way any laborer does. Get what your worth, and then some, and never feel guilty or an expectation of loyalty to an employer who makes far more off your labor than they pay you. This list is a list of the smartest men in football, nothing at all to criticize here.

[@chrishello10]

This guy understands market worth and value. Good on you son.

[@soundscape26]

There is surely something to criticise here... the fact that they turned their backs on the opportunity to prove themselves and play with the best in their profession in favour of a richer easier life in subpar leagues. From as true competitive point of view that's... lame.

[@youngbuck189]

@@soundscape26 Except they aren't Olympic athletes competing for the acclaim or national pride. These are workers, who are doing their jobs, for pay. Tell me this homeslice. If you were offered exponentially more money than you currently make, for a job that was easier and in a less demanding company would you take it? Only 99% of intelligent people would. Yet professional athletes are supposed to only care about pride, ego, and validation of being "at the top level".

[@soundscape26]

@@youngbuck189 Football is a spectacle more than a regular job. There's a reason most fans look down on these kinds of moves. They are not completing for acclaim? How so? Maybe not at a national level but surely at club level where they become idols. And have the chance to win the trophies that matter. Bottom line, you go after the money in China or the Middle East and your value as a player both in practical terms and public perception clearly diminishes no matter how much they pay you.

[@youngbuck189]

@@soundscape26 You are doing anything and everything possible to insist that laborers are not laborers because they play a sport. Sorry, I don't buy into the owner invented concepts you push.

[@scenczyk1429]

Hats off to nailing the pronunciations of the various names of clubs and players

[@seandelap8587]

Matt Le Tissear was one player who always stuck with Southampton despite being offered more lucrative contracts elsewhere you have got to admire that

[@kieronparr3403]

Because he wanted to be the big fish in a small pond

[@prometheustv6558]

@@kieronparr3403 so he wouldn’t have the pressure to win

[@man4437]

@@prometheustv6558 Parry Pane the professional bottler took notes

[@youngbuck189]

no you dont. he is a moron for allowing his value to be exploited by the club without being properly compensated.

[@seanpadraigobrien1260]

@@prometheustv6558 there is more pressure fighting relegation

[@lemerkur1643]

Based on this video: 7 players who had the most national team appearances in the shortest time.

[@andrew7586]

Great video. Have you done a video looking at the opposite, i.e. players who have shown extreme loyalty to a club despite relegation/less money etc?

[@MartijnterHaar]

Winston Bogarde did have a good career before he ended up at Chelsea, but once he was there warming the bench he said thing like: "This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership, but I don't care." After his Chelsea contract ended, he quit because he couldn't find a club that would offer him the money he wanted.

[@shantydoctor]

‘it’s almost like classism is deeply entrenched in English society’ 😂😂😂😂😂

[@henryhartig9593]

What about Oscar, formerly of Chelsea? That guy was a real talent, then he went to China and it was never heard from him again, never capped for Brazil after that that I am aware.

[@ottomanosman2463]

Hey Alfie, just recently CONCACAF and CONMEBOL signed a strategic agreement allowing teams from both parts to compete with each other. Can you make a video about it?

[@agblattvids]

7 Reasons Why Alfie Is The Most Based Football KZbinr

[@Pax_Veritas]

What about CAshley Cole? He turned down the Gunners and Cheryl Tweedy for Chelsea and a Russian escort! Plus Adebayor, Tevez, Oscar, Paulinho, Denilson, Yannick Carrasco, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Alex Teixeira, etc

[@lermberl]

Bro did you even read Matheus Pereira's statement, christ what an absolutely childish take. He literally said, he pursued this career because he was good at it and it would make him money, and then again stated that he left because the wages he was being offered would change his life forever. Even if West Ham's 4 million a year offer is good, who are you to say he should take a wage downgrade just so it appears better to the general public. Moronic.

[@HITCSevens]

I read it closer than you were listening to my video, it would seem. I never said he should do anything, I said I think it's possible to become financially independent on a salary of £4 million a year in the U.K.

[@Tom-lf9rl]

What an incredibly based introduction to the video. Incredible scenes.

[@willmurrill3572]

NEVER stop the Adu pictures and references please!

[@Entername1]

Oscar the Ex Chelsea player also comes to mind

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

At least some of them were honest enough to say that they were purely motivated by money. Few things more nauseating than listening to a player trying to justify such a move without mentioning money.

[@DeTaxxman]

Would it be possible to make a list of players who ruined their careers due to crimes/jail time? Roman Eremenko was just entering his prime before getting busted with drugs

[@frozenbbfan]

It would be nice if you would link the videos you reference, i.e. the Djibouti club video

[@UnleashtheFiore]

Video idea: 7 assistant managers or coaches to have made it as managers, and another with 7 who did not

[@scenczyk1429]

Talisca hurts the most bit before then it was Hulk. Somehow manage to forget about him all the time 😂

[@jonpaul3868]

Hulk is crazy, he constantly scored half or more goals that the game played since 2006

[@imthese]

i’m a pretty temperate person but hitc sevens is one thing i’m grossly addicted to

[@armavir740]

wow, didn't expect Mierzejewski to show up on here, but I totally agree

[@haine_spb]

I remember the times when Hulk and Witsel were just signed by Zenit for 100m euros combined on massive salaries (it was the same transfer window with not as big of a delay between the two arrivals). Damn... everyone, every football fan and every football magazine was fuming about how Zenit and their de-facto owners Gazprom splashed a massive sum of cash for these players while mid-table and lower sides were having a struggle paying their players' wages. This was a kind of a cultural shock because nobody in Russia has ever seen such a big sum of money spent on only two players. In fact this wasn't the start of Russian football's decline but since then it has only been plummeting really hard

[@eibobaomedaumchicletao]

It's so stupid to label these players like that... 99% of you guys have no idea what's like to grow up poor in a country like Brasil, for example. Other than that, in my professional career, if a company comes and offers me 2-5x my salary i wouldn't think twice and accept it

[@seemymobot4987]

Nice honourable mentions at the end, those 3 *kind of* have no excuse to be making those sorts of deals.

[@P3TER_Official23]

But judging by the thumbnail Hulk was insane wherever he played. An underrated consistent goalscorer

[@Spursbloke]

How is Willian not on this list? It’s not like when he was a child he’d have said it’s his dream to play for Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk or Anzhi Mackhackala. Yet he ended up at all 3 oil clubs.

[@rwalker0130]

the fact that almost all these guys were linked to United shows how bad our recruiting was during this period. Ten Hag signing players with character is going to make all the difference going forward.

[@patter4795]

Do a video on the Scottish lowland league and Darvel

[@PHIL_123]

I love that Witsel went to China, with that money he helped to save my club, Standard de Liege.

[@actuallynotsteve]

4.5 minute intro, Alfie you've really outdone yourself this time

[@Castle947]

(Insert number here) club legends that put their club first over their own personal interest.