Top 6 footballers who went broke after retiring

Footballers use football to tap cash and fame but some of them end up depleting what they have amassed over a long period in a split second.

Governments and football clubs should take the initiative of guiding footballers on how to invest wisely after retiring ar after quitting football.

There are many footballers out here who are currently homeless after misusing their money.

Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan went from grace to grass after failing to invest wisely despite earning millions from his career, especially while playing for Shanghai SIPG.

READ: Forbes List: Messi, Ronaldo dethroned from being richest footballers alive

Rumours have it that Gyan used to buy unnecessary stuff while in the prime of his career. He also used to ride in sleek cars and there is a time when he used to move around in a Rolls Royce.

Gyan divorced his wife when his career started moving downward and he lost a lot of fortune during the whole process. He is no longer the same footballer who used to move around in heavy machinery.

Brazil World Cup winner and legend Ronaldinho could be regretting living a lavish lifestyle instead of investing while he had a chance to do so.

His miserable lifestyle led to his arrest in 2020 when he tried to access Paraguay using false documents. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Despite being broke, Ronaldinho still throws parties whenever he can. It is sad to see that such a talented former football player is suddenly broke after having a wonderful career.

Former Manchester United and Cameroonian midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba was declared bankrupt after acquiring a lot of wealth from football and failing to make good use of it.

Djemba-Djemba quit football in 2016 after failing to make an impact in the Indian Super League at Chennaiyin Football Club.

Former Newcastle and Chelsea FC player Celestine Babayaro was declared bankrupt by the London Gazette on January 2011.

No one knows what led to his bankruptcy as he didn't live a flashy lifestyle as many would have expected when his career was in its prime.

The late Diego Maradona of Argentina died a broke man on November 25, 2022, after misappropriating money that he made from playing football.

Before he died, it is alleged that the Italian Tax Authority was demanding a total of £42 million (Sh6.1 billion). The sum was a result of unpaid taxes while he was playing for Italy's Napoli.

Paul Merson who is a former Arsenal player went broke a few years after announcing his retirement from professional football in 2006.

It has been revealed that Alcohol and women played a major role in speeding up his bankruptcy process after retiring. He was also a betting addict at the time when he was declared bankrupt.