1. Gabriel Batistuta
Those who have studied football literature don’t need a second introduction of who Gabriel Batistuta was in his playing days. In his decade-long stint with Fiorentina, the Argentine striker achieved a god-like status amongst the residents of Florence for his goal-scoring abilities.
He also became Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, only to be surpassed by Lionel Messi in 2016.
Alessandro Rialto, who co-wrote his autobiography, stated as follows:
“The important thing about Batistuta is that he is not like other players. He is a very good professional who doesn’t really like football.”
“Once he leaves the stadium, he doesn’t want football encroaching upon the rest of his life. He is a very sensitive and intelligent man. When we were doing the book, he came to my office and for five full days, he spoke about his family and his life in Argentina.”
“But when it came to the football and his career, he switched off. ‘The records are there,’ he said, ‘you can look them up’.”
SEE ALSO: 5 players who switched to rivals sides and immediately won a title
