Top 10 Football Traitors/Judases of all time!

Football traitors – All Time Top 10

Judas is a strong word – but in football, sometimes, it’s appropriate; so here are the Top Ten Football Traitors and Judases.

Ahh, the beautiful game, but not so beautiful for those Football Traitors! If you’re reading this, no doubt you’re like myself and love the feeling of waking up on match day, knowing you get to watch the team you love from the stands – or television.

We are sure you also have a couple of favourite players, as does every fan, and a lot of them are probably your favourite because you view them as club legends, players you think play for the badge, not for the name on the back, and would never even dream of leaving your club, especially for your rivals! But what happens when they do exactly this? – well, we see a side of the beautiful game that can be a little ugly.

Let’s look back, and go through the top ten football players branded a football traitor/ Judas by the fans. It’s a good thing we are here to spice up your day with some feelings of bitterness, isn’t it? We thought we’d look at the Top 10 biggest football Traitors/Judases in the history of football.

Top Ten Football Traitors

10. Emmanuel Adebayor

Oh Adebayor… The Tongolese striker became a favourite with Arsenal fans when he joined the club in 2006, scoring some important goals and racking up 104 appearances for the Gunners. Everything was roses, until Manchester City made a bid of around 25 million for the forward. And just like that, he was gone – and many Arsenal fans felt that the reason for the move was about one thing; money.

The striker claimed he still loved Arsenal after his departure, and most fans didn’t buy it, (get it? Buy it.) but any love that was left for him in north London died after he faced Arsenal with Manchester City in 2009, a game in which he scored.. and then ran the entire length of the pitch, just to celebrate in front of the travelling fans of his former club, which provoked them to throw just about anything they could get their hands on in his general direction. But wait, there’s more!

He then went on to play for Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham. Oh dear, Adebayor.

9. Robin van Persie

We are sorry, Arsenal fans. Another former Gunner escaping away to Manchester, this time to the red side of the city.

After several seasons that were unfortunately (or, fortunately, to some) plagued by injury, RVP found his best ever form in an Arsenal shirt, and even won the Premier League golden boot in the 2011/12 season. And then, the Arsenal captain spoke about the “little boy inside of him” wanting to join Manchester United – which, understandably, made some Arsenal fans a little upset. He was known as one of the top football traitors around.

He did indeed get his move, for around 24 million, and in his first season with United, he went ahead and rudely won the Premier League, something he never achieved with Arsenal.

8. Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling’s summer move away from Liverpool was telegraphed by fans after he refused to sign a new contract at Anfield. After he did indeed leave, and join Manchester City, the transfer was seen by many as motivated only by money – causing the Englishman to receive a lot of criticism (remember the snake emoji epidemic?)

Sterling was sold for 49 million, but Liverpool fans made it very clear how they felt about the young stars decision to ditch Anfield for the Etihad. Still, lets at least hope he does well in an England shirt, right Liverpool fans.

7. Gonzalo Higuain

Despite being at Real Madrid, Higuain is mostly known for his time at Napoli. Man, he was flourishing under Maurizio Sarri, making and breaking records. However, it seems that was not enough for the Argentine.

After a month of transfer speculation, in summer 2016, Higuaín transferred to rivals Juventus for a fee of €90 million paid in two installments, becoming one of the highest football transfers of all-time and highest ever transfer for an Italian club. Three days after his move, Higuaín stated that his reason for moving to Juventus was because of his relationship with Napoli’s chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis.

6. Ashley Cole

Enjoy that break, Arsenal fans? Considered by many as the transfer that left the most bitterness in Arsenal hearts, betrayal was certainly the word used when Ashley Cole left north London for the much larger amount of money on the table over at Stamford Bridge.

At the time considered one of the key members of the ‘Invincibles’ and one of the best full backs in England, so it was no surprise when Arsenal fans began to refer to the England international as ‘Cashley’, in reference to the belief that his decision to move to West London was purely because of all the 0’s on the end of his proposed wage.

Take another breath, Arsenal fans.

5. Eric Cantona

Widely considered as one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s best pieces of business while at Old Trafford, this was a shocking transfer that cost around 1 million, resulting in Manchester United’s attack getting a huge boost, by bringing in Eric Cantona.

Leeds had just won the First Division title in 1991/92, before Cantona departed to help Man United win the inaugural Premier League, and become the first player to win back-to-back titles with two different clubs.

And, in case you didn’t know – Manchester and Leeds don’t like each other very much.

4. Mario Gotze

Gotze, alongside partner Lewandowski made a fine duo and probably one of the finest Borussia Dortmund have ever had. Until the German decided to switch to their arch rival Bayern Munich in 2013, only to be joined by Lewandowski a season later. But this time, things were different – and it didn’t work out eventually.

The Polish striker went on to become one of the best strikers in the world, while Gotze, returned to Borussia to make one last ditch to save his career.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Oh boy. Ibrahimovic was never an example of one club devotion and he has never tried to set such an example, but he sure is one heck of a player.

The fact that he has played for Italy’s most rivaled sides and flourished in all of them should be respected, despite spending two years at Juventus, three at Inter Milan and two at AC Milan. Oh and not to mention the fact that his latest “move” is still making the headlines in his home country.

Zlatan went though all the youth categories at Malmo, before leaving for Ajax in 2011. He was always adored and respected by the Malmo fans, but it all went down the drain when Ibrahimovic became part-owner of their arch rival, Hammarby. Anybody surprised?

2. Ronaldo

Most football fans are also huge fans of Ronaldo, including myself. One of the best strikers to ever grace the game, it may be considered a little harsh to put him in the same list as some of the others mentioned, but an argument could be made for him looking out more for number 1 than maintaining any loyalty.

Ronaldo played for both Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well as both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Another move that earned him the name “judas” you may not have heard, comes from his native Brazil – where he rehabbed from an injury with Flamengo before he signed a contract with rival club Corinthians. This made Ronaldo one of the biggest football traitors in Brazil.

Many Flamengo fans saw this as an ultimate betrayal, although, given his past moves, perhaps they should have expected it. Despite this, Ronaldo is one of the best to ever step foot on the pitch.

1. Luis Figo

Most FC Barcelona fans will tell you that Luis Figo is the biggest Judas/football traitors in the history of football. Figo was linked with several clubs during the mid 1990s when he completed his move to Barcelona, and he was tipped to become a legend with the club – until he decided to leave for the Spanish giants big rivals Real Madrid in 2000.

Described by Spanish news outlets at the time as “the great betrayal” Figo became one of the most hated men in world football overnight, and was subject to more than his fair share of abuse when he faced Barcelona in Real colours, and even had various items you probably wouldn’t expect hurled at him during those games. I guess not all heroes turn out to always be good guys.

He is now known as the one of the biggest football traitors/Judases in football.