Top Five: Football Betrayals

It’s a question almost impossible to answer, but what matters more when it comes to football, loyalty or success?

Players such as Steven Gerrard, Matt Le Tissier, Jamie Carragher and Ryan Giggs spent years pouring everything they had into their clubs in an attempt to entertain the fans while others have chosen personal success over loyalty and pursed the sports highest accolades.

It has become increasingly common to find that the latter is the preferred choice and that football has become more about the individual rather than the team.

Was Gareth Bale right to fulfil his dream move to Real Madrid rather than stay at Tottenham and fight for glory?

That’s for you to decide, but in a world where transfer fees are becoming more and more, it’s clear that one thing reigns true – money talks.

In any other business the right to choose where and whom you work for is all yours, but football is like no other. Here is a look at five men who threw loyalty out the window and cashed in on success.

5. Harry Redknapp: Portsmouth to Southampton

The South Coast rivalry is one that has always produced fireworks come game day, but the departure of Harry Redknapp as Portsmouth manager 17 miles up the road to Southampton only served to increase the heat between the two clubs.

After a dispute with Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric in November 2004, Redknapp handed in his resignation. Just weeks later however the former West Ham man turned up at Southampton sparking furious outburst from fans who labeled him Judas and called for him to rot in hell.

His task was to keep the South Coast side from relegation but that was a task too tough even for Redknapp to achieve as his Saints side were forced to accept they would no longer be in the top-tier of English football.

It seemed as if Redknapp had tarnished his reputation among Portsmouth and Southampton fans but in a shock twist, the former Bournemouth and West Ham man joined his former employers at Fratton Park once again facing a relegation battle.

It would turn out to be a much happier time however and Portsmouth achieved significant success during Redknapp’s second spell with the club. A ninth place finish gave the club their highest finish in the league since the early 1950’s and an F.A Cup win in 2008 gave fans a fairytale ending only for Redknapp to leave five months later to become Tottenham manager.

4. Carlos Tevez: Manchester United to Manchester City

No stranger to controversy after his move from Corinthians to West Ham, Carlos Tevez committed one of the ultimate sins when he swapped red of Old Trafford for the blue of The Etihad in 2009.

The Argentine had made an impressive start to his career in England, helping West Ham survive relegation and scoring some spectacular goals in the process. His time at United was similarly successful in regards to his personal performance, contributing 34 goals in 99 appearances for the club and winning two Premier League, the Football League Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The move was already a kick in the teeth for United fans when a very public and obvious billboard made things much worse.

Following his switch and in what was clearly a dig at their northern rivals, Manchester City created a billboard welcoming Tevez to the club that read: “Welcome to Manchester,” a reference to the fact that Old Trafford is situated in Salford, just outside the official boundaries of Manchester.

3. Ashley Cole: Arsenal to Chelsea

Affectionately known as Cashley Cole after his 2006 move from Arsenal to Chelsea, Ashley Cole became a hated figure among Arsenal fans in the years that followed.

A pivotal part of the Invincibles team that went a whole Premier League campaign without loosing, Ashley Cole was one of the best left-backs in world football and a valuable asset to Arsene Wenger’s side. His hero status quickly turned however when in 2005, just a year before he would eventually move, Cole was found guilty of holding talks with Chelsea without informing his current employers.

He was handed a £75,000 fine for his involvement in the meeting but would get his desired move in the end but angered fans when he made derogatory statements towards the north London side in his autobiography, claiming the board had used him as a “scapegoat” and that they had “fed him to the sharks” during the tapping up affair.

He would anger the fans even more after it was reported he was angry at being offered £55,000 a week from Arsenal to stay at the club whereas Chelsea were offering £90,000 thus leading the fans to name him Cashley Cole.

A tumultuous personal life and a habit of sticking his foot in it have led Ashley Cole to hold a less than desirable reputation among football fans. Despite this, he continues to be one of the most consistent performers in defence and after eight years at Stamford Bridge recently made a move to Italy with 2014 Serie A runners-up Roma.

2. Luis Figo: Barcelona to Real Madrid

What do you get when you take one of the world best footballers, two giants of Spanish football and a world record transfer fee.

The answer? Some extremely upset fans.

In a five-year spell with Barcelona, Luis Figo became a loved character in a squad that included greats like Rivaldo, Patrick Kluivert, Ronaldo and Pep Guardiola. His status as one of the greatest attacking midfielders came to fruition at The Nou Camp as he had fans and pundits stunned with his ability to carry the ball with apparent ease.

In what was a world record fee at the time, Figo became a traitor in the eyes of Barcelona fans when he left for Real Madrid in 2000 for £37M. Upon his return to the Nou Camp, this time in the white of bitter rivals Madrid, Figo was greeted with boos, obscenities and abuse.

Such was the hatred towards the Portuguese playmaker that armed police were called in to accompany him to the stadium as angry fans unforgivingly yelled, “die Figo.”

The obvious negative feelings that fans harboured towards Figo were perfectly illustrated during a heated El Classico match in 2002. Two years previous, Figo had been removed from corner taking duties among fears for his safety during the game.

Barcelona fans are not ones to forget however and as Figo took to the side of the pitch, a severed pigs head was thrown at the Galactico star in what would become a haunting image.

His time at Madrid was not all bad though. In five years at the Bernabeu, Figo played a crucial role in winning the La Liga, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

1. Sol Campbell: Tottenham to Arsenal

Making his debut at 18 years-old and spending nearly a decade at North London side Tottenham Hotspur, Sol Campbell was well on his way to becoming a club legend.

As captain and backbone of the side, Campbell led Spurs to a League Cup victory in 1999 with a 1-0 win over Leicester City. His place in the side was assured, but Campbell longed for Champions League football, something that Tottenham could not offer at the time.

His move across North London provided just that, a chance to play at a higher level, a chance to elevate his status as one of the world’s most promising central defenders, a chance to progress.

In July 2001, the 26-year-old followed the paths of Jimmy Robertson, George Hunt and Pat Jennings, switching Spurs for Arsenal in one of the first high-profile transfers under the new Bosman ruling.

It was to come at a cost however and Campbell would forever be known as Judas among the White Hart Lane faithful.

The genesis of Spurs fans hatred stemmed from Campbell’s previous admission that he would never leave and that he was a ‘Tottenham man.’

Despite being offered a contract that would have made him the club’s highest paid player he chose to sign for nearby rivals Arsenal ending months of speculation and cementing his place as one of the most hated men in football.

He would achieve great things at Highbury as part of the Invincibles side that went unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 season and scored in the 2006 Champions League Final.

Ultimately, Campbell’s betrayal overshadowed his success and the unsavoury taunts that greeted him every time he returned to his old club followed him even after leaving Arsenal.

By Jamie Bassett

Follow @jmebassett

Photograph provided by Ronnie Macdonald