Does having a true passion for football matter if you want to play professionally? You would think that athletes would need to be somewhat infatuated with the sport in order to succeed.
But compared to the great majority of their contemporaries, some professionals aren’t quite as enamoured with the beautiful game for various reasons. Numerous fans may find it challenging to comprehend this. How can someone who doesn’t love football make it to the top, after all?
As it happens, there are plenty of examples of football players who view the game as a profession. In light of this, GIVEMESPORT has examined 13 athletes who have no interest in football.
Ben White, England
One of the best modern instances of a top-tier football player who, it’s safe to say, doesn’t enjoy the game is Ben White of Arsenal. The £50 million centre-back acknowledged in an October 2021 interview with Sky Sports that he didn’t even know what kind of player Patrick Vieira was because he didn’t watch football growing up.
White, who famously declined the opportunity to play for England, admitted:
“No, I didn’t watch football as a kid and I don’t today. I never watched the game; I just enjoyed it and played it constantly. Thus, my knowledge of prior generations is limited. [Vieira] was a really talented player, I know that. I wouldn’t be aware of the specifics, though. I’m constantly doing something, so I’m really busy. I keep an eye on myself for analytical purposes. Perhaps I watch England. I simply wouldn’t settle down to watch a game.
Ben White on Vieira and Watching Football. #afc pic.twitter.com/ECo1t1eCrl
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) October 15, 2021
Ronaldinho
Brazil
Most people will be very surprised by this one. Even though Ronaldinho is perhaps the best football player of all time, he cannot handle watching a 90-minute game on television. The Sun reported in January 2018 that the Brazilian legend acknowledged his lack of interest in the beautiful game:
“I prefer playing football over watching it. I only watch the highlights because I can’t stand in front of the TV for ninety minutes.”
Gabriel Batistuta
Argentina
According to Gabriel Batistuta, one of the greatest attackers of the 1990s, football is just a job. On a television show in his native Argentina, the former center-forward once said, “I don’t like football, it’s just my profession.” In a 1999 interview with the Sunday Times, co-author of his memoirs Alessandro Rialti attested to this, according to Eurosport:
What is most important about Batistuta is that he is different from other players. He’s a really good professional, but he doesn’t care about football. After he exits the stadium, he doesn’t want football to take over his life. He is an extremely intelligent and kind person. While we were working on the book, he spent five full days in my office talking about his family and life in Argentina. However, he stopped caring about the sport and his profession. “You can look them up; the records are there,” he said.
Dani Alves of Brazil
After returning to Barcelona at the age of 38, Dani Alves—the second-most decorated football player in history—became the team’s lowest paid player. Unless you have a particular kind of passion for the game, you just don’t do that. But after retiring, the Brazilian full-back once told O’Globo that he had no plans to continue playing the game, according to Goal:
“I detest everything related to football. Despite living in this world, I am not a part of it. Upon leaving football, I plan to pack my rucksack and embark on a global adventure. I won’t live in football, but I will have to watch it.
Wales’ Gareth Bale
There was certainly some truth to the long-running joke that Gareth Bale would much rather be on a golf course than a football pitch, even if he was one of the best wingers to ever play the game. Remember that the Welshman, who was only 33 at the time, announced his retirement in January 2023.
Known for prioritising his country and golf over playing for Real Madrid, he told ESPN in January 2018 in response to a question concerning Neymar and Kylian Mbappe:
“I don’t watch a lot of football. To be honest, I would much prefer watch the golf.
Carlos Tevez
Argentina
Carlos Tevez is another (very) recently retired professional who can completely relate to Bale and other players on this list. The Argentine forward acknowledged in an October 2018 interview that he detests watching games on television. According to Marca, Clarin stated in an interview:
“If there is a golf competition on another channel while Barcelona and Real Madrid are playing, I’ll watch the golf instead. On TV, I don’t watch any football. I just enjoy playing football and having the ball at my feet; I’ve never been a fan of the game.
Cameroon’s Benoit Assou-Ekotto
Benoit Assou-Ekotto, a former Tottenham and Cameroon star, is one of the few professionals who would freely acknowledge that they play football only for the money. In 2010, the former left-back told The Guardian. “A career lasts only ten to fifteen years.” It’s just a job. It’s a really wonderful profession, and while I wouldn’t say I despise football, it’s not my passion. In his podcast, Peter Crouch encapsulated Assou-Ekotto’s lack of interest in the game as follows:
“He was really challenging to control; he refused to comply with your requests. He would literally bring a small bag from Tesco to eat before games. ‘Look, Benoit, you have to eat what everyone else is eating,’ you could say. However, he responds, “No, I enjoy my croissant.” He will have a cereal bar once he finishes his hot cocoa. Additionally, he showed no interest in football at all and just refused to participate in the ice bath. He wouldn’t know who we were playing when he showed up on a Saturday for our game versus, say, Wolves. ‘Who have we got today?’ he would simply enquire when he reached the game. He had no idea who we were playing against, and we were playing Wolves at three o’clock. And nine times out of ten, he was always eight. hardly ever make a mistake.
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David Bentley
England
After his early passion for the game was diminished over his professional career, Assou-Ekotto’s former Spurs colleague David Bentley announced his retirement in 2014 at the age of just 29. After hanging up his boots and opening a restaurant in Marbella, the former England international told the media:
When I was at Blackburn, I must admit that I was beginning to have some reservations about football. It was strange. “You have to buck your ideas up,” said Kim. Many others were saying that, and I recall thinking, “This isn’t for me,” while I was walking my dog. I recall feeling a little let down by myself. I was thinking, “What’s wrong with you? You should love it.” You’re only saying this because you’re feeling a little down right now. Ultimately, though, I simply became weary of the bull**** that surrounds it and the individuals who try to sell you as someone you’re not.
Bobby Zamora
England
Bobby Zamora is another former Tottenham player who wasn’t, and probably still isn’t, passionate about football. The retiring center-forward, who was twice captained by England at his best, told The Daily Mail in 2012:
“To be honest, I’m not a huge football fan. I don’t spend my evenings watching games or anything. Many more players are the same than those who acknowledge it. After I stop playing, I’m not sure what I want to do, but I don’t want to get engaged if it means watching football.
Batty David, England
Where is David Batty, the former midfielder for Leeds United and England, these days? The majority of his old comrades are completely unaware. “Just sitting here thinking ahead of the England game….David Batty….what’s he up to now, anyone seen him?” Rio Ferdinand, for instance, tweeted in November 2021. Excellent player, great guy… simply vanished, though! Maybe he avoids the spotlight because he doesn’t enjoy the sport. In 2007, Batty told The Guardian:
“Since I stopped playing, I haven’t gone to see any matches, and the national game is dull. I find it incomprehensible that someone would pay to watch it, let alone travel across the globe to do so. You’re looking for entertainment.
And did missing England’s game-winning penalty against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup really distress him? The solution is pretty obvious:
“Football didn’t matter as soon as we entered the changing rooms following the shootout; all I could think about was getting home and seeing my kids.”
Norway’s Espen Baardsen
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Espen Baardsen, a Norwegian international who was born in the United States, played for Tottenham, Watford, and Everton in England. After losing interest in the game, the former goalie made the decision to quit at the young age of 25. In May 2008, he told The Guardian:
“I stopped enjoying football.” You’ve seen and experienced it once you’ve participated in the Premier League and attended the World Cup. It was telling me what I could and couldn’t do. I wanted to see the world because I was intellectually dissatisfied.
Ireland, Stephen Ireland
Do you recall Stephen Ireland? The former Republic of Ireland played for Aston Villa, Newcastle United (loan), and Stoke City after having a few successful seasons with Manchester City.
In 2007, the retired midfielder, who had acknowledged fabricating a grandmother’s death to absolve himself of international service, wrote on social media: “Why Did I Get Stuck Playing Football? It’s S**T.” Regarding the consequences of the falsehood regarding his grandma, he stated:
“My Nan was laughing when I called her. However, after it was discovered that she was still alive, things simply took a turn for the worse.
“I suddenly found myself in a deep hole from which I was unable to escape. When the season came to a conclusion, I understood that I needed to somehow draw a line beneath all of the stories that were out there.
Stegen, Marc-Andre ter
Germany
Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona, one of the top goalkeepers in the world, acknowledged in March 2020 that he knows very nothing about football. In fact, The Daily Mail reported that the German international told El Pais:
“When I tell people that I don’t know anything about football, they laugh. Except for when there are good games or when I’m really interested in one because I have a connection or relationship, I don’t watch football very often. There are instances when they ask me the name of a player and I am clueless. For instance, I experience that with names in La Liga. I have no idea what they’re called. However, I recognise I know exactly who it is when they play the video for me later. I have a clearer memory of their on-field movements, including their kicks and stands. It is a little odd; I experience it when we evaluate opponents.
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