Footballers will generally need to find something new to do with their time when they decide to hang up their boots.
Considering that they retire at some point in their 30s, they will still have plenty of life in them to be able to do something else. Some take up coaching and management or they go into the media side of things by offering their take on the latest things to happen, whilst others will leave the game altogether.
Some individuals have gone to become hugely successful in the gambling sphere as they achieve some success at a big win casino, however there are other footballers who have looked to go into politics and look to make a change within the country they are from.
Here are just some of the biggest footballers to have taken office in some capacity:
Pele
Brazilian legend and perhaps one of the most famous names to have ever emerged from the world of football, Pele became a big deal in Brazilain politics. He served as Brazil’s sports minister and created the ‘Pele Law’ which sought to reduce corruption in the country’s game.
However, he left that post in 2001 under a rather embarrassing cloud as he was caught up in a scandal surrounding the very same things he was trying to banish from the Brazilian game.
Romario
A FIFA World Cup winner in 1994 with Brazil and perhaps looking to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, Romario decided to run for office in the past decade and has proven to rather successful.
He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2010 and became a senator in 2014. He also decided to run for the Governer’s post in the state of Rio De Janeiro back in 2018, however he finished fourth in that race.
Just like Pele, he has also focused his work on the corruption within football.
Hakan Sukur
Turkish legend, Hakan Sukur made a name on the pitch for his efforts in front of goal as he became the all-time top scorer for both Galatasaray and Turkey during his career.
After his playing days ended, he became an MP for the ruling party and shared a close relationship with the leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and cleric Fethullah Gulen.
However, he chose to leave the party in 2013 and become an Independent due to political differences. Suker fled to the United States in 2016 amid concerns that he was connected to Gulen’s attempt to overthrow Erdogan and could still face a death-penalty charge if he were to return to the country as he was charged with being a suspected member of an armed terror group.
Thus, returning to his homeland could be a huge gamble for the former legendary striker but the odds of him returning are probably slimmer than some of the odds players will get when playing blackjack online.
Kakha Kaladze
Having retired from the game in 2012, Kakha Kaladze wasted no time in getting his feet under the political table as he became an MP just months later. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister for Georgia as well as the Minister for Energy. He has since been the Mayor of Tbilisi as well.
George Weah
Perhaps one of the most famous moves from the football field to the office, George Weah became president of Liberia in 2018.
The former Ballon d’Or winner had been working his way to the position for a number of years, though, as he had first tried in 2005 but was told he was not educated enough. He tried again in 2014 but was elected to the Senate instead, however God loves a trier and his third run proved to be successful.
