Players with palindrome careers

Jam

Full Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
1,225
I just checked Shevchenko's Wikipedia page and it got me thinking what other players have a palindrome career? What it means is the same forwards or backwards, as if you put a mirror in the middle of their career.

shevoykwi.png


He went Dynamo - Milan - Chelsea - Milan - Dynamo

There's probably loads of two-club players, like Mario Gotze (Dortmund - Munich - Dortmund), but how many is there with 3 or more clubs? Can anyone find an oddly long one?
 
I just checked Shevchenko's Wikipedia page and it got me thinking what other players have a palindrome career? What it means is the same forwards or backwards, as if you put a mirror in the middle of their career.

shevoykwi.png


He went Dynamo - Milan - Chelsea - Milan - Dynamo

There's probably loads of two-club players, like Mario Gotze (Dortmund - Munich - Dortmund), but how many is there with 3 or more clubs? Can anyone find an oddly long one?


What’s surprising to me is how few goals shevchenko scored in his career.
 
I guess there will be a few that went from one club to another then back to the starting club. Can’t imagine there will be many who will fulfil the critieria in the OP though with five or more moves.
 
Nani, back to Sporting Lisbon.

Sporting -- Manchester United -- Sporting(loan) -- Fenerbahce -- Valencia -- Lazio(loan) -- Sporting

That's not palindromic.

Shevchenko's career was Dynamo - Milan - Chelsea - Milan - Dynamo

So reads same forwards chronologically as it does backwards.

For example in Nani's case, he didn't go back to United before ending up back at his current cub Sporting so it isn't palindromic.
 
What’s surprising to me is how few goals shevchenko scored in his career.

That’s league goals only. He finished with 390 career goals (which is still lower than you’d expect but he was basically finished by the age of 30).
 
I hope the David Luiz to Benfica rumours are true for this reason.
 
Probably the most pointless thread on Redcafe ever made....

But I quite like it
 
There really can't be very many outside of players who started and finished at the same club with just one club inbetween.

Diego Milito would have had one, if he hadn't have gone and won the stupid treble at stupid Inter.

Racing, Genoa, Zaragoza, Genoa (Palindrome-ruining Inter), Racing.


I hope you're happy, Diego. You ruined the whole thread.
 
Not quite what OP wants @Rifer
That's not palindrome.
That's not palindromic.

Shevchenko's career was Dynamo - Milan - Chelsea - Milan - Dynamo

So reads same forwards chronologically as it does backwards.

For example in Nani's case, he didn't go back to United before ending up back at his current cub Sporting so it isn't palindromic.
Oh, seems we're going with the too specific form of palindrome.

Alright, thinking of making it more flexible, but sure. :lol:Muh bad.

The Daley Blind one if we ignore the loan, would be palindromic.
 
There’s a few where loans break the chain. Gary Pallister for one.

Shinzo Kagawa is a home coming away from completing the set too.

Rooney broke his chain too.
 
Last edited:
Behrang Safari, former Swedish international.

Malmö FF 2004-2008
FC Basel 2008-2011
Anderlecht 2011-2013
FC Basel 2013-2016
Malmö FF 2016-

Also won 10 league titles in those 3 countries. He's the Micky Mouse version of Ibra.
 
Behrang Safari, former Swedish international.

Malmö FF 2004-2008
FC Basel 2008-2011
Anderlecht 2011-2013
FC Basel 2013-2016
Malmö FF 2016-

Also won 10 league titles in those 3 countries. He's the Micky Mouse version of Ibra.
He needs to retire in 2020 to make it perfect.

What a great career. Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium - guy had the highest quality of life possible.
 
Behrang Safari, former Swedish international.

Malmö FF 2004-2008
FC Basel 2008-2011
Anderlecht 2011-2013
FC Basel 2013-2016
Malmö FF 2016-

Also won 10 league titles in those 3 countries. He's the Micky Mouse version of Ibra.

Fantastic shout.

Probably the most pointless thread on Redcafe ever made....

But I quite like it

7 years from today you'll be sat in a pub quiz and be thinking 'thank Christ Jam made that thread'
 
If Marcelo Salas had not played for Juventus he would have
Universidad de Chile > River Plate > Lazio > River Plate > Universidad de Chile.

Plus his surname is also a Palindrome.
 
Stanley Matthews for a little one:
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1932–1947
Stoke City 259 (51)
1947–1961 Blackpool 379 (17)
1961–1965 Stoke City 59 (3)
Total 697 (71)

I know that he doesn't qualify at all, but I've always loved Pizarro's 5 stints at Werder Bremen :lol:
 
If you were to include managers, then Eddie Howe;

AFC Bournemouth
Burnley
AFC Bournemouth
 
Only really counts if number of apperances and goals are the same in the opposite stints.
 
If you were to include managers, then Eddie Howe;

AFC Bournemouth
Burnley
AFC Bournemouth

His playing career was also:
Bournemouth
Portsmouth
Bournemouth

He had a loan spell at Swindon but didn’t actually make an appearance.
 
This is cool and niche and I wish I knew how many cases of this their have been in world football. I support this thread
 
I don't understand the point of this thread.

I don't understand the point in you.

Just a little niche thing I found interesting and wondered how many examples there were of this. Shrug.
 
His playing career was also:
Bournemouth
Portsmouth
Bournemouth

He had a loan spell at Swindon but didn’t actually make an appearance.
Good call! Eddie Howe; king of the palindrome.