Worst career moves in the history of football?

[Nick.]

I'll name a few off the top of my head.

Chris Coleman: After a brilliant 2016 European Championship in which Wales reached the semi-finals, having overcome an excellent Belgium side in the process, Chris Coleman's stock was high. However, following a failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Coleman resigned. Two days later he signed for Sunderland, where he would go on to be sacked after failing to survive relegation from the Championship. He has since managed only one other club: Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune, where he was also sacked after winning only one game in his entire second season, his side languishing in the relegation zone (15th place).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The "God of Manchester" moved from Serie A Champions Inter Milan to Barcelona in pursuit of a Champions League medal. The following season, Jose Mourinho's dynamite Inter Milan side won an unprecedented treble, ironically beating Zlatan's Barca side on the way to European glory. Zlatan continued to have a great career littered with trophies, but blew his chance to lift the elusive Champion's League trophy which he had coveted so.

Lloris Karius: A promising young German goalkeeper who signed for Liverpool from Mainz. He would go on to make numerous blunders in his Liverpool career (including an inexplicable goal kick which went out for an opposition corner), with the highest profile being the so-called "Karius final", a match which needs no introduction. Psychologically battered and broken, he moved on loan to Turkey, and his reputation (and likely his career) will never recover, and to where his name will forever be used as a tool for mockery.

 

[cyberman]

This is a weird one but I honestly think it was a huge mistake for Ronaldo to leave for Madrid that early. They were still building and it cost Cristiano a few league titles and maybe even multiple CL wins.

 

[The Cat]

Neymar

 

[FrantikChicken]

Tiger Woods had some bad career moves

 

[LARulz]

As of right now, Pogba to United? Jive would have built around him. Not sure they'd have signed Ronaldo but i'm sure his trophy cabinet would be better.... maybe not his bank account though

 

[londonredmaniac]

Interesting thread!

Moyes to United? Never recovered from that.

Neville taking his first job at a Valencia side who were bang in the shit?

Quaresma to Barca and then Milan?

Could you argue Maclaren and the England job? Did some goos things with Boro including that incredible run to the UEFA cup final? Then 'Wolly with the Brollie' kinda stuck.

Drinkwater and Sidwell to Chelsea were strange ones. Sinclair to City...Wilfred Bony to City!

Mike Walker from Norwich to Everton manager? Built a really good Norwich side, in the title hunt in 93....got them into Europe and did really well. Went to Everton and never really happened for him at all?

Cassano to Real Madrid?

Falcao to United?

 

[harms]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The "God of Manchester" moved from Serie A Champions Inter Milan to Barcelona in pursuit of a Champions League medal. The following season, Jose Mourinho's dynamite Inter Milan side won an unprecedented treble, ironically beating Zlatan's Barca side on the way to European glory. Zlatan continued to have a great career littered with trophies, but blew his chance to lift the elusive Champion's League trophy which he had coveted so.

Nah. Mourinho's CL success that year had a lot to do with both luck and a very specific roles of all of his players. Zlatan wouldn't have played out wide like Eto'o, and playing Zlatan up front would've meant benching or playing Milito our of position — and he was one of the most important players for them that season (I'd probably put him second after Sneijder).

 

[LVGSdive]

Shearer going to Newcastle instead of to United. He could have won trophy after trophy, instead he won nothing.

 

[Nick.]

Steven Gerrard: On top of the world following the miracle of Istanbul, Stevie G's head was turned by the offer of a megabucks move to Jose Mourinho's high-flying Chelsea side. Rejecting a £100,000 a week offer from Liverpool, he eventually went on to agree terms to remain in Merseyside for the rest of his career. Gerrard stated upon signing the contract that he would rather win one Premier League medal than win multiple titles at Chelsea as it would mean more to him. Ironically he would do neither. An admirable but misguided story of loyalty, Gerrard's career will forever be remembered as a cautionary tale, and one that elicits memories of Alexander Buttner's famous quote: "My adventure at Manchester United was not a failure. I am champion of England, who can say that? Not even Steven Gerrard did that."

 

[londonredmaniac]

Shearer going to Newcastle instead of to United. He could have won trophy after trophy, instead he won nothing.

Agreed in that sense, though there is something admirable about going tp your boyhood club.

 

[Skills]

Paul Pogba to Manchester United. From one of the best midfielders in the world to being the face of our incompetence. Insane waste of his prime.

 

[FrankDrebin]

VDS to Fulham

 

[SirScholes]

Gazza to spurs instead of under the wing of fergie at United
All because spurs would give his family a house
If he’d stayed up north under Ferguson away from the bright lights of London who knows how different his career would of looked and maybe even his future health

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Capello to England. He was a well respected manager with many trophies. Just didn't suit managing the England national team.

Sadio Berahino moving around in his car on deadline day that transfer season. His career pretty much ended after that transfer window.

 

[Eurotrash]

Brolin to Leeds

 

[Flanders Devil]

An Australian themed one:

Sonny Bill Williams to Canadain Rugby League
Karmichael Hunt & Israel Folau to AFL
Jarryd Hayne to NFL
Michael Clarke to Commentary
Ben Cousins to Drugs
Michael Jordan to Baseball
Usain Bolt to ‘Soccer’
Fernando Torres to Chelsea

 

[Red Royal]

Most of Andy Carroll's moves

 

[GuybrushThreepwood]

Mendieta from Valencia to Lazio in 2001 springs to mind. Valencia went on to win 2 La Liga titles in the next 3 years after he left.

 

[horsechoker]

As of right now, Pogba to United? Jive would have built around him. Not sure they'd have signed Ronaldo but i'm sure his trophy cabinet would be better.... maybe not his bank account though

 

[Kag]

Neymar went from being the (largely) undisputed third best footballer in the world, successor to the Balon D’or throne, to a player nobody really cares about. Not a terrible move, but one that has rendered him into this state of pointlessness. Football is ambivalent to him.

 

[LDUred]

Sheva to you know where to play for you know whom.

Nine Prem goals spread over 47 appearances.

Suffered the ignominy of a failed, goalless loan move back to the club where he had been idolized.

He will always be a legend but it's fair to say that he had a wretched end to his career. Imagine Giggs coming back to United and being an unwanted squad player. That was pretty much what he suffered.

 

[dablem_10]

Shevchenko to Chelsea

 

[Vooon]

Jack Rodwell had a few shit moves, first to City then to Sunderland where he was stuck not playing for something like two seasons. I recall he was a massive talent when he broke through for Everton? I see he played one FA Cup match for Seff Utd this season (transfermarkt).

 

[BigRedScouser]

I'd nominate Coutinho to Barcelona. .

It seems harsh to call going to Barcelona a bad career move, but that's exactly how it's worked out. He flopped at Barca and had to watch as Liverpool have become European champions and one of the best teams in the world.

Barcelona has its obvious appeals, but its been a badly run club for years, and running out on Klopp probably isn't the smartest thing you can do (shout-out to Mario Gotze also). He also really benefited from being the main man at Liverpool and having a free creative reign, which was never going to happen at Barca.

 

[James Peril]

Tiger Woods had some bad career moves

Tiger Woods won the Masters last year, he’s good

 

[Buchan]

I'd nominate Coutinho to Barcelona. .

It seems harsh to call going to Barcelona a bad career move, but that's exactly how it's worked out. He flopped at Barca and had to watch as Liverpool have become European champions and one of the best teams in the world.

Barcelona has its obvious appeals, but its been a badly run club for years, and running out on Klopp probably isn't the smartest thing you can do (shout-out to Mario Gotze also). He also really benefited from being the main man at Liverpool and having a free creative reign, which was never going to happen at Barca.

Lewandowski says hi.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I'll name a few off the top of my head.

Chris Coleman: After a brilliant 2016 European Championship in which Wales reached the semi-finals, having overcome an excellent Belgium side in the process, Chris Coleman's stock was high. However, following a failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Coleman resigned. Two days later he signed for Sunderland, where he would go on to be sacked after failing to survive relegation from the Championship. He has since managed only one other club: Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune, where he was also sacked after winning only one game in his entire second season, his side languishing in the relegation zone (15th place).

Coleman was after money so he’s done well. Sunderland reported paid him 10 times more than Wales and he earned even more in China.

 

[The Urban Goose]

Moyes to Manchester United.

Luke McCormick driving home.

 

[BigRedScouser]

Lewandowski says hi.

And Gotze, Kagawa, Sahin and Coutinho say hi back. I said probably for a reason.

 

[Tom Cato]

Neymar

Neymar managed to turn his career from potential top5 all time to a shitstorm of open fights with the club, injuries and off pitch drama.

Now he's stuck in his golden cage until the supposed end of his prime

 

[FrankDrebin]

Kagawa to United would be a good shout.

 

[Skills]

Moyes to Manchester United.

Luke McCormick driving home.

Literally the highlight of his career.

 

[NinjaFletch]

I think it's always difficult to separate bad career moves from bad players and managers.

Moyes, for instance, didn't make a bad career move going to United. He earned bank and ended up at a similar level club to where he had been before after it. His problem was that he was continuously and relentlessly shit in every job he got after Everton.

 

[horsechoker]

CM Punk to UFC

Brock Lesnar to American Football

And actually a lot of indie wrestlers to WWE

Kevin Petersen to IPL although I don't think it was the IPL that damaged his England career

Michael Jordan to baseball

Falcao to Monaco but he missed out on playing in the champions league in his prime

Edit:I just read the title and saw it said "the sport" and not sport in general

 

[Skills]

CM Punk to UFC

Brock Lesnar to American Football

And actually a lot of indie wrestlers to WWE

Kevin Petersen to IPL although I don't think it was the IPL that damaged his England career

Michael Jordan to baseball

Falcao to Monaco but he missed out on playing in the champions league in his prime

Edit:I just read the title and saw it said "the sport" and not sport in general

That was more to do with Strauss being a complete melt and handing over the dressing room to toxic twats like Broad and Swann.

 

[stepic]

Karius’ career wasn’t ended by his move away from Liverpool. It was his CL performance that did that. He wouldn’t be trusted by a big club ever again after that and rightly so.

 

[Baneofthegame]

Kagawa to United would be a good shout.

Injuries shouldn’t be counted.

 

[paraguayo]

Not a major player but Lucas to PSG instead of United. Thought his career would've played out different, much more suited to EPL than a negative league

 

[Canagel]

Ozil to Arsenal

 

[GenZRed]

Shearer going to Newcastle instead of to United. He could have won trophy after trophy, instead he won nothing.

I would have loved to have seen Shearer at Man United. Having said that, his choice to join Newcastle instead proved far more detrimental to his success in terms of trophies rather than ours.