What do Football Players do when they Retire?

The life of a professional footballer is rich with glamour and glitz – not to mention bucket-loads of money. Even though there is a lot of pressure with being a footballer, it remains as one of the most desirable jobs in the world. However, it is not a job that lasts for a lifetime. The career of a footballer lasts a mere 20 years in the best possible scenario. This leads to the question of a career beyond playing.

Here are some of the top five options that footballers choose after deciding to bring an end to their playing career:

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Management

This remains as one of the popular routes taken by footballers. In the case of top players, experience of playing under great managers can be invaluable. The training regimes, scouting techniques, and managerial tricks followed by those managers do have a great impact on the footballers who go down the same route. It also presents an opportunity for the individual to remain in the game in an active manner. Unfortunately, only a few countries offer support services for retired soccer players, but there are options.

Yet, management is not for everyone as there is even bigger pressure in managing a football club. Furthermore, it is not only about tactics and work on the pitch since the manager also has to deal with the media and the squad. It is a reason why highly talented players, who might have had hugely successful careers, tend to disappoint as a manager. The career as a footballer may seem relatively secure with a long-term contract, but it is not necessarily the case for a manager. A poor run of results in a dozen number of games could easily cause the manager to go out of work.

Becoming a Regular at a Casino

Irrespective of the general consensus, the casino can be a great way of making money while having some enjoyment. Even though it involves a bit of a gamble, it can be hugely rewarding if the stakes are quite high. After having earned huge amounts of money in their careers, several players are known to enter into the world of gambling – even when they are still playing. While newcomers may initially struggle with the world of casinos, there are plenty of guides to answer the question of ‘how to find the best bonus in Australian online casino.’ After all, these bonuses provide a huge incentive for increasing the playtime.

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Punditry

Punditry represents a common option for footballers, and it is considered extremely easy – especially in comparison with a managerial career. However, pundits have to be well informed about games. They should also possess the desired language skills in order to convey that information to the viewers. Pundits will also be highly criticised for voicing their opinions. Even though there is significantly less spotlight, there can be quite harsh criticism at times. Compared with life as a manager, however, pundits can be quite relaxed with their job. It is also much more secure with pundits rarely losing their job.

With more and more content being focused on tactics, dressing room mentality, and the manager’s impact on games and the squad, pundits are starting to have much more influence on the game. Their insight into these aspects has allowed fans to experience ‘behind the scenes’ happenings at a football club. However, pundits earn significantly less compared to a manager. Since the very top players are used to earning millions each year, it does feel like a significant drop in the income while opting for this job.

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Become a Scout or Administrator

A professional footballer would have come across several youth players during the course of his career. Even though they would not have played a role in signing those young players, they would still have gained great knowledge about talented youngsters and the way they progress through the ranks. Even though it may not be as rewarding as a career in management or punditry, it will help footballers get back to the roots of the game. It is also even possible to opt for a career as an administrator. This would largely involve being in charge of a scouting department of the transfer activity at the club. A great example would be former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira’s role as the development executive at Manchester City.

Start a Business

Players also tend to start a business career – largely with partners – while some even opt for the safer route of rental income. Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is a great example of the latter, with the striker reportedly having more than 90 houses that provide him with a monthly income. The striker is reportedly worth close to £30 million.