Football: it’s the game of the people, or so it is said. Few other sports can be cobbled together in something of an organized fashion with so little resources. Where a set of posts and a crossbar are unavailable, the nearest bundle of sticks will do. At a loss for a ball, a round fruit or bound rags can suffice. With a modern venue out of the question, dusty streets can instead become a theater of dreams. The very sport itself is an expression of both collective culture and individuality. And for a fair many professionals, it also represents an escape from a life addled by social and economic strife.
Poverty can be a powerful motivator, even if it is one undoubtedly tragic in nature. Football has long been a vehicle for many underprivileged men and women to improve their financial circumstances, never more than in the present, lucrative state of the game. The true beauty of the matter lies not only in that those successful in this regard are able to rise due to their own blood, sweat and tears – but that in doing so their families are lifted, while thousands of fans can revel in and derive joy from their achievements.
There are remarkable stories embedded in this sporting phenomenon, each bathed in a distinct nature which comes to define the player in question. Come along as we count down 7 footballers from Europe who grew up poor – some still at the top of their game, while others have entered the twilight of their careers.
1.Cristiano Ronaldo
A world away from the glitz and glamour of his life as one of history’s greatest ever footballers – despite being far from finished – Cristiano Ronaldo was just a boy from Madeira. The icon has shared stories of his modest upbringing devoid of toys and Christmas presents, sharing a room with three of his siblings. Not until he signed for Manchester United in 2003 would he set foot on an airplane. Ronaldo’s humble beginnings certainly did him well in the pursuit of excellence – he’s admitted to only thinking he was good enough to play football semi-professionally as a teenager.
2.Zidane
“I once cried because I had no shoes to play soccer, but one day, I met a man who had no feet.” This is Zidane’s most famous quote. Zidane’s parents are immigrants from Algeria. They moved to France for a better life, but in the new country, they lived very poorly. Zidane was born in France and spent all his time on the streets of Marseille. After he got into the Caen football academy, and since then his career began. A huge role in Zidane’s life was played by his wife, thanks to her Zinedine ended his street life.
3.Raheem Sterling
Raheem was born in Jamaica, but after a while he emigrated with his family to England. Raheem’s family did not have a permanent place of residence and lived in poverty. But football saved Sterling. Sterling began his first steps in football at the West Ham Academy, but then moved to Liverpool. In Liverpool, Raheem became a star, and after a while he moved to Manchester City. Now the footballer is one of the highest paid players in the league and has no financial problems.
4.Wayne Rooney
The Manchester United striker wasn’t severely deprived as a child, but nonetheless life growing up in Croxteth didn’t have anywhere near the luxuries a professional footballer enjoys. Wayne Rooney’s father endured somewhat frequent bouts of unemployment while his Everton-loving children dreamed of slotting into the starting eleven for their beloved Toffees. The cracked urban landscape of Croxteth has a reputation for drugs and guns, but a Rooney fueled by desire was able to steer well clear – and become a teenage sensation in due time at Goodison Park. Now, current environs at Old Trafford are a world away from where he began in a tough section of Liverpool.
5.Luka Modric
Just looking at the oft-smiling Luka Modric, one would be hard pressed to glean the pain the Real Madrid midfielder felt in his formative years – spent in a war zone. Modric was only five when the Croatian War of Independence broke out in 1991, and just months later his grandfather would be tragically murdered as part of the conflict. The future Tottenham maestro was forced to live in an impromptu refugee camp in a hotel with his village occupied, passing the time by kicking a football around the parking lot, even with danger always lurking nearby. Fleeing incoming grenades was a common occurrence for the young Modric during his early days at NK Zadar. As the war ended, Modric would eventually rise through the ranks, despite facing rejection from beloved childhood club Hajduk Split.
6.Zlatan Ibrahimovic
What ingredients went into making the stew that is one-man show Zlatan Ibrahimovic? They certainly weren’t the sweetest available. Ibrahimovic was raised in the Rosengard district of Malmo, a place more renowned for swallowing youngsters whole than spitting out brilliant footballers. The Swede’s Bosnian father was an alcoholic, his Croatian mother something of a hard case – the pair split when a young Zlatan was two. Ibrahimovic was left to steal what he needed – at times, a bike to ride to training – developing his technical skills by playing a brand of street ball on a makeshift pitch in Rosengard with friends. Not until Ibrahimovic was 18 did he truly see his own potential as a footballer – and as they say, the rest is history.
7.Franck Ribery
While many professional footballers were raised told they were destined for greatness, Franck Ribery was forced to grind his way to the top. The tricky winger was forged in the hard-boiled Chemin-Vert neighborhood in his native Boulogne-sur-Mer, in northern France. As a two-year-old Ribery sustained his distinctive facial scars when he was catapulted into the windshield of a car in an automobile accident. Ribery later shone as a teenager for the Lille academy but would be sent packing for a questionable work ethic, going on to do construction work while battling through the lower French leagues. It was all certainly worth it – Ribery arrived in due time.