For a number to be retired at a football club, the player who wore the shirt had to leave a serious mark. It must be one of the greatest honours as a player – knowing that the club feels that nobody will wear the number better than you did.
The Fan Park Crew lists a few players who've had their numbers retired at their clubs in honour of their brilliance.
Paolo Maldini – Number 3 At AC Milan
The defender played 848 times for the Italian giants, scoring 33 times along the way. Quite remarkably, in all of those appearances, he only picked up three red cards. The club certainly believed that there is nobody else who'll be able to fulfil his boots, thus they retired his number.
Diego Maradona – Number 10 At Napoli
The Argentine left an irremovable mark on football, and to this day, no player has worn the number 10 jersey at Napoli after him. Maradona played 205 times for the Italian club, scoring 85 goals.
Roberto Baggio – Number 10 At Brescia
The Italian is widely regarded as one of the best Italian footballers ever, and at Brescia, he only played 96 times, scoring 45 goals. Although he played more games at Fiorentina and Juventus, Brescia retired his number, as they felt that he was irreplaceable.
Johan Cruyff – Number 14 At Ajax
Nobody has come close to replicating the brilliant Cruyff at the Dutch club, and this is why his number 14 jersey was retired – a massive honour.
Marc-Vivien Foe – Number 23 At Manchester City
The Cameroonian sadly passed away while playing for his country, thus his club side, Manchester City, decided that no player will wear his number again.
Why Have Many Clubs Retired The Number 12?
Many clubs across the footballing globe have retired the number 12, as they feel that their fans are their 12th man. Bayern Munch, Barcelona, Portsmouth, Lazio, Fenerbahce, RC Lens and Zenit St. Petersburg are just some of the teams who have done so.
Can you name any other jersey numbers that are retired?
