Limelight is shone on the excellence of top footballers on the pitch, little is said, however, about what they do in their lives outside the game.
Many have ventured into business and brand endorsements while some have opted to advance their academic credentials.
Teamkenya.co.ke profiles some players who have excelled in class:
Romelu Lukaku – Public Relations
The Chelsea forward has had a troubled spell on his return, falling out with coach Tomas Tuchel at some point.
Lukaku holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. He is also fluent in Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish and English and understands German as well.
Rodri
He bosses Manchester City’s midfield and tops in the classroom as well. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management.
Rodri undertook the degree while playing for City, a feat he admitted wasn’t easy.
He has also kept a quiet life, opting to stay away from social media and other controversies.
Giorgio Chiellini
The veteran Juventus and Italy defender holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in the same field, perfect preparation for his life after football.
His Master’s Thesis was on “The Business Model of Juventus Football Club in an International Context”
Chiellini, at 37, still features for Juventus and the Italy national team.
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Vincent Kompany
The former Manchester City defender graduated with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 2017.
His dissertation was about how Premier League clubs can benefit from home advantage to achieve better results.
Kompany currently manages Belgian top tier club Anderlecht.
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Edwin van der Saar
After retiring from professional football where he last featured as a goalkeeper for Manchester United, Van der Saar moved to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sports and Brand Management at the Johan Cruyff Institute.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Dutch top tier side Ajax.
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