#8 Johan Cruyff - Ajax to Feyenoord (1983)
This was a case where one of the best footballers in the world had a low point in his career and proved that Dutch maestro John Cruyff was just human after acting spitefully. After leading Ajax to the Eredivisie title in 1983, Cryuff was not offered a new deal which made him do the last thing that any Ajax fan would have ever imagined.
Cruyff joined Feyenoord, Ajax’s arch rivals, on a one year deal which provoked massive unrest and fan protests throughout Amsterdam.
Though Ajax beat Cryuff's Feyenoord 8-2 in that season, Feyenoord eventually won the league and also did a double by winning the Dutch Cup. Fortunately for Ajax, Cruyff remained at Feyenoord for just one season before returning to Ajax in a coaching role. A glittering career for the Ajax man took an interesting turn of events due to his solitary season in Rotterdam.
#7 Robin van Persie - Arsenal to Manchester United (2012)
The Dutchman was a fan favourite, captain and a striker who single-handedly carried their team on many occasions. Fans loved Robin van Persie and he loved them back.
But after a showdown meeting with Arsene Wenger and the club's board members in 2012, van Persie decided that it was time to leave the Gunners as he felt that he was not on the same wavelength with the club owners about Arsenal's future. The decision which infuriated the Arsenal fan base the most was Van Persie's decision to join their title rivals, Manchester United.
After the turn of the decade, the two sides were locked in many title fights. Hence when the Dutchman moved to the Theatre of Dreams, Arsenal supporters felt betrayed and termed him a traitor and a mercenary. Arsenal fans’ argument was that the club had stood behind the player during his injury problems but when the club needed its best player to stand with them, he left for greener pastures.
The tensions rose further when van Persie celebrated after scoring a goal against Arsenal at Old Trafford after being fed up of the hostile reception by the Gunners fans. van Persie won Manchester United their 20th league title during his first season at the club, much to the frustration of Arsenal fans.
