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This summer saw a legend of football say goodbye to his beloved club. Andres Iniesta spent most of his life at Barcelona and left the club knowing his legendary status is intact. But not all players left their club as legends. Let us take a look at those who fell from their thrones on their way out of their clubs:
1. Iker Casillas
Casillas was one of the best goalkeepers of his time. While he still plays today, he is a shadow of the legend he was. He was one of the most respected players at his club Real Madrid, where he had spent more than 16 years guarding the Los Blancos goalpost.
However, his exit from the club was spectacular and heartbreaking for many fans. It all started with a hand injury which led his compatriot Diego Lopez to take his place. Casillas was not guaranteed a starting place when he returned due to Lopez's good form.
There were also stories that there was a disagreement between several of Real Madrid's senior players and then Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. Real Madrid had not been playing their best football and this led to Mourinho being sacked.
The new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, started López in LaLiga but did make a pact with Casillas to play him in the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, the two tournaments Real Madrid won in the 2013/14 season, and Casillas accepted it.
While Diego Lopez was sold to AC Milan after the 2013/14 season, Madrid bought Keylor Navas after his exploits in the World Cup 2014. Casillas was the starter during the 2014/15 season, but there were rumours that he was leaking information out to the press about his team.
Whether those rumours were true or not, it quickly turned Casillas from Legend to Villian. This was the beginning of the end for the Spanish captain who lifted the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euro Cup.
In 2015, a tearful Casillas left Real Madrid. While he joined FC Porto and still plies his trade with them, the hurtful episode with his beloved club surely has left a black mark in his incredible career.
2. Wayne Rooney
At the tender age of 17, Wayne Rooney scored a goal for Everton against Arsenal that shook the world and made them sit up and take notice of him. While his exploits won him lots of admirers, Manchester United eventually won his signature in 2004, when Rooney was just 18.
He went on from there to becoming Manchester United's top goalscorer of all time. He played an integral part in Sir Alex Ferguson's last years as their manager, as United continued to dominate the Premier League.
However, after Ferguson's retirement, Rooney's form started to suffer. The hiring and firing of managers after the Scottish's departure led to a destabilising of the club. And Rooney suffered the most. He lost his position as the main striker of the Red Devils.
With his dwindling pace, he was unable to beat the defences and coaches like Louis Van Gaal and Mourinho instead positioned him in the wing or in a deeper role. Though Rooney tried his best, he just could not replicate the form that made him a Man Utd legend.
In the last seasons prior to his departure, Rooney became more of a burden than a main player. With United toiling to replicate the success they had under Ferguson, the blame mostly fell on England's all-time highest goal scorer. After 13 years serving the Red Devils, Rooney decided to return to Goodison Park.
Though the fall of Rooney was not as spectacular as Casillas's, his exit from the club was similarly disheartening. Maybe Rooney should have left Man Utd when he was still the king.
3. Ronaldinho
He is considered by many to be one of the most talented players ever to grace the field. Many have been mesmerised by his magic, even the opposition fans. That was evident when the Real Madrid fans gave Ronaldinho a standing ovation in the Santiago Bernabeu after he had helped Barcelona beat their fierce rivals.
Ronaldinho was bought from PSG a year after his exploits in the 2002 World Cup caught the attention of Barcelona. He was not a legend then, but he went on to become one for the Blaugrana. His first touches, dribbles, and goals terrorised many defences. His exploits for Barcelona won them their first UEFA Champions League title since 1992 and won him the FIFA World Player of the Year twice.
But as fame grew, so did his partying style. Ronaldinho was famous for staying out late and missing training sessions. While his talent was divine, his lack of training started to show in matches. His physical fitness suffered and that led to a performance drop. The Brazilian though did not change his lifestyle and in 2008 he was sold to AC Milan.
While he still remains in the good graces of Barcelona after they named him Ambassador of the club, his departure from the Camp Nou was surely not befitting the legendary status he had built there. After 5 years of bamboozling opposition players with his tricks, it was his party lifestyle that nutmegged him and left him flat on the pitch.
