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Football is a demanding sport, and at the highest level there is immense pressure to perform at a consistent level.
Fans and clubs demand a good return on their investment, and do not take poor displays lightly. Yet many players over the years have been vilified on the basis of a single poor performance, despite their stellar contributions for their clubs.
Legends of clubs are not exempt from that either. Despite their contributions, there have been instances when club legends have not been treated well. On that note, here's a look at five club legends who were treated poorly.
#5 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Gareth Bale, by all accounts, has enjoyed an excellent career at the highest level, and was one of the best players in the world during his prime.
After a stellar spell with Tottenham Hotspur, Bale moved to Real Madrid in 2013 for a then world-record fee of £90.9 million. The Wales international caused immense problems to opposition defences with his sheer pace and overall quality. He helped Real Madrid win four Champions League titles, with the forward scoring in two of the finals.
However, Bale does not enjoy the best of relationships with the club and their fans. Real Madrid have tried to sell the 32-year-old on multiple occasions, and Bale was close to joining Chinese side Jiangsu Suning in 2019.
The forward has often been booed by the Los Blancos fans for his perceived lack of commitment. Bale, for his part, has not remained quiet. He made this comment last year on the Erik Anders Lang Show:
"You would expect that if you're not having a good time on the pitch, your fans would get behind you and try to help you do better because it'll make them happy. But it seems that they do the opposite. They whistle you, which consequentially makes you feel worse; you lose your confidence, you play worse and then that makes them even more upset."
#4 Raul (Real Madrid)
Raul is one of Real Madrid's all-time greats, but the way Real Madrid dealt handled his departure was heavily criticised.
A product of the Real Madrid academy, Raul climbed up the ranks and made his debut for the club in 1994. A highly prolific goalscorer, the Spain international won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with the club, and is Real Madrid's second-most prolific goalscorer.
After limited starts during the 2009-10 season, Raul, who had signed a 'contract for life' with the club in 2008, departed Real Madrid quietly. He joined Schalke in 2010 in a surprising move, and won the DFB-Pokal there. The 44-year old retired from the game in 2015.
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#3 Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
One of Italy's finest, Andrea Pirlo is one of the best players to have graced the game.
He joined AC Milan in 2001 from Inter Milan, and made his name as an elegant midfielder with excellent passing and vision. Pirlo helped AC Milan win two Serie A titles and as many Champions League trophies, so it was a surprise to see the club let him leave on a free transfer in 2011.
Pirlo was 32 when AC Milan and the player decided to part ways. The Italy international was subsequently snapped up by Juventus, which turned out to be a very shrewd acquisition.
He was key as the club re-established themselves as Italian giants, winning four Serie A titles. Former AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani later admitted to La Gazzetta dello Sport that letting Andrea Pirlo go was his biggest mistake.
"Letting Pirlo go was my biggest mistake ever. It was an error I made, together with a number of other persons. But don't ask me who the others were."
#2 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Over the years, Real Madrid have cultivated a habit of dealing poorly with their legends, with Iker Casillas being a notable example.
A product of the Real Madrid academy, Casillas is a Merengues through and through. He made his debut in 1999 and established himself as one of the best in the world at a young age, making excellent reflex saves and impressing with his composure, which belied his tender years.
He won five La Liga titles with Real Madrid as well as three Champions League trophies. However, Casillas departed the club under controversial circumstances in 2015, and his agent Santos Marquez was scathing about the club during an interview with Marca.
"Casillas never decided to jump ship and leave Madrid. He was pushed. Casillas did not ask to leave; he has been annoyed and everything about his exit had been agreed behind his back. He has to go, so he accepts that, but at no point did Casillas want to leave."
#1 Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Luis Suarez is arguably the greatest no. 9 of the modern generation, and one of Barcelona's greatest.
After a world-class 2013-14 season with Liverpool, Suarez joined Barcelona in 2014 in a big-money move. The Uruguay international formed a fearsome attacking trident with Lionel Messi and Neymar, helping the club win a continental treble and four La Liga titles.
However, the striker was unceremoniously sold last summer, with Atletico Madrid signing him.
Despite his incredible achievements with the club, Luis Suarez saw his departure handled extremely poorly, with even Messi criticising the same. Suarez soon proved to Barcelona that they were wrong in letting him go, leading Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title in his very first season, scoring 21 league goals.
The 34-year old admitted to Movistar that he was underestimated by Barcelona, saying:
"It's a lot of things. It was difficult, the situation I had to go through. At the start of the season, with the way I was underestimated... Atletico Madrid opened the door for me, to keep showing that I'm still valid. A lot of people have suffered with me. My wife, my kids; they're with me day-to-day. I've been in football for many years, and this is the year they've suffered the most."
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