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Over the years, the beautiful game has seen a host of father-son pairs plying their trades in the sport.
Having a footballer as a father comes with its own set of pros and cons. And, when it comes to famous footballers and their sons, the latter is subject to scrutiny and expectations from an early age.
The second-generation footballers always have an increased chance of getting selected, if they have legendary father figures. On the other hand, some of them also fail to come out of their father's shadows and make their own name.
There are a few of who have done better than their fathers in this profession. Let's have a look at ten such players...
#10 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Whenever we hear the name Aubameyang, the Borussia Dortmund marksman comes to mind. The Gabonese striker is one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga.
Aubameyang has built a reputation as a consistent goal-poacher for the German outfit. He has won three titles and is more popular than his father Pierre.
In a 20-year career, Pierre Aubameyang plied his trade as a defender for nine clubs, most of which were from France. He is mostly remembered for his stint with Stade Lavallois where he played seven seasons.
His son, however, seems to have outperformed him in the game after earning worldwide recognition as one of the fiercest strikers of his generation.
#9 Diego Forlan
Diego Forlan made his name after joining Villarreal from Manchester United. The Uruguayan then enjoyed another extremely successful spell with Atletico Madrid.
Forlan won 9 trophies in his career and has been regarded as one of the finest strikers in the modern era.
The high point of his career came in the 2010 World Cup, where he clinched the Golden Ball award, shared the golden boot winner Thomas Mueller, David Villa and Wesley Sneijder and also won the prize for the best goal of the tournament.
Unlike his son, Pablo Forlan was a defender who spent his entire career playing in South America. He won seven Uruguayan league titles along with a Copa Libertadores trophy in his 21-year tenure as a footballer.
Whether Diego did better than his father is debatable, considering Pablo has a plethora of league titles and a national level medal to show for. However, it is his son's successful spells with big clubs in different European countries that gives him the upper hand in the comparison.
#8 Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara is one of the best midfielders currently active in the game. He has plied his trade at two of the greatest clubs in football; Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Aged only 26, the Spaniard already has a well-decorated trophy cabinet consisting of 21 titles for both club and country.
In contrast to the central midfielder, his father Mazinho was a Brazilian international defender who notched up 12 trophies in an 18-year career, with Valencia being the biggest club he played for. He won the Copa America in 1989 followed by the FIFA World Cup in 1994 with Brazil.
Considering Thiago is still in his prime and has a lot of years left under his belt, the Spaniard can certainly establish himself as one of the modern greats of the game.
#7 Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain became the most expensive striker in Serie A when he signed for Juventus in 2015, after netting a whopping 91 goals in just three seasons for the Biancocelesti. As if that wasn't enough, the 30-year-old has scored 44 times in 83 matches for the Bianconeri, proving his dexterity in front of goal.
Currently, in his 15th season as a footballer, Higuain has earned 10 titles. While he has been a mainstay in the Argentinian squad, his father, Jorge Higuain failed to make even a single appearance for his country, though he played for some of the best South American clubs like River Plate and Boca Juniors.
Gonzalo, on the other hand, has played for top sides like Real Madrid and Juventus.
#6 Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao has established himself as one of the fiercest strikers of his age, making a name for his predatory instincts in front of goal. While he is regarded as one of the greatest Colombian footballers of all time, his father Radamel Garcia is almost anonymous in the sport.
Falcao has represented a host of top sides including Porto, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and AS Monaco. His spells with English clubs were deemed as failures, but he has had considerable success with the other clubs, winning 11 trophies to date. Also, he is Colombia's all-time top scorer with 28 goals.
In contrast to his son, father Radamel Garcia was a defender in the '70s. Though he didn't have a glowing career like his son, he'll certainly be a proud dad.
#5 Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets has done all the dirty work as a defensive midfielder in Barcelona's historical treble-winning campaigns. However, the Spaniard has the reputation of one of the best midfielders Spain have ever had.
At just 29, the Spaniard has won a huge chunk of 27 trophies which include almost every major laurel in the sport ranging from the Champions League to a FIFA World Cup. He is nearing 500 appearances for Barcelona and is on course for becoming a one-club legend with the Blaugrana.
His father Carles Busquets also represented Barcelona and won 16 trophies in a career spanning 15 years. He is currently employed by the club as a goalkeeping coach.
#4 Miroslav Klose
You think of the World Cup and Miroslav Klose, the man who broke Ronaldo Lima's record of having scored the most number of goals in the World Cup history, is one of the first names that'll come to your mind. That's probably his biggest personal achievement in a glorious 18-year career.
Klose has stamped his authority as one of the greatest strikers on the international level and is Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 goals to his credit. He has won 9 trophies, with a World Cup medal to brag about.
Unlike his son, Josef Klose represented Poland and didn't have a career that can rival the achievements of his mercurial son. His most notable stint was with French outfit AJ Auxerre where he helped the club achieve promotion to the top-tier in 1980.
#3 Xabi Alonso
Much like his father Miguel Alonso, Xabi started his career with Real Sociedad. But, his extent of accomplishments has seen him completely outshine his father in the sport.
Xabi Alonso went on to play for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool and cemented his reputation as one of the greatest passers the game has ever seen. In a 20-year career, the legendary midfielder won 17 trophies.
Miguel Alonso, on the other hand, won 6 trophies in 14 years as a professional footballer and later stepped into management, failing to make his name in the business. Xabi Alonso has already stated his desire to follow his father's footsteps and enter the management fray, but there has been no further development regarding the issue.
#2 Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard was an absolute joy to watch given his ability to score a plethora of goals from the midfield.
The Chelsea legend was an integral part of the club's rise as one of the major forces in Europe. In a career spanning 17 years, Lampard grabbed 14 accolades, not to mention countless personal awards. Also, he became the all-time top-scorer of Chelsea with 211 goals in eight seasons with the club.
His father Frank Lampard Sr., however, barely compares to his mammoth tally of achievements, with just 2 FA cups to his credit while playing for West Ham United.
#1 Paolo Maldini
His extent of achievements tells you why Paolo Maldini is probably the greatest defender and one-club legend of all time. The Italian defender lifted 26 trophies in a 25-year career for his beloved club AC Milan.
Additionally, he holds several records for his longevity like playing the most minutes in the history of the FIFA World Cup and is also the most capped player in the Serie A.
In contrast to his achievements, his dad Cesare Maldini also had an extremely successful career as a footballer albeit not as good as his son. He won 6 trophies in a career spanning fifteen years. In his managerial career, Cesare Maldini won two trophies and three other with Italy's U21 squad.
As of now, there's no news about Paolo Maldini stepping into management but should he decide on doing so, the fans will expect him to achieve the success that rivals his achievements as a player.
