Top 7 Football Stars Who Couldn’t Be Bothered With the Game

• Many handful football stars are fortunate to be getting paid to play the game
• But there have been top professional footballers who are not passionate about the game
• Here are some of the famous footballers who are rumoured to not be that passionate

It's very hard to believe that a professional footballer who plays at an elite level does not have love for the game.

Some top players actually see football as a mere 9-5 job that they can do and not as a passion.

Sports Brief takes a look at the players who see football as a career, not a passion.

Mario Balotelli

Undoubtedly, no follower of the game would be surprised to see Balotelli on the list.

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Footballers usually find joy in scoring goals, yet the Ghanaian-born Italian striker ignored it as part of his job.

Balotelli once said: “I do not celebrate my goals because it is my job, when a postman delivers a letter, does he celebrate?”

It explains a lot about the former Manchester City and Liverpool striker’s on-pitch demeanour.

Gabriel Batistuta

Back in the 1990s, Batistuta was regarded as one of the deadliest strikers in the world. The Argentinian legend was one of the first names that would come to mind when you mention great forwards during that era without.

However, the Fiorentina icon was not that passionate about football.

“I do not like football, it is just my profession," Batistuta reportedly told an Argentine TV, quoted by Daily Mail.

Batistuta made 77 appearances and bagged 54 goals for Argentina. He helped the Albiceleste to clinch two Copa Americas.

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Nicknamed 'Batigol', due to his scoring prowess, Batistuta won silverware in Italy for Fiorentina and Roma. He netted a total of 292 goals across 537 games.

Carlos Tevez

Tevez is one of the most decorated Argentine footballers to ply their trade in the Premier League. The forward is also one of the players to feature for both Manchester United and Manchester City.

Having won the Premier League title with both Manchester Clubs, and with his energy on the pitch, it's quite shocking that Tevez is not the biggest football fan.

In fact, Tevez dislikes football to the extent that he doesn't even watch El Clasico, the biggest club fixture in the world.

'I never watch football. I don't like it,' he said in 2018. 'If Barcelona-Real Madrid is on, I change the channel to watch golf. I was never a football fanatic.'

Neymar

The Brazilian superstar is widely considered by football fans as one of the best players of the current generation. The Paris Saint-Germain icon has won everything in club football, including league titles, Champions League and cup competitions.

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He is known to be the present and future face of the Brazilian national football team.

But the ex-Barcelona winger has confessed that he is not fond of the game.

"I don't like to watch football games when I'm not playing for Barcelona," Neymar said in 2015.

Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho enjoyed a phenomenal career, playing for Barcelona, PSG and AC Milan, scoring 197 goals and providing 163 assists in 542 club appearances.

The playmaker won several major trophies, including a World Cup trophy, a Ballon d'Or, a Confederations Cup title, Golden Ball, and the Golden Boot awards.

The now-retired legend had his best years while playing for Barcelona. Aside from his soccer skills, the soccer player is remembered for his smile, especially when celebrating his goals.

But in 2018, Ronaldinho confirmed that he is not passionate about football.

"I don't like to watch football. I Like to play it; I can't stand in front of a television for 90 minutes. I only watch highlights.

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Alex Song

Cameroon international Alex Song left Arsenal in 2012 to sign for Barcelona. But the defensive midfielder later revealed that he joined the Catalan club mainly because of money, but not the love for football.

“When Barcelona offered me a contract, and I saw how much I would earn, I didn’t think twice,” he admitted on Instagram Live.

Song's career in Spain with the Blaugrana was nothing to write home about, as he made only 39 appearances in his four-year stint at Camp Nou.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

Another Cameroon star Assou-Ekotto infamously disclosed in an interview with The Guardian that he had no passion for the game. The former Tottenham left-back never knew which team they were playing.

“But if I come to England, where I knew nobody and I didn’t speak English … why did I come here? For a job. It's a good job and I don’t say that I hate football but it’s not my passion,” he said.