Retired numbers in football (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Association football clubs around the world sometimes retire squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...

s to recognise players' loyal service, sometimes as a memorial after their death.

Background

This practice, long established in the major North American sports, is a recent development in football since squad numbers for specific players were not widely used until the 1990s. Before then, it was typical for players in the starting lineup to be issued numbers 1 to 11 by formation/position on a match-by-match basis, and substitutes to be numbered from 12 upwards, meaning a player might wear different numbers during the season if they were to play in different positions for tactical reasons, or simply not be a regular in the starting lineup.

Retiring a player's number usually occurs after the player has left the team or retired. It honours a player who has meant so much to his club that they retire the shirt number that the player wore during their time there, meaning no other player is permitted to use that number in the future. In some cases, such as Jason Mayélé
Jason Mayélé
Jason Nono Mayélé was a footballer from Democratic Republic of the Congo.- Career :Mayélé played as a striker or winger and was a member of the Chievo team that qualified for Europe in their first Serie A season which he was signed in October. He had represented his country at the African Cup of...

, Vittorio Mero
Vittorio Mero
Vittorio Mero was an Italian football player.-Career:Born at Vercelli, he started his career with an amateur team, Belvedere, in 1990-1991, and made his debut at the professional level at the age of 17 for A.S. Casale Calcio. The following year Mero signed for Parma F.C., playing with the...

, Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

, Miklós Fehér
Miklós Fehér
Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal....

, Ray Jones, François Sterchele
François Sterchele
François Sterchele was a Belgian footballer who played for Club Brugge. The striker was the top scorer of the Jupiler League in 2006-07. Sterchele died in a single-person car accident on May 8, 2008.-Club career:...

, David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso was a French football player.-Early life:Di Tommaso was born in Échirolles, Isère. His father Pascal Di Tommaso and uncle Louis Di Tommaso both played in Ligue 2 for Grenoble Foot 38 in the 1980s...

, Antonio Puerta
Antonio Puerta
Antonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish footballer who played solely for Sevilla.Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, three days after suffering a series of cardiac...

 and Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj was an Austrian professional football player who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He was ethnic Albanian.He died of a suspected heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.-Liverpool:...

, numbers have been retired to posthumously honour a player who died in tragic circumstances while still active. Also, Norwegian club Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad F.K.
Fredrikstad footballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the town of Fredrikstad. With nine league championships and eleven Norwegian Cup wins, FFK is one of the most successful clubs in Norwegian football...

 have retired Dagfinn Enerly
Dagfinn Enerly
Dagfinn Enerly is a former Norwegian football player. He played for Norwegian Premier League clubs Skeid, Moss, Rosenborg and Fredrikstad. In 2005, he broke his neck during a match, which left him paralyzed from the chest down.- Career :Enerly grew up in Ammerud on Oslo's east side, and started...

's number following an on-pitch accident that left Enerly paralysed
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...

. In Britain, only Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...

's shirt number has been retired due to great service to the club as opposed to a tragic incident. Although it has not been officially retired Gianfranco Zola's
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...

 no.25 shirt has not been reissued by Chelsea since he left the club in 2003.

The Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

 and Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...

 national teams have been prevented by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 rules dealing with squad numbers for Finals tournaments, from retiring the numbers of Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...

 (10) and Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

 (17) respectively, but in other competitions or friendlies national associations may assign numbers according to criteria of their choosing. Similarly, several clubs have been required to reissue retired numbers for continental club competitions due to squad numbering rules of continental confederations. For example, CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...

 and CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...

 have such rules in their club competitions, but CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...

 does not.

Retired numbers

Team # Player Position Years Notes
  SK Rapid Vienna 5   Peter Schöttel
Peter Schöttel
Peter Schöttel is a retired Austrian footballer.-Club career:In his whole career Schöttel played exclusively for Rapid Vienna, what made him a cult hero with Rapid fans. He also was Rapid's captain from 1997 until 2001...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1986–2001
  SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....

3   Günther Neukirchner
Günther Neukirchner
-Club career:Neukirchner played 17 years for Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz. He ended his professional career with second division FC Gratkorn.-External links:...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1989–2006
  SV Ried
SV Ried
SV Ried is an Austrian association football club from Ried im Innkreis. The team plays its home matches at the 7,680 capacity Keine-Sorgen Arena. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga after winning promotion from the Erste Liga in the 2004/05 season...

16   Herwig Drechsel
Herwig Drechsel
Herwig Drechsel is an Austrian professional association football player currently playing for SV Wallern. He plays as a midfielder.-External links:* at transfermarkt.de...

Midfielder 1995–1998, 1999–2010
  SV Ried
SV Ried
SV Ried is an Austrian association football club from Ried im Innkreis. The team plays its home matches at the 7,680 capacity Keine-Sorgen Arena. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga after winning promotion from the Erste Liga in the 2004/05 season...

27   Sanel Kuljic
Sanel Kuljic
Sanel Kuljić is an Austrian footballer of Bosnian descent, who plays as a striker. He is playing for Swiss Super League side Neuchâtel Xamax.His father emigrated to Austria from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1970s....

Striker 2003–2006
  Al Ahly 3   Mohamed Abdelwahab
Mohamed Abdelwahab
Mohamed Abdelwahab was an Egyptian footballer. He played in the defensive left back position. He was an important part of the Egyptian squad that went on to win the 2006 African Cup of Nations. He died during training with his club El Ahly on 31 August 2006.-Early life and career:Abdelwahab was...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2004–2006 posthumous
  Anorthosis Famagusta 14   Temuri Ketsbaia
Temuri Ketsbaia
Temuri "Temur" Ketsbaia is a Georgian football manager and former player. As a player he represented the Georgian national team and played for Dinamo Tbilisi, Anorthosis Famagusta, AEK, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dundee.Ketsbaia is often regarded as having played a major role...

Midfielder 1991–1994 2002-2009
  FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...

2   Massimo Ceccaroni
Massimo Ceccaroni
Massimo Ceccaroni is a retiredSwiss-Italian football player. He played for FC Basel for most of his career. He is now a trainer at amateur club BSC Old Boys. His brother, Stefano, also played for Basel....

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1977–2002
  FC St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen
Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:...

17   Marc Zellweger
Marc Zellweger
Marc Zellweger is a Swiss football defender, who currently plays for SC Brühl in the Swiss Challenge League.-External links:**http://www.football.ch/sfl/777835/de/Kader.aspx?tId=0&pId=195160...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1994-2001 2003-2010
  Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....

23   François Sterchele
François Sterchele
François Sterchele was a Belgian footballer who played for Club Brugge. The striker was the top scorer of the Jupiler League in 2006-07. Sterchele died in a single-person car accident on May 8, 2008.-Club career:...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2007–2008 posthumous
  UR Namur 3   Michel Soulier Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1967–1977 posthumous
  Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...

20   Mauro Biello
Mauro Biello
Mauro Biello is now an assistant coach for the MLS-bound Montreal Impact and is best known for having been professional soccer player on the same team....

Forward 1993–1998, 2000–2009
  Cobreloa
Cobreloa
Club de Deportes Cobreloa is a Chilean football club from the Atacama Desert mining city of Calama which has established itself as one of the country's most competitive clubs. The club was founded on January 7, 1977 and play in the Chilean top flight, the Primera División, where they have played...

8   Fernando Cornejo Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1992–1997, 2000–2004 posthumous
  Dalian Shide 26   Zhang Yalin
Zhang Yalin
Zhang Yalin was a Chinese football midfielder.-Biography:In 2003, Zhang was selected to the China national under-23 football team but injured in the training. He also linked with an unknown Ligue 1 club that year. In 2006, Zhang married Jia Nini , a Chinese model and actress...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2000–2009 posthumous
  Liga Deportiva Alajuelense 20   Mauricio Montero
Mauricio Montero
Mauricio Montero Chinchilla is a retired Costa Rican footballer. He used to play for L.D. Alajuelense and AD Ramonense. His number 20 jersey was retired in L.D...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1985–1997
  Cartaginés
C.S. Cartaginés
Club Sport Cartaginés Deportiva S.A. is a Costa Rican football club, that currently plays in the Costa Rican Primera División. The club plays in Estadio Jose Rafael Fello Meza, in Barrio Asis de Cartago, Costa Rica.-History:...

11   Leonel Hernández Winger 1957–1977
  Dynamo České Budějovice 8   Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:...

Midfielder 1991–1994, 2005–2007
  Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv...

8   Hristo Bonev
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...

Midfielder 1963–1967, 1968–1979, 1982–1984
  AaB 12   Torben Boye
Torben Boye
Torben Boye is a Danish former professional football player, who played his entire career for Danish Superliga club Aalborg Boldspilklub . Boye has set a number of records for the club, including most played games, as he played 560 matches for AaB...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1984–2002
  FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...

32   Kristian Bak Nielsen
Kristian Bak Nielsen
Kristian Bak Nielsen is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays for FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga. Bak Nielsen usually plays central defender, but he has a past as a striker. He has played one game for the Danish under-21 national team.-Biography:Bak Nielsen started his...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2000–2007, 2010-
  FC Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...

26   Jonathan Richter Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2005–2009
  Næstved BK
Næstved BK
Næstved Boldklub is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 1st Division. They play at Næstved Stadion in Næstved on Zealand, which has a capacity of 10,000, of which around 2,000 are seats....

7   Rasmus Green
Rasmus Green
Rasmus Green was a Danish professional footballer who played for AB, Ølstykke FC and Næstved BK. Green died on 12 June 2006 on the Næstved training pitch, and his squad number was retired as a mark of respect. He played youth football at Brøndby IF, but did not play any senior games for the...

Midfielder 2005–2006 posthumous
  Viborg FF
Viborg FF
Viborg FF is a Danish professional football club located in Viborg. The full name of the club is Viborg Fodsports Forening , but the name is frequently abbreviated as Viborg FF or VFF. The club was founded in 1896, but would have to wait more than a century before winning its only countrywide...

22   Søren Frederiksen Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1989–1994, 1998, 2001–2005
  FC Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....

32   Peter Møller
Peter Møller
Peter Møller-Nielsen is a Danish former professional football player who became a sports journalist after ending his football career in December 2005. He won three Danish Superliga championships for the rival clubs Brøndby IF and F.C. Copenhagen, and became the most scoring Superliga player ever...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1993–1994, 2001–2005
  FAS
C.D. FAS
Club Deportivo Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos, commonly known as C.D. FAS or simply FAS , is a Salvadoran professional football club based in Santa Ana. They are rivals with Club Deportivo Águila. FAS currently play in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional, their home ground being the...

10   Mágico González
Mágico González
Jorge Alberto González Barillas , popularly known as El mágico , is a retired Salvadoran footballer....

Forward 1977–1982, 1991–1999
  Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

25   Michael Maidens
Michael Maidens
Michael Douglas Maidens was an English footballer who played as a midfielder. He started his career with Hartlepool United in 2004, making his debut in the League Cup against Crystal Palace in September 2004....

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2004–2007 posthumous
  Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

9   Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield was an English footballer who played as a striker. He played for Cullompton Rangers, Elmore, Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City.-Career:...

Forward 2006–2010 posthumous
  Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

31   Ray Jones Forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2006–2007 posthumous
  Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...

1   Dale Roberts
Dale Roberts (footballer born 1986)
Dale Roberts was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Roberts started his career in his native North-East with the academy sides at Sunderland and Middlesbrough before he moved to Nottingham Forest. He failed to make Forest's first team and had loans spells with Eastwood Town and...

Goalkeeper 2008–2010 posthumous
  West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

6   Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...

Centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1958–1974 posthumous
  Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...

14   Mark Philo
Mark Philo
Mark William Philo was an English professional footballer. He was born in Bracknell, Berkshire and spent his whole professional career at Wycombe Wanderers. He died on 14 January 2006 in a road traffic collision.- Career :...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2004–2006 posthumous
  Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

21   Richard Butcher Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2010–2011 posthumous
  Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

23   Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2002–2003 posthumous
  Reus Deportiu
CF Reus Deportiu
Club de Futbol Reus Deportiu, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Reus, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1909, it plays in Segunda División B – Group 3, holding home games at Camp Nou Municipal, with a capacity of 4,500 seats....

7   Jordi Pitarque Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2009–2010 posthumous
  Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

16   Luc Borrelli
Luc Borrelli
Luc Borrelli was a French football goalkeeper.-Career:Borrelli was born in Marseille and began his career with ASPTT Marseille. In 1986 he moved to Toulon, where he played almost 150 times...

Goalkeeper 1998–1999 posthumous
  Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

17   Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2000–2003 posthumous
  Lens 17   Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1995–1999 posthumous
  Clermont
Clermont Foot
Clermont Foot Auvergne 63 is a French association football club based in Clermont-Ferrand. The first incarnation of the club was formed in 1911 and the current club was created in 1990 as a result of a merger...

14   Clément Pinault
Clément Pinault
Clément Pinault was a French football defender who last played for Clermont Foot.- Career :...

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2008–2009 posthumous
  Sedan
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan , is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Sedan plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located...

29   David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso was a French football player.-Early life:Di Tommaso was born in Échirolles, Isère. His father Pascal Di Tommaso and uncle Louis Di Tommaso both played in Ligue 2 for Grenoble Foot 38 in the 1980s...

Centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2000–2004 posthumous
  Wacker Burghausen 11   Marek Krejčí
Marek Krejcí
Marek Krejčí was a Slovak footballer who played as a striker.- Career :Born in Bratislava, he started his career with local club Inter Bratislava, moving to Spartak Trnava in November 2000...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2004–2007 posthumous
  PAOK 17   Panagiotis Katsouris
Panagiotis Katsouris
Panagiotis Katsouris was a Greek football player.He played for Naoussa F.C. and PAOK FC until his sudden death on 9 February 1998 in a car accident outside Thessaloniki...

Midfielder 1996–1998 posthumous
  Olimpia 11   Wilmer Velásquez
Wilmer Velasquez
Wilmer Raynel Neal Velásquez is a retired Honduran footballer.-Career:Velásquez is currently the all-time top goalscorer in the Honduran National Football League with 196 goals, and was the second player to reach 150 goals after Denilson Costa.In 2005, Velásquez was crowned one of the 'Top...

Forward 1991–1995, 1996–1998, 1999–2001, 2002–2009
  Happy Valley 2   Leung Sui Wing
Leung Sui Wing
Leung Sui Wing is a former football player of Hong Kong. He is the current coach of Macau national football team.-Club career:He spent his entire career with Happy Valley AA. He was a sweeper...

Sweeper 1976–1997
  Hong Kong Rangers 15   Cheung Yiu Lun Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1992–1995, 1996–1999, 2001–2002 posthumous
  Tai Po FC 16   Mao Mengsuo
Mao Mengsuo
Mao Mengsuo was a Chinese footballer, previously played in NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po.-Club career:He had only one appearance in his first season of professional football career. He was apeearenced in a 2008–09 Hong Kong FA Cup match, which was NTR WF Tai Po defeating Tuen Mun Progoal by 3 goals.He...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2008–2010 posthumous
  Ferencváros 2   Tibor Simon
Tibor Simon
Tibor Simon was a Hungarian football player and manager.-Career:Simon, who played as a defender, spent his entire professional club career with Ferencváros, and also earned 16 caps at international level for Hungary, including three FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.He also managed FC Sopron...

Right fullback 1985–1999 posthumous
  Kispest AC/Honvéd
Budapest Honvéd FC
Budapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...

10   Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...

Deep-lying forward 1939–1956 posthumous
  Hapoel Be'er Sheva 6   Chaswe Nsofwa
Chaswe Nsofwa
Chaswe Nsofwa was a Zambian international football striker. He died during a training match in Beersheba, Israel.-Arrival in Israel:...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2007 posthumous
  Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....

4   Michele Mignani
Michele Mignani
Michele Mignani is an Italian association football former player, who currently works as a youth coach of Siena....

Centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1996–1997, 1998–2006
  Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...

14   Federico Pisani
Federico Pisani
Federico Pisani was an Italian professional footballer who played for Atalanta and Monza. Pisani died in a car crash on 12 February 1997, and his squad number was retired as a mark of respect.-References:...

Deep-lying forward 1991–1997 posthumous
  Avellino
U.S. Avellino
Associazione Sportiva Avellino 1912 , since summer 2010, is the new name of the Italian football club, based in Avellino, Campania. The club was founded in 1912 and its traditional colours are green and white...

10   Adriano Lombardi
Adriano Lombardi
Adriano Lombardi , nicknamed il rosso di Ponsacco, was an Italian football player and a football coach, mostly known for his time spent at U.S...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1975–1979 posthumous
  Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

27   Niccolò Galli
Niccolò Galli
Niccolò Galli was a promising professional footballer who died in a road traffic accident aged 17.The son of former Italian international goalkeeper Giovanni Galli, he began with his hometown club, Fiorentina, before moving to Arsenal in August 1999...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2000–2001 posthumous
  Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...

10   Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...

Deep-lying forward 2000–2004
  Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...

13   Vittorio Mero
Vittorio Mero
Vittorio Mero was an Italian football player.-Career:Born at Vercelli, he started his career with an amateur team, Belvedere, in 1990-1991, and made his debut at the professional level at the age of 17 for A.S. Casale Calcio. The following year Mero signed for Parma F.C., playing with the...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1998–2001, 2002 posthumous
  Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....

11   Gigi Riva Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1963–1978
  Chievo Verona
A.C. ChievoVerona
Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...

30   Jason Mayélé
Jason Mayélé
Jason Nono Mayélé was a footballer from Democratic Republic of the Congo.- Career :Mayélé played as a striker or winger and was a member of the Chievo team that qualified for Europe in their first Serie A season which he was signed in October. He had represented his country at the African Cup of...

Left/right winger 2001–2002 posthumous
  Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...

6   Gianluca Signorini
Gianluca Signorini
Gianluca Signorini was an Italian football player, mostly known for his time spent at Genoa C.F.C..-Career:...

Sweeper 1988–1995 posthumous
  Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

3   Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...

Left fullback 1961–1978 posthumous
  Messina
F.C. Messina Peloro
Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily. It currently plays in Serie D.- Brief history :The origins of the team go back to 1900 when Messina F.C was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues...

41   Salvatore Sullo
Salvatore Sullo
Salvatore "Sasà" Sullo is a retired Italian footballer.He was mainly known for having been the captain of Messina from 2001 to 2007 as part of the squad that gained two promotions, which led the team from Serie C1 to Serie A.-Career:In 2005, Sullo was forced to temporarily quit football because of...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2001–2007
  Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

6   Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and former player. He played as a sweeper and spent his entire career with Serie A club AC Milan, acknowledged as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game. Baresi was nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "Little one"...

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1977–1997
  Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

3   Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1984–2009
  Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....

10   Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1984–1991
  Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

6   Aldair Centre back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1990–2003
  Thespa Kusatsu
Thespa Kusatsu
is a professional football club based in Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in J. League Division 2. J. League Division 2 is the second professional football league in Japan....

31   Ryosuke Okuno Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2002–2003
  Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...

3   Naoki Matsuda
Naoki Matsuda
was a Japanese footballer who played as a central defender.-Football career:Born in Kiryū, Gunma, Matsuda represented the Yokohama F. Marinos for the vast majority of his career, being promoted to the first team in 1995, at the age of 18...

Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1995–2010 posthumous
  Daewoo Royals, Busan I'cons 16   Kim Joo-Sung Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1987–1992, 1994–1999
  Al Ahly Tripoli
Al Ahly Tripoli
Al-Ahly Tripoli is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. The club is the second most successful Libyan club in history, having won 10 Libyan Premier League titles, five Libyan Football Cups and a Libyan SuperCup. Al-Ahly is known as the leader of Libyan Football clubs and has the...

14   Tarik El Taib
Tarik El Taib
Tariq Ibrahim Mohammad al Tayib, , also written as Tareq Al Tayeb, is a Libyan football midfielder. He currently plays for Kuwaiti Premier League Side Al Naser.-Club career:...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1995–2001
  Atlante 12   Félix Fernández
Felix Fernández
For the Puerto Rican track and field athlete see Félix Omar FernándezFélix de Jesús Fernández Christlieb is a retired Mexican football goalkeeper...

Goalkeeper 1989–1998, 1999–2001, 2002–2003
  Atlante 3   Federico Vilar
Federico Vilar
Federico Vilar Baudena known as El Jefe , is an Argentine-Italian association football goalkeeper playing for Mexican first division team Morelia. Vilar began his career playing for Boca Juniors in Argentina from 1993 to 2000 and Almirante Brown from 2000 to 2001...

Goalkeeper 2003–2010
  Club Deportivo Guadalajara 22   José Martínez Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1970–1981 posthumous
  Club de Fútbol Monterrey 28   Jesus Arellano
Jesús Arellano
José de Jesús Arellano Alcócer , is a retired Mexican football player. He last played for CF Monterrey in the Primera División de México, with whom he has played most of his career.-Biography:...

Right Winger 1992–1997, 2000–2011
  UANL Tigres
UANL Tigres
Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, often known only as Tigres or UANL, a Mexican football club that plays in the Primera División. It is one of the two professional football teams of the state of Nuevo León. The team plays home games at the Estadio Universitario, located in San...

7   Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo González is a former Peruvian football player who played for UANL Tigres in Mexico, and for Avellino and Udinese in Italian Serie A. He also played with the Peruvian national team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1977–1982
  Ajax 14   Johan Cruijff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1964–1973, 1983–1984
  Utrecht 4   David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso
David di Tommaso was a French football player.-Early life:Di Tommaso was born in Échirolles, Isère. His father Pascal Di Tommaso and uncle Louis Di Tommaso both played in Ligue 2 for Grenoble Foot 38 in the 1980s...

Centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2004–2005 posthumous
  NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...

13   Ferry van Vliet Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2001–2002 posthumous
  Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....

11   Noel Bailie Defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...

1986 - 2011
  Fredrikstad 8   Dagfinn Enerly
Dagfinn Enerly
Dagfinn Enerly is a former Norwegian football player. He played for Norwegian Premier League clubs Skeid, Moss, Rosenborg and Fredrikstad. In 2005, he broke his neck during a match, which left him paralyzed from the chest down.- Career :Enerly grew up in Ammerud on Oslo's east side, and started...

Winger 2004–2005
  Chepo
Chepo F.C.
Chepo F.C. is a Panamanian football team playing at the Liga Panameña de Fútbol. It is based in Chepo. It was founded in 1999 under the name of Proyecto 2000 where it gathered young players from around the country aspiring to win a ticket to the Liga Panameña de Fútbol one day...

77   Jonathan Rodríguez Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2006–2009 posthumous
  Universitario de Deportes
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...

22   José Luis Carranza Midfielder 1986–2004
  Legia Warsaw 10   Kazimierz Deyna
Kazimierz Deyna
Kazimierz Deyna was a Polish footballer, who played as an offensive midfielder in the playmaker role and was one of the most highly regarded players of his generation.-Early life:...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1966–1978 posthumous
  Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...

29   Miklós Fehér
Miklós Fehér
Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal....

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2002–2004 posthumous
  Dinamo Bucharest 11   Cătălin Hâldan
Catalin Hîldan
Cătălin Hîldan was a Romanian footballer. He was born in Brăneşti, Ilfov. During his career he played for Târgovişte, Dinamo Bucureşti and international football with the Romanian national team.-Background:...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1994–2000 posthumous
  CSKA Moscow 16   Serhiy Perkhun
Serhiy Perkhun
Serhiy Vladimirovich Perhun was a Ukrainian footballer. He is the only player to date in the history of the Russian Premier League to die from injuries sustained during an official game.* 1993 - 1998 Played for FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk...

Goalkeeper 2001 posthumous
  Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...

21   Daniel Jarque
Daniel Jarque
Daniel Jarque i González was a Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.Jarque played his entire career with Espanyol, and was named team captain one month before his death from a heart attack, at the age of 26....

Defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...

2002–2009 posthumous
  Assyriska FF 18   Eddie Moussa
Eddie Moussa
Eddie Moussa was a Swedish football player. He carried both Swedish citizenship and Lebanese citizenship and was of Assyrian descent.-Career:...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2001–2010 posthumous
  Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...

17   Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1992–1993 2006–2009
  Kalmar FF
Kalmar FF
Kalmar FF is a Swedish football club located in Kalmar. Formed 10 January 1910, the club has won three national cup titles and 1 league title. Kalmar FF currently play in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan....

15   Johny Erlandsson Winger 1973–1988
  Norrköping
IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...

18   Stefán Þórðarson
Stefán Þórðarson
Stefán Þór Þórðarson is a Icelandic football striker currently playing for ÍA .-Career:Þórðarson played for IA Akranes, Östers IF, SK Brann, Kongsvinger IL, KFC Uerdingen, Stoke City, IA Akranes again and IFK Norrköping...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2004–2007
  TOT-CAT 19   Chanont Wong-aree Defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...

2009–2010 posthumous
  Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...

9   Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer....

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

/Striker
2005–2007 Retirement ceremony held on July 4, 2011.
  New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...

10   Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

Striker 1975–1977 Number retired on October 1, 1977, at halftime.
  Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...

13   Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones
Cobi N'Gai Jones is a retired American soccer player who formerly served as assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer , with whom he had been involved as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1996–2007
  Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai is a Vietnamese soccer club based in Pleiku. They play in the top division in Vietnamese soccer. Their home stadium is Pleiku Stadium.The team signed an agreement with Arsenal F.C...

13   Kiatisuk Senamuang
Kiatisuk Senamuang
Kiatisuk "Zico" Senamuang is a Thai football manager and former football striker who played between April 1993 and October 2007, currently managing Chula United in the Thai Division 1 League.-Club career:...

Striker 2001–2006
  Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

40   Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj was an Austrian professional football player who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He was ethnic Albanian.He died of a suspected heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.-Liverpool:...

Striker 2009–2010 posthumous
  CSD Municipal
CSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City...

15   Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata is a Guatemalan retired football striker. He is the highest-scoring player in the history of Guatemala's top division...

Forward 1990–2010
  NK Maribor
NK Maribor
Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from...

19   Stipe Balajić
Stipe Balajić
Stipe Balajić is a former Croatian football midfielder, who also played as a defender, and current RNK Split assistant coach.-Club career:...

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

/Midfielder
1998–2005
  Sporting Cristal
Sporting Cristal
Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...

6   Gianfranco Espejo Midfielder 2006–2008 2011 posthumous
  Skoda Xanthi F.C. 13   Olubayo Adefemi
Olubayo Adefemi
Olubayo Adefemi was a Nigerian footballer.- International career :Adefemi represented his country at the 2008 Olympic Games, playing all the games and scoring a goal in a semifinal match against Belgium...

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

2011 died in a car accident

Special cases

Team # Player Position Years Notes
  AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

3   Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...

Left fullback 1984–2009 The shirt will not be fully retired. Maldini has given consent for his sons to adopt the number 3 shirt if either of them play professionally for the club.
  América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....

10   Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

1992–1997, 1998–2000, 2002–2004, 2005–2007 The shirt number would be retired for a period of 5 years, starting in June 2007. However, jersey #10 has been occasionally re-issued for special cases, due to CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...

 rules, which state that shirts must be numbered 1–25 in continental club competitions (such as Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

, amongst others). More recently, this number was given to Salvador Cabañas
Salvador Cabañas
Salvador Cabañas Ortega is a Paraguayan football striker who plays for the Paraguayan national team. A prolific and natural goalscorer, he is known for his array of skills on the field such as excellent heading, accurate shooting with either foot, receptions in tight spaces, and a combination of...

 and is currently being worn by Daniel Montenegro
Daniel Montenegro
Daniel Gastón Montenegro is an Argentine footballer who mainly plays as an attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Club América, in the Mexican first division....

.
  Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

10   Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...

midfielder 1979–1994 The number 10 had been retired by Argentine Football Federation (AFA) in October 2001 to honour Maradona. Before the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

, the AFA submitted a squad list of 23 players for the tournament, listed 1 through 24, with the number 10 omitted. FIFA rejected Argentina's list, and the governing body's president, Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...

 suggested the number 10 shirt be instead given to the team's third-choice goalkeeper, Roberto Bonano. AFA ultimately submitted a revised list with Ariel Ortega
Ariel Ortega
Arnaldo Ariel Ortega is an Argentine football attacking midfielder. His nickname is "El Burrito" , thus he is called "Burrito Ortega"....

, originally listed as number 23, as the number 10. The number 10 has been worn by other players since, most notably by Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...

, whom Maradona considers his "successor."
  Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....

4   Norrie McCathie
Norrie McCathie
Norman "Norrie" McCathie was a Scottish professional footballer best known for time with Scottish club Dunfermline Athletic....

Defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

1981–1996 The club retired the number after club captain McCathie was found dead in his home on January 8, 1996, as a result of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...

 poisoning. At that time, Scottish League clubs used shirt numbered from 1 to 11, so for the remainder of the 1995–96 season, 12 was used instead. However, the number was not retired permanently, and has been re-issued since.
  Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

9   Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield was an English footballer who played as a striker. He played for Cullompton Rangers, Elmore, Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City.-Career:...

Forward 2006–2010 The club retired the number 9 for nine seasons after the striker died of cancer on 10 August 2010.
  Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC
Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club is an Israeli football club and part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Israeli football, and is the most successful club in Israeli football history with 18 championships, 22 national cups, 2 Asian Champions Cups and 3 Toto cups...

12   Meni Levi Defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

-2007 During a game between Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC
Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club is an Israeli football club and part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Israeli football, and is the most successful club in Israeli football history with 18 championships, 22 national cups, 2 Asian Champions Cups and 3 Toto cups...

 and Beitar Jerusalem
Beitar Jerusalem FC
Beitar Jerusalem Football club is an Israeli football club from Jerusalem. The club is based at the Teddy Stadium in the Malha neighborhood, and plays in black and yellow...

, Levi chest-controlled and kicked the ball, ran back to defend, then collapsed. He returned to his feet, and then collapsed a second time. He was subsequently on a life-support machine, and has since returned home. The club claims that the number 12 is unofficially reserved for the fans.
  Motherwell 10   Phil O'Donnell Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1990–1994, 2004–2007 Phil O'Donnell collapsed while playing for Motherwell against Dundee United in 2007. He was later pronounced dead at Wishaw General Hospital. The number 10 shirt was worn by his nephew David Clarkson
David Clarkson
David Clarkson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Championship team Bristol City. Clarkson, who plays as a striker, represented Scotland twice in 2008...

 during the 2008-09 season. Since Clarkson left in June 2009, it has not been retired, but has not been issued to any subsequent player.
  Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates Football Club
Orlando Pirates are a South African football club based in Parktown, Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League.The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They are named 'Pirates' after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn...

22   Lesley Manyathela
Lesley Manyathela
Lesley Phuti "Slow Poison" Manyathela was a South African football player for Orlando Pirates and South Africa.- Career :...

Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2000−2003 The club retired the number 22, after Manyathela died in a car crash in August, 2003. However, Confederation of African Football
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...

 rules state that shirts must be numbered 1–30 in continental club competitions, so Pirates has been re-issued it in those special cases.
  Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....

10   Peter Dubovsky
Peter Dubovský
Peter Dubovský was a Slovak footballer who played as a forward.After starting his career with Slovan Bratislava, he played seven years in Spain, amassing La Liga totals of 151 games and 19 goals for two teams....

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1995–2000 The Spanish Football League
Liga de Fútbol Profesional
The Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , more commonly known as the Liga de Fútbol Profesional is a national sports association responsible for administering the two professional football leagues in Spain - the Primera and Segunda División...

 allowed Oviedo to retire number 10 just for the 2000–2001 season, as an exception to its rules. At the end of the season, number 10 was re-issued.
  Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

16   Antonio Puerta
Antonio Puerta
Antonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish footballer who played solely for Sevilla.Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, three days after suffering a series of cardiac...

Left back, Left winger 2004–2007 The shirt has not been fully retired. It was temporarily retired after Puerta died of a cardiac arrest on the first matchday in La Liga 2007–2008 However, the Spanish Football Federation rules state that clubs must use number 1 to 25 for their regular squad, and as a result, David Prieto wore the number in 2008 in honour of his friend.
  Stabæk 7   Christer Basma
Christer Basma
Christer Basma is a Norwegian football coach and defender. He played 16 consecutive seasons and 350 matches in Norwegian Premier League, for Kongsvinger IL, Stabæk IF and Rosenborg BK. He is the player with the fourth most matches in the Norwegian Premier League, only surpassed by Roar Strand,...

Central defender 1995–1998 The club had retired the number to honor his services for the club. However, the retirement was revoked after 2004 season and the number given to Henning Hauger
Henning Hauger
Henning Hauger is a Norwegian professional football midfielder currently playing for German club Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga. He also plays for the Norway national football team as a holding midfielder.-Biography:...

.
  UANL Tigres
UANL Tigres
Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, often known only as Tigres or UANL, a Mexican football club that plays in the Primera División. It is one of the two professional football teams of the state of Nuevo León. The team plays home games at the Estadio Universitario, located in San...

7   Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo González is a former Peruvian football player who played for UANL Tigres in Mexico, and for Avellino and Udinese in Italian Serie A. He also played with the Peruvian national team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1977–1982 The number is currently retired but has been occasionally re-issued for special cases, due to CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...

 rules, which state that shirts must be numbered 1–25 in continental club competitions (such as Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

, amongst others).
  Sporting Cristal
Sporting Cristal
Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...

6   Gianfranco Espejo Midfielder 2006–2008, 2011 The number is currently retired but has been occasionally re-issued for special cases, due to CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...

 rules, which state that shirts must be numbered 1–25 in continental club competitions (such as Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

, amongst others).
  Maccabi Tel-Aviv 8   Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni is Maccabi Tel Aviv's highest ever scorer and is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the Israeli national football team...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

1989–2004, 2006–2008 Avi Nimni is considered by many to be Maccabi Tel-Aviv's best player of all-times. He is also the club's top goal scorer (174 Goals). He played in 1997 for Atlético Madrid and in 1999 for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

. In 2004 Maccabi Tel-Aviv's manager Nir Klinger
Nir Klinger
Nir Klinger is an Israeli football manager and a former player. He was manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv, before resigning under pressure on 5 December 2005. Klinger achieved with Maccabi the Israeli championship and two Israel state cups....

 sacked him from the club over personal issues and he moved to Beitar Jerusalem until the end of the 2005–06 season. Some Maccabi fans who hailed Nimni as a king came to the games during this period dressed in black and others boycotted the team until the management brought him back for the 2006–07 season. He continued playing for the club until the end of the 2007–08 season and then retired. The new management decided to retire the number 8 shirt as a tribute to his career at the club. In the middle of the 2008–09 season Avi Nimni was appointed as Maccabi Tel-Aviv's manager.
  FC Haka
FC Haka
Haka is a Finnish football club, based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.- History :...

14   Valeri Popovitch
Valeri Popovitch
Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch is a Russian football striker with Finnish nationality. Popovitch is the all-time scoring leader of FC Haka. After his contract ended with HJK in 2010, he joined Ilves Tampere playing in Kakkonen, as a player-coach, signing a two-year contract.He has also capped...

Forward 1994–2008 First ever retired shirt number in the history of Finnish football is ex-Haka's Valeri Popovitch's number 14. Popovitch has stated that his sons, whom are still playing for Haka's junior teams, can wear the legendary number if they want.
  Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...

14   Mark Philo
Mark Philo
Mark William Philo was an English professional footballer. He was born in Bracknell, Berkshire and spent his whole professional career at Wycombe Wanderers. He died on 14 January 2006 in a road traffic collision.- Career :...

Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

2004–2006 Philo was killed in a car accident and the number 14 shirt retired. It was later revealed he was significantly over the drink-drive limit and his car veered on to the other side of the road, killing a 58-year-old mother of two.
  FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...

14   Mohammed Zidan Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

2003–2004 FC Midtjylland originally retired Zidan's number 14, because of his exceptional abilities, but has re-issued the number to the second goalkeeper Kasper Jensen
Kasper Jensen
Kasper Jensen is a Danish footballer currently playing for FC Midtjylland.-International career:Jensen is former youth international player and played for the U-16, U-17 and U-19 in 4 matches.- References :...

.
  Universitario de Deportes
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...

22   José Luis Carranza Midfielder 1986–2004 The number is currently retired but has been occasionally re-issued for special cases, due to CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...

 rules, which state that shirts must be numbered 1–25 in continental club competitions (such as Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

, amongst others).

Dedication to fans

Some clubs dedicate a number to their fans, and do not issue it to any player. The most common number for this practice is 12, from descriptions of the fans as "the twelfth man
12th Man (football)
The 12th man or 12th player is a term used to describe the fans within a stadium during association football or American football games. This term has a different meaning in cricket, referring to the first substitute player who fields when a member of the fielding side is injured...

". All of the Japanese clubs reserve number 12 for their supporters. Other clubs and teams include:

Melbourne Heart Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....

 KRC Genk Atlético Mineiro Avaí
Avaí Futebol Clube
Avaí Futebol Clube is a Brazilian football team from Florianópolis in Santa Catarina, founded on September 1, 1923. Their best known supporter is tennis player Gustavo Kuerten.Their home stadium is the Ressacada stadium, with a capacity 17,800...

 Flamengo Beroe StZ
PFC Beroe Stara Zagora
PFC Beroe Stara Zagora or simply Beroe is a Bulgarian football club from Stara Zagora, that currently plays in the country's top division, the A PFG....

 Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG....

 Omonia Sparta Prague AGF
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...

 Odense BK Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

 Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

 Oldham Athletic Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

  Lens Mikkelin Palloilijat
Mikkelin Palloilijat
Mikkelin Palloilijat is a Finnish football club, based in Mikkeli. Club was formed in 1929 and has also had teams in volleyball, ice hockey and bandy. It played in the Finnish First Division from 2004 to 2006 but was relegated to Kakkonen at the end of the season...

 VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...

 Werder Bremen Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia.- Early years :The club was formed as SV Vogelheim on 1 February 1907 out of the merger of two smaller clubs: SC Preussen and Deutsche Eiche. In 1910, Vogelheim came to an arrangement with Turnerbund...

 TuS Koblenz
TuS Koblenz
TuS Koblenz is a German association football club, located in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Fussball Club Deutschland Neuendorf, which was formed in 1911, is viewed as the foundation of the modern club.-Play under the Third Reich:...

 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...


Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

 PAOK FC
PAOK FC
P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club...

 Ferencváros Újpest
Újpest FC
Újpest Football Club , earlier known as Újpesti TE and Újpesti Dózsa, is a Hungarian football club, based in Újpest, Budapest. The club's colours are purple and white...

 Persija Jakarta
Persija Jakarta
Persija Jakarta is an Indonesian football club from Jakarta. It is one of Indonesia's most successful clubs and the most popular sports club in the city. The club's patron is Sutiyoso, the governor of Jakarta until 2007. Persija Jakarta was founded on November 28, 1928, with the embryo called...

 Foolad Cork City Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

 Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...

 Cesena
A.C. Cesena
Associazione Calcio Cesena is an Italian football club based in Cesena, Romagna. The club was formed in 1940 and won the first promotion to Serie A in 1973. Since then, the club have been in the Italian Premier League for a total of in 11 seasons, reaching the best achievement in 1976 with the 6th...

 Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...

 Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...

 Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....

 Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

 Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....

 FC Seoul
FC Seoul
FC Seoul is a South Korean professional football club based in Seoul, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. It is currently owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS Group....

 Incheon United
Incheon United
Incheon United is a professional Korean football team currently playing in the K-League. The team's home town is Incheon, the third biggest city in the country, and the team's home stadium is the Incheon Munhak Stadium, one of the ten venues built in Korea for the 2002 FIFA World...

 Seoul United
Seoul United FC
Seoul United is a South Korean amateur football club based in Seoul. It currently competes in the third tier of the South Korean football league system, the Challengers League.- History :...

 Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...

 Club de Fútbol Monterrey
Club de Fútbol Monterrey
The Club de Fútbol Monterrey is a Mexican football club from Monterrey, Nuevo León, and the current champion of the CONCACAF Champions League. Founded on June 28, 1945, it is the oldest active team in the professional division from the northern part of Mexico....

 UANL Tigres
UANL Tigres
Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, often known only as Tigres or UANL, a Mexican football club that plays in the Primera División. It is one of the two professional football teams of the state of Nuevo León. The team plays home games at the Estadio Universitario, located in San...

 Yagon United FC Yadanarbon United FC Feyenoord
PSV Eindhoven FC Zwolle
FC Zwolle
FC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie, the country's second level of professional club football. The club was founded in 1990 after the bankruptcy of PEC. They have played in the Eredivisie, the highest tier of Dutch football, for a total of...

 IK Start Vålerenga
Vålerenga I.F. Fotball
Vålerenga Fotball is a Norwegian association football club from Oslo and a part of the multi-sport club Vålerengens IF. Founded in 1913, the club is named after the neighbourhood of Vålerenga...

 Pogoń Szczecin
Pogon Szczecin
MKS Pogoń Szczecin is a Polish professional football club, based in Szczecin, Poland. The club was founded by Poles from Lwów , who had been transferred west after the Soviet annexation of Poland's eastern territories in 1945. The founders of Pogoń Szczecin had previously been supporters of Pogoń...

 Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...

 Polonia Warszawa
Polonia Warszawa
Polonia Warsaw is a Polish sports club with football and basketball teams, founded in 1911, and is the oldest such club in Warsaw, where it is based.- History :...

 Vitória de Guimarães (from 2011/2012 onward) Rapid Bucharest Zenit Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...

 CSKA Moscow Aberdeen Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...

 Hammarby
Hammarby IF
Hammarby Fotboll is a Swedish football club based in Johanneshov - just south of Södermalm, the southernmost district of Stockholm city centre...

 Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...

 Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...

 FC Basel 1893 Chonburi BEC Tero Sasana Muangthong United Thai Port Fenerbahçe Sivasspor
Sivasspor
Sivasspor is a Turkish sports club based in Sivas, Turkey formed in the year 1967. They play in the Turkish Süper Lig. Their manager is currently Riza Calimbay. They finished 15th in the 2010–11 Süper Lig. Their current captain is Hayrettin Yerlikaya....

 Dynamo Kiev
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...


AIK
AIK Fotboll
AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...

, Djurgården and also the German club Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig is a German association football club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and won the national title in 1967.-History:...

 reserve the number 1 for their supporters.

Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

, Notts County and Bryne reserve the number 13 for their supporters, Panathinaikos reserve this number in honour of Gate 13
Gate 13
Gate 13 is a group of supporters of Greek club Panathinaikos. Officially founded on November 19, 1966, Gate 13 is the oldest supporters' group in Greece...

, the ultras
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...

 based in the respective gate in home matches. Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

 also reserve the number 13 shirt for "the fans" while Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

 reserve the number 13 shirt for the fan who wins a pre-season competition.

After their 15 point deduction, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 retired the number 15 shirt for the 2007–08 season
Leeds United A.F.C. season 2007-08
This article details Leeds United A.F.C.'s 2007–08 season in League One. This season was Leeds' first ever season in the third tier of English football and saw them finish in the play-offs. Dennis Wise started the season as boss, but left the club in January 2008 to join Newcastle as Executive...

 only.

Bursaspor reserve the number 16 for their supporters.

AFC Bournemouth use squad number 27 for the North Stand which houses the large majority of hardcore supporters, the number 50 for "12th man" and the number 99 shirt for their mascot, Cherry Bear.

Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

 reserve the number 40 for their fans.

Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

 have reserved the number 50 for the mascot, Filbert Fox, to which he wears the number on his shirt to every game.

APOEL reserve the number 79 in honour of PAN.SY.FI. (APOEL Ultras
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...

), as the number 79 symbolizes the foundation year (1979) of the group.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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