الصالح نيوز : 10 رياضيين بدأوا بكرة القدم وصنعوا التاريخ فى ألعاب أخرى.. فيدرر الأبرز

Football was not the only path to stardom for a number of the most prominent athletes in the world. Before they achieved achievements and won titles in various games, their stories began inside the green rectangle, and some of them actually came close to professionalizing the game, before their talent led them to another sporting path.

From football to glory… 10 athletes who changed their path and made history with other sports

Between European club academies and neighborhood stadiums in various countries, the beginnings varied between those who dreamed of wearing the shirt of one of the major clubs, and those who practiced football alongside other sports, until the decisive decision came to choose a different path, which was enough to create immortal names in the history of global sports.

We review 10 athletes who began their journey with football, but later turned into champions and legends in other sports, according to a report published by the global “Tribuna” website:

Remco Evenepoel…from the Anderlecht Academy to the top of cycling

Before becoming one of the world’s top cycling stars, Belgian Remco Evenpoel was a promising footballer’s project, having joined Anderlecht’s academy at the age of five, and also had a spell with PSV Eindhoven, before returning to the Belgian side.

Football was not just a hobby for him. He represented the Belgian youth teams under 15 and 16 years old, and was on the path of development within a professional football system, but a new experience at the age of seventeen changed the course of his life.

In 2017, Evenpoel began practicing cycling, and his exceptional talent quickly became evident, winning world, European and Belgian titles at the junior level within a short period.

He continued his brilliance in the following years, winning the Tour of Spain in 2022, and winning the World Road Race Championship, before achieving gold in the time trial in the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming one of the most prominent stars of the game, even though his beginning was within the Anderlecht Football Academy.

Adam Gemelli.. 8 years in the Chelsea Academy before Olympic glory

British runner Adam Gemelli spent eight years in the Chelsea academy, after joining it at the age of eight, and continued until fifteen, dreaming of becoming a professional footballer.

During his time in the academy, he teamed up with a number of players who later made their way to professionalism, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but the decision to leave Chelsea was difficult for him, after his dream was linked to playing in the world of football.

Gemili continued his experience with Reading, Dagenham & Redbridge, but his talent in athletics began to assert itself, especially in speed races, so he decided in 2012, at the age of eighteen, to focus entirely on athletics.

The results came quickly, as he participated in the London Olympics, reached the semi-finals of the 100 meter race, and was crowned the World Junior Championship over the same distance. Then he became European champion in the 200 meter race in 2014, before winning gold in the 4 x 100 meter relay at the 2017 World Championships, and participating in three Olympic Games.

Roger Federer…a striker on the football field before ascending to the tennis throne

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer was not far from football during his childhood. He played the game with Concordia Basel, and played as a striker, enjoying the competition with his friends on the court.

But his talent in tennis was developing in parallel, and when he reached the age of twelve, it became difficult to reconcile the two sports, so he finally decided to focus on tennis.

Federer later spoke about having to choose between football and tennis, stating that he was playing as an attacking playmaker or striker, and that perhaps he could have had a future in football.

But the decision he took created one of the greatest careers in the history of tennis, after he won 20 titles in the four major tournaments, including 8 titles at Wimbledon, and topped the world rankings for 310 weeks, and also won gold in the doubles competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.

Despite his distance from the green fields, Federer did not lose his love for football, and remained a fan of the Swiss club Basel.

Steve Nash.. The dream of playing for Tottenham led him to the legends of the American Basketball League

Canadian Steve Nash grew up loving football, and he had abilities that made him think about the possibility of playing the game professionally, in addition to playing basketball during his childhood.

His father, who grew up in England and played football before moving to South Africa, saw that his son might have a chance to have experience in the English stadiums, and even discussed with him the possibility of moving to London to try to join Tottenham.

There were no guarantees of a contract or a place in the club’s academy, it was just an opportunity to test his abilities, but Nash did not take that step, after basketball began to occupy his interest more during his teenage years.

The decision was a turning point in his career, as he became one of the most prominent playmakers in the history of the NBA. He was crowned the best player in the league twice in a row in 2005 and 2006. He participated in the All-Star game 8 times, and also topped the list of assist makers in the league during 5 seasons.

In 2018, Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but his relationship with football was not interrupted, as he remained a fan of the game and later co-owned clubs, including the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Hakeem Olajuwon…a goalkeeper in Nigeria who became a basketball legend

Before Hakeem Olajuwon became one of the greatest center players in basketball history, football was one of the most prominent sports he played during his childhood in the Nigerian city of Lagos.

Olajuwon started out as a player on the court, before moving to the goalkeeper position, an experience that helped him develop balance, agility and footwork, skills that were later evident in his performances on the basketball court.

He did not start playing basketball until he was fifteen years old, when he had the opportunity to participate in his school team during a sports festival, after initially being on the handball team.

His physical abilities quickly attracted attention, and he moved to the United States to play for the University of Houston, before the Houston Rockets selected him as the first pick in the NBA draft in 1984.

Olajuwon wrote his name in the history of the game, after he led the Houston Rockets to win the league title twice in 1994 and 1995, and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 1994, in addition to being crowned the Finals’ Most Valuable Player twice, and being selected to participate in the All-Star Game 12 times.

Luka Sindrić: Dinamo Zagreb wanted him, but handball snatched him away

Croatian Luka Chindric started playing football at the age of six, in one of the clubs in his hometown, and was seen as a promising talent, until he caught the attention of Dinamo Zagreb, which showed interest in signing him when he was twelve years old.

But his move to Zagreb at that age was not an easy decision for his family, especially since his parents did not want him to move away from them. At the same time, handball held a special place in his life, after he began practicing it with the encouragement of his father, who worked as a coach for the game.

Over time, Sindrić chose to focus on handball, beginning a journey that made him one of the most prominent playmakers in Europe, winning the Champions League with Vardar in 2017, then Barcelona in 2022, in addition to representing the Croatia national team.

Thus, a potential opportunity to join Dinamo Zagreb’s academy turned into a successful career in another sport.

Yuri Knorr… Hamburg’s football talent chose the path of handball

German Yuri Knorr had more than one sporting choice during his childhood. His father, Thomas, was a professional and international handball player, but the son also showed talent in football, and played in the youth system for the Hamburg club.

Knorr continued to practice both sports until he was fifteen or sixteen, before he decided in favor of handball, after he felt that it gave him more pleasure, and that he preferred the atmosphere of training and teamwork within the team.

His career began to take a professional turn, as he moved to Barcelona at the age of eighteen, and played with the club’s reserve team for two years, before returning to Germany and shining in the handball league.

Knorr became one of the most prominent playmakers in the Bundesliga. He also became an important component of the German national team, won the silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and was chosen as the best young player in the 2023 World Championship.

Arnor Thor Gunnarsson: One brother chose handball and another became a football star

The Gunnarsson family in Iceland provided a striking example of the difference in sports paths within the same family, after the two brothers, Aaron and Arnor, chose two different sports, despite their common beginning with football.

Aaron Gunnarsson became an international football player, captaining the Icelandic national team and participating with them in the 2016 European Championship and 2018 World Cup, while his older brother Arnur Thor Gunnarsson turned to handball.

Arnur played both sports as a child, but made his decision around the age of fifteen, after he received call-ups to the Icelandic youth national teams in handball, and he did not receive the same appreciation in football.

After his selection, he built a professional career in Germany, becoming an important player for Bergischer HC and also representing his country at international level, his career going in a completely different direction than his brother.

Tobias Karlsson.. Three sports before reaching the top of European handball

Tobias Karlsson did not have a traditional sporting path. He started football at the age of four, then added ice hockey to his interests at seven, before turning to handball at 11 with the encouragement of his friends.

He continued to play all three sports for years, then gave up ice hockey at sixteen, but continued playing football until nineteen, before handball became his primary option.

At the age of twenty, Carlson was playing in the lower divisions in Sweden, then he got the opportunity to test his abilities with the Norwegian club Stavanger, to begin his professional journey outside his country, before returning to Sweden and later moving to Germany.

His most notable achievements came with the SG Flensburg-Handevett jersey, after he became captain of the team and led it to win the European Handball Champions League in 2014. He also represented the Swedish national team at the international level.

Andrew Pozzi…from local football to world champion in athletics

Football was part of Britain’s childhood for Andrew Pozzi, who grew up in Warwickshire and played the game alongside rugby at county level, before choosing to focus on athletics.

Pozzi excelled in the 110-meter hurdles race, and became one of Britain’s most promising talents, but injury prevented him from participating in the 2012 London Olympics, after he was forced to withdraw after crossing the first hurdle.

He returned to competition and participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics, reaching the semi-finals, before achieving his most notable achievements in 2018, when he won the 60-meter hurdles race at the World Indoor Championships, which was held in Birmingham.

He added European Indoor Championship silver and Commonwealth Games bronze to his record, and competed in three Olympic Games, becoming one of the leading names in British athletics.

Although his beginning was not in a professional football academy, his experience confirms that playing more than one sport at an early age may open different doors for talent, and that the path to the podium does not always go from the field where the story begins.