Eike Immel is not alone These soccer superstars have also fallen low

Former German football millionaire Eike Immel now lives on 563 euros in welfare benefits. The former world-class keeper is not the only superstar to have fallen from football heaven.

Eike Immel turns 65The former football millionaire now lives on 563 euros in welfare benefits

David James - Goalie, model, unlucky fellow

His reputation was already dubious during his playing days. They called him "Calamity James", David James, the England international goalkeeper - in reference to a British comic character who notoriously attracts bad luck. After his career, this was even more true for James, who played 214 competitive matches for Liverpool alone and was also in goal for Man City, than between the posts: the now 55-year-old squandered his fortune, estimated at 20 million pounds. He also earned it with modeling fees that he collected during his career. A year ago, British media reported that James even had to sell personal memorabilia from his career: signed jerseys, balls and other memorabilia. The divorce from his wife, which cost him between three and four million, can probably not be seen as a reason for his personal bankruptcy.

Diego Maradona († 2020) - The wrong friends

Arguably no one was more gifted than him, certainly not in his day, and no one was more prone to self-destruction than him: Diego Armando Maradona. He enchanted everyone who saw him play - whether for Boca Juniors, Barça, Napoli or the Argentinian national team. Especially at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, which he turned into his own personal festival. The quarter-final against England showed just how close the genius came to madness. First, the 1.65 m tall Maradona steered the ball into the goal with his hand - or rather, the hand of God. Later, he fooled almost the entire England squad by dribbling halfway across the pitch. The World Cup goal of the century. Maradona found worldwide fame - but also the wrong friends. He drank, he did coke, he lashed out verbally - even as national team coach from 2008 to 2010. In the end, he only earned pity. He died in 2020, aged just 60.

George Best († 2005) - Everything squandered

If you want to understand George Best, all you have to do is listen to his most famous bon mot. "I spent a lot of my money on alcohol, women and fast cars. I simply squandered the rest." The Northern Irishman loved the ball and life. But that was all too short. At the age of 59, Best, the beau among the British island footballers of the 70s, succumbed to kidney disease. He had already had to undergo a liver transplant - and continued to drink. He appeared drunk on television, insulted police officers and was reported for domestic violence. But the people loved the winger, who played 361 games for Manchester United. 100,000 people wanted to attend his funeral in Belfast.

Uli Borowka (63) - beer, vodka, whisky

"I drank a crate of beer, a bottle of vodka and a bottle of whisky a day." The quote comes from Uli Borowka, one of the best defenders of his day. He was a champion and European Cup winner with Werder Bremen and an international player. Borowka, now 63 years old, pulled himself out of the swamp with the help of good friends. Today he is clean - and is meticulous about not drinking a drop of alcohol.

Paul Gascoigne - actually a nice guy

It was in the mid-90s, when FCZ were in Italy for their training camp. In the same hotel? Lazio Rome. Even today, ex-players remember that it got loud at the reception at some point. Gascoigne, then in the service of the Romans, stood at the counter gesticulating wildly. He was swearing and raving. The simple reason: the batteries on his Gameboy were flat. "Gazza" - few names are so synonymous with eccentricity and tragedy. He became addicted to alcohol and tried in vain to fight it for decades. But he was still banned. A former teammate once described the dilemma of the now 58-year-old as follows: "Gazza is the sweetest person I know - when he hasn't been drinking."

Socrates - the doctor dances samba

Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, or Socrates for short, was a trained pediatrician, cultured and a gifted footballer. He played around 300 games for Corinthians Sao Paulo and 60 for the Selecao, and was always regarded as a symbol of joie de vivre and fair play. In 1980, the Swiss national team and the Brazilians were on the same plane on a trip to South America. Andy Egli recounted in 2017: "Everyone danced samba in the aisles during the flight - led by Socrates. It was great!" Dr. Socrates enjoyed life - probably too much. At 57, he died of stomach bleeding and a broken liver.

Tony Adams - the pub footballer

When you think of a leader and a follower, you think of him. Tony Adams was not just a classic warhorse. He was captain of Arsenal FC and the English national team for many years. He was a champion, a European Cup winner, a role model for many - and a drinker. He drank every day, sometimes even before training, he got into fights. And yet he was one of the best, most revered professionals on the island. In 1996, he publicly admitted his illness. Adams is now 59 years old. He made it through rehab and has been involved in social causes ever since.

Eidur Gudjohnson - A joy to play with, on and off the pitch

It was at the end of 2009 that Eidur Gudjohnson found himself the subject of ridicule in the football world. The Icelandic professional from AS Monaco and former Chelsea and Barcelona player had squandered his fortune - around 9 million euros - at the gambling table in Las Vegas. He had previously begged the bank for loans. Four years later, it became public that a Luxembourg bank was demanding five million euros back from Gudjohnson, which it had lent to the gambling enthusiast - for the purpose of making a bad investment. Gudjohnson has since got back on track. In the meantime, he was also a member of the Icelandic national team staff. He is currently acting primarily as a mentor to his son Andri, who is continuing the family tradition and representing his country as the third Gudjohnson after his father and grandfather.

Gerd Müller († 2021) - The bomber with a restaurant

In front of the arena in Munich-Fröttmaning, Bayern recently presented a bronze statue of one of the greatest the football world has ever seen: Gerd Müller, the nation's bomber, who scored goals like no other, 68 in 62 international matches alone - a historic quota. "Little, fat Müller", as his former coach Tschick Tschajkowski called him because of his stature, dominated the penalty areas - but not life. After leaving Bayern at the end of the 70s, he moved to the USA. There, in Florida, he opened a restaurant - and was soon his best customer. The fact that Müller got back on his feet was mainly thanks to the then Bayern manager Uli Hoeness, the bully with the big heart. He sent his former teammate to rehab and hired Müller as a youngster. The bomber died of dementia in 2021 at the age of 76. Bayern looked after their former hero until the very end.