15 Players Who Changed Sides in a Famous World Football Rivalry

Thomas Atzenhoffer@socceratzX.com LogoCorrespondent IIMarch 3, 2012

15 Players Who Changed Sides in a Famous World Football Rivalry

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    There have been many players who switched sides over the years.

    Sometimes, it is a direct move and other times, it is indirect but ends up happening.

    One thing that is certain is that the fans never forget the wrongs or what is perceived as wrongs in their book.

    Some of the biggest names in world football are guilty of swapping sides and we look at the worst right here on Bleacher Report.

Eric Cantona

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    Leeds United and Manchester United have never been on the best of terms, but leaving one for the other is borderline sinful in the eyes of either fanbase.

    Eric Cantona is one of several players to have made the switch from White to Red.

    Despite only having made 35 appearances for Leeds, he had been influential in their success in both the 1991-92 and 1992-93 campaigns before leaving for United, where his career would then flourish.

Roberto Baggio

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    Roberto Baggio is one of several players to cross two major lines in the history of his playing career, the first being his move from Florence-based Serie A side Fiorentina to Juventus in 1990.

    His transfer fee at the time was a world record, but it came with a major fan backlash that saw riots in Florence.

    However, he would still make another move later on that caused more fan hatred. Five years after joining Juventus, Baggio moved to AC Milan for two seasons.

    After Milan he moved to Bologna for a season and then made the cardinal sin of joining Inter Milan, which saw him not only cross his old club, but pit fans in the same city at one another.

Wayne Rooney

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    Wayne Rooney was the darling of Everton FC and was thought to be the future of the club.

    However, all good things sometimes come to an end as the youngster took an offer to join Manchester United.

    He sealed his fate in many ways with the Toffee fans when he scored against them and celebrated by kissing the Manchester United badge in front of the Evertonians.

Fernando Torres

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    Leaving Liverpool for Chelsea may not seem as big of a sting as it would be, had Fernando Torres left for Manchester United.

    However, given the amount of high-profile games the two clubs had played against one another over the last six or seven years, between both domestic and European competitions it was a knife in the back.

    His just rewards for leaving have been nothing but heartache and frustration as he has never gotten his Chelsea career off the ground.

Frank Lampard

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    Super Frank Lampard was not always on the Blues' side of London.

    He made a mess of his fans at West Ham United as the England international left for greener pastures at Stamford Bridge.

    The Hammer's faithful will forever wish he could have been so successful at the Boleyn Grounds.

Kenny Miller

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    Scotland striker Kenny Miller is one of the few that made amends for having been a traitor.

    Miller left Glasgow Rangers for Wolves in 2001 before returning to Scotland and archrival Celtic FC in 2006, crossing the lines of one of the world's most heated rivalries.

    Even though he was only there for one season, he helped Celtic lift both the Scottish Premier League title and the Scottish League Cup.

    However, he made a swift return from Hoopville after a year at Derby County and was once again loved by the Rangers fans. They were far happier to see him screw over their enemy.

    He is such a Ranger he only left so he could leave Celtic.

William Gallas

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    William Gallas is the first on the list to have moved from one side of the North London Derby to the other as well as having crossed another famous rivalry to begin with.

    The first time Gallas broke the hearts of fans when he moved from Chelsea to Arsenal in 2006 as part of Ashley Cole moving to Stamford Bridge.

    Another four years down the road, the French defender moved to his third London side, joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.

    Gallas is the first player to have appeared for all three of those major London clubs.

Michael Owen

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    No one ever thought that Liverpool's once-darling son Michael Owen would ever don a Manchester United kit.

    However, upon leaving Newcastle United in 2009 he did just that, and still remains with the Red Devils to this day.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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    Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is only a few clubs short of making him one of the greatest traitors of all time.

    Moving from Juventus to Inter Milan in 2004 was his first step towards a treacherous path, as he went from one hugely successful Italian side to another.

    After three seasons in Milan, he moved to Spain to join in with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona dynasty. However, that never worked out as he was loan back to Italy after only one season.

    It was the side that he was loaned to and later sold to that caused the boo-boys out again, as Ibrahimovic crossed from one side of the Milan Derby to the other.

Carlos Tevez

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    Manchester United managed to practically steal Carlos Tevez from West Ham United in many respects, but their failure to tie him down or convince him to remain saw doors open up for him to take another offer in 2009.

    That offer was to move across town to join Manchester City and the newly-rich English Premier League squad.

    Since joining City, Tevez has been prolific when he plays, scoring 52 times in 84 appearances. Despite his influence on the side and his part in the 2011 FA Cup Victory, his recent row with the club has seen his stock drop.

    However, if he gets a chance to lift the EPL trophy with City over United, he will most certainly relish the moment.

Ashley Cole

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    Ashley Cole has already seen his name in the slideshow for being traded to Chelsea for William Gallas.

    Many fans were distraught at him having moved on and blame his desire for higher wages at Chelsea as the deciding factor in his move to Stamford Bridge.

Luis Figo

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    Luis Figo crossed perhaps the biggest line in football when he moved from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000.

    Five seasons and a game shy of 250 appearances for the Blaugrana saw him move to Real in a hugely controversial transfer.

    Figo would go on to win the 2000-01 and 2002-03 La Liga titles and the 2001-02 Champions League with the Bloncos.

    The player also is known for being the only player to have had a pig's head thrown at him during a match.

Mo Johnston

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    Mo Johnson was a hugely successful player during his time at Parkhead with Celtic from 1984-87.

    Following his time at one of Scotland's two biggest clubs, he headed to France for two seasons with Nantes.

    In 1989, he looked certain to return to Celtic, or so he thought, and even went on record at a press conference claiming that Celtic were the only club he wanted to play for.

    However, it was in fact the Hoops' arch enemy and rivals, Glasgow Rangers, that wanted Johnson and then signed him.

Sol Campbell

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    Sol Campbell was thought to have been Tottenham to the core after 10 years of service and 255 appearances.

    However, Campbell would break the hearts of the Spurs faithful when he signed for North London enemies Arsenal in 2001, where he would remain for another five seasons and eventually for a short return spell in 2009-10 for an additional 14 appearances.

Ronaldo

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    In all honesty, I cannot think of a player that was more of a traitor to top clubs than Brazilian striker Ronaldo.

    During his prime, he was one of the best to ever have played the game up front.

    He moved from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven to FC Barcelona in 1996. In only one season for the Blaugrana, he scored 47 goals in 49 games before leaving for Italian giants Inter Milan.

    While he was yet to swap sides, he was about to make a huge move that rocked the footballing world as after five seasons, 99 games and 49 goals he traded Inter for former arch enemy at Barcelona, Real Madrid.

    Ronaldo made his name in the Spanish Capita, scoring 104 goals in 177 appearances for Los Blonco' and frustrating Barcelona fans to no end.

    However, his one last twist of the knife blade occurred as he returned to Italy in 2006 to join AC Milan, the arch enemy of Inter.

    He only made 20 appearances for the Rosseneri, but there are few players that have been on either side of two of the footballing worlds biggest rivalries.

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