The LaLiga stars who made the move upstairs after retiring

Ronaldo Nazario

The only player in history to have won LaLiga’s top scorer prize with both Barcelona [1997] and Real Madrid [2004], Ronaldo Nazario also won two LaLiga Santander titles to go with his two World Cups and two Ballon d’Or trophies. He is now a leading Spanish football figure in a different way, as president and majority shareholder of LaLiga club Real Valladolid, overseeing significant progress on and off the field during his two seasons in charge.

Gheorghe Hagi

Romania’s best-ever player Gheorghe Hagi also wore both Real Madrid and Barcelona jerseys during the 1990s, winning the Spanish Super Cup with both, on his way to becoming one of the world football’s most talented and mercurial playmakers. Since retirement he has focused his energies on FC Viitorul Constanta, which he both owns and has coached to win the Romanian League and Cup. He has contributed heavily to the development of Romanian national team players, including his son Ianis, now on loan at Glasgow Rangers from Belgian side Genk.

Davor Suker

The highlight of Croatian centre-forward Davor Suker’s time at Real Madrid may have been winning the 1998 Champions League but he also scored an impressive total of 114 goals in 239 LaLiga appearances, having first played four seasons at Sevilla. Elected president of Croatian Football Federation in 2012, Suker oversaw his country’s second-placed finish at the 2018 World Cup, while he also has taken leading roles on important committees at both FIFA and UEFA.

David Beckham

Another galactico turned team owner is David Beckham, who won many fans and the 2006/07 LaLiga title during his four seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid. The long-serving England captain also later played in Major League Soccer for LA Galaxy and is now currently president of Inter Miami CF, a new team in MLS for the 2020 season. Beckham’s continued love of LaLiga showed itself once again when he hired former Malaga CF and Valencia CF striker Diego Alonso as his club’s first-ever first team coach.

Josu Urrutia

Athletic Club’s proud Basque traditions and philosophy have seen many former players ascend to the club presidency over the decades. Most recently, Josu Urrutia held the position from 2011 until 2018, having previously been well known to supporters at San Mames as a tough tackling midfielder who played in 348 La Liga matches over 16 seasons in the first team.

Delfi Geli

Geli started his career as a defender with hometown club Girona FC in Spain’s third tier as a teenager. He continued his development at Barcelona’s youth team, played four games for Spain’s national team and won the La Liga title and Copa del Rey double with Atletico Madrid in 1995/96. He is remembered by many around the world as the man who tragically scored an own goal for Alaves in the unforgettable 2001 UEFA Cup final against Liverpool. Geli finished his playing career back at his local club Girona; he was elected club president in July 2015, overseeing their first-ever promotion to LaLiga Santander two years later.

Santiago Bernabeu

No list of players turned presidents would be complete without Santiago Bernabeu! Bernabeu was just 17 when he started playing for the Real Madrid youth team, and then spent two decades as the team’s captain and centre-forward. He retired as a player in 1927, just two years before LaLiga began in its modern form. He never left the club, however, working in administrative roles before serving as president from 1943 to 1978, as Real Madrid became the great club it is today. Such was his contribution to the club that the current stadium is named in his honour.

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