What has become of former Barcelona star Ibrahima Afellay?

At 34, the Dutch-Moroccan player has decided to end his soccer career in 2021. What has become of former Barcelona star Ibrahima Afellay?

Ibrahima Afellay, the highly talented player who played for FC Barcelona, never really lived up to the expectations placed in him throughout his career.

Even before his retirement, Ibrahima Afellay had invested in a number of areas that have made him a lot of money.

In 2022, the former Barcelona player is now one of the richest players in the world, according to People with Money magazine. Here’s the new life of former world champion Ibrahima Afellay.

What becomes of former crack Ibrahima Afellay, FC Barcelona’s fallen hope?

Career:

Ibrahima Afellay made his debut with PSV Eindhoven at the age of 10. A product of the club’s youth academy, he made his professional debut at the age of 17.

A talented youngster, Afellay was a regular with PSV during the 2004-2005 season, before consolidating his place until the 2008-2009 season. Courted by many big clubs, the Dutch club will have no choice but to sell its young prodigy to FC Barcelona, before the end of his contract in 2011.

With the Blaugrana, Ibrahima Afellay went on to win the Champions League in 2011 and the Club World Cup without really shining. The young prodigy will get a few minutes under his new colors.

He made his Barça debut on January 5, 2011 in the 1/8th-final second leg of the Spanish Cup, coming on for David Villa with just minutes remaining.

On April 27, 2011, he provided Lionel Messi with an assist in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, which Barça won 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

On September 22, 2011, Ibrahim Afellay tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training.

He will be out of action for seven months. On Sunday April 29, 2012, he made his comeback in a Blaugrana shirt, replacing Sergio Busquets in the 72nd minute.

After this horrific knee injury, Afellay was to experience a descent into hell, with the player unable to return to his former level. The following season, he was loaned out to Schalke 04. Afellay’s time with the German club also ended in failure.

The club even decided to sack him at the end of his loan. As misfortune does not come alone, Afellay was injured again for a further 14 months.

On January 26, 2014, after more than a year’s absence due to a hamstring injury, Ibrahim Afellay made his return to the pitch on matchday 21 against Málaga at the Camp Nou, where the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

The player will be loaned to Olympiakos the following season. He then joined Stoke City, before returning to his training club where the former Dutch attacking midfielder decided to end his career at the age of 34.

Ibrahim Afellay, the highest paid footballer in the world in 2022

According to People With Money magazine, the ex-Barcelona player is one of the highest paid players in the world in 2022.

Afellay has business sense, the player would have, Afellay would have amassed between the months of August 2021 and August 2022 the prodigious sum of 75 million euros, hard and fast. An increase of almost 40 million compared to the previous year, enough to boost his morale.

The footballer-entrepreneur is said to be worth around 215 million euros. In addition to his professional earnings, he owes his immense fortune to judicious stock market investments, a substantial real estate portfolio and a lucrative advertising contract with CoverGirl cosmetics.

He also owns several restaurants in Amsterdam (including the “Chez l’gros Ibrahim” chain), a soccer club in Utrecht, and is said to be involved in teen fashion with a clothing line called “Afellay Séduction” and a perfume called “L’eau d’Ibrahim”, all of which are financial successes.