Post-retirement life for footballers can be tricky. Professionals often become accustomed to waking up in the morning, travelling to either the training ground or to a stadium before putting in hours of tireless work on the turf.
After hanging up their boots, however, life is very different. The typical route is going into a) punditry or b) management, with Micah Richards and Pep Guardiola being prime examples of the respective post-football careers.
There are a select few who decide to buck that trend and choose a completely different pathway. Remember Fabio Coentrao? Well, he moved in an unlikely direction by switching sports and, interestingly, becoming a full-time fisherman.
It's a choice that goes against the grain, of course, but the ex-left-back, one who complemented Cristiano Ronaldo to a tee, has insisted that he is more than content doing what he used to call a hobby during his playing days.
Coentrao’s Unorthodox Post-Retirement Choice
'I used to go a lot with my father. I liked it very much.'
After leaving the Spanish juggernauts in the summer of 2018 following temporary spells at Sporting CP, Monaco and Rio Ave, he joined the latter before calling it a day to focus on his passion on the side: fishing.
The former Benfica defender, who played 106 times for the Santiago Bernabeu-based outfit across the years, purchased his first fishing boat while on the books at Real Madrid, having been raised to relish being on a boat in the ocean by his father.
That very vessel rescued 15 fishermen from a sinking ship in 2018 as Coentrao – who was named as one of World Soccer'smost exciting teenagers in 2007 – turned his passion into a full-time profession. Happiest when at sea, he said (per The Sun):
"The roots have been here since I was born. My father always had a boat, he was really into fishing. I used to go a lot with my father. I liked it very much.
Ruben Amorim as a player in the middle, with Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal 2009ish) and Angel Di Maria (Benfica, 2009ish) Related
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"Whenever I had that bit of time off, whenever I was on holiday, my life was... it was the sea, it was fishing,” he added before saying, "And, of course, I knew that one day football would end, I would have to take another direction in my life. My happiness is this land, the sea. And obviously that being so, I want to lead this life."
Speaking to the Empower Brands Channel, he insinuated that some people’s perception of enduring a career on the water is often incorrect, "Life in the sea is not a shame, as many people think. It is a job like any other. Not only that, the sea is beautiful and we need it. It has that there are people working here and the profession should be respected like any other."
By the time 2022 came around, per The Sun's report, the Portuguese had built a 45-person team, who – all in all – were working across three active ships. He’s also said to be delighted at the prospect of having younger people working under his supervision as it offers a pathway for a new generation.
Inside Coentrao’s Once-Promising Career
Portuguese plied his trade for Sporting CP, Benfica and Monaco
On Real Madrid’s books between 2011 and 2018, while he didn’t flower into the world-beating left-back that he was destined to become, his time spent in the Spanish capital was loaded with trophies such as two Champions League titles, the same number of La Liga crowns and the solitary Spanish Cup.
Formerly a 52-cap Portugal international, the left-sided defender came through at Rio Ave as a fresh-faced youngster and endured a plethora of loan spells between 2006 and 2009 before catching the attention of Real Madrid, securing himself a £27.1 million-worth move.
As touched upon, Coentrao forged quite a partnership with Ronaldo, one of the best players in football history, during their time spent on the club's left flank – but the two have grown apart in terms of their aspirations.
Fabio Coentrao - Career Statistics (Club and Country)
Club/Country
Real Madrid
SL Benfica
Rio Ave FC
Portugal
Sporting CP
AS Monaco
CD Nacional
Real Zaragoza
A lesser-remembered name from Los Blancos’ glory days and lucky enough to play behind Ronaldo for both club and country, what cannot be disputed is the now-36-year-old’s collection of silverware.
And while many players, including his good pal Ronaldo, are tempted into continue their playing career until their late 30s and, for the elite, their early 40s, Coentrao had other ideas with him hanging up his well-used boots at the age of 33, turning his hand to fishing in the process.
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 18/12/24