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LIST: The most high-profile retired numbers in soccer

With the news that Javier Zanetti will have his No 4 jersey retired by Inter Milan after a near 2...



LIST: The most high-profile re...
Soccer

LIST: The most high-profile retired numbers in soccer

With the news that Javier Zanetti will have his No 4 jersey retired by Inter Milan after a near 20-year career of excellence at the San Siro, the subject of retiring jersey numbers in soccer came up at the end of this week's Team 33

LIST: The most high-profile retired numbers in soccer

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So here are a few of the high-profile retired jersey numbers in the sport:

 

No 3

This number is no longer in use at neither Inter Milan nor their city rivals AC. Inter retired it in 2006 after the death of club icon Giacinto Fachetti, while Milan followed suit after the retirement of club legend Paolo Maldini in 2011. Maldini's number will be back in use should any of his sons make it at the club.

 

No 6

AC Milan and West Ham both share this trait for no No 6 shirts in honour of Franco Baresi and the late Bobby Moore respectively.

 

No 9

There are no No 9s in the numerical sense at New York Cosmos anymore after the North American Soccer League club retired it last year in honour of their former goalscorer Giorgio Chinaglia.

We touched on Chinaglia and the Cosmos with the club's historian before Christmas: 

 

No 10

An iconic number which also defines a position like the No 9, it has been retired at Napoli (Diego Maradona), Cosmos (Pele) and Budapest Honved (Ferenc Puskas). Three greats, so fair enough.

 

No 14

It comes as no surprise that Ajax have fenced off Johan Cruyff's famous number.

 

No 17

Former Celtic and Sweden striker Henrik has a strong association with Helsingborg having played with them across two spells and also managed them. The club retired the number in his honour back in 2009.

RC Lens also retired that jersey as a tribute to their former player Marc-Vivien Foe after the Cameroon midfielder's death due to a cardiac arrest in 2003. Manchester City, who he played with at the time, did the same with the No 23. 

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