Brown Ideye Says Broke Retired Footballers Should Face Jail Time

Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has stirred controversy by suggesting that footballers who retire without savings and end up broke should be jailed.

The 35-year-old, who recently announced his retirement from international football, shared his views on athlete welfare and financial discipline via his official X account.

Ideye urged players to start planning for life after football from the very beginning of their careers.

“Footballers, start saving for your future from day one. No matter how small your salary is, put something aside for your retirement,” he wrote.

Responding to a follower who argued that European-based players have no excuse to end up in financial distress, Ideye doubled down on his stance:

“They should be jailed for life if, after they retire from playing, they can’t feed themselves.”

His remarks have sparked debate over whether footballers deserve sympathy for post-retirement struggles or should be held accountable for poor financial planning.