9 Football Legends Who Ended Up Hated By Their Fans

7. Robin Van Persie

After being plagued by injuries early in his career, Van Persie's later successes coincided with a trophy-less period with Arsenal, and rumours quickly surfaced that the beloved Dutchman might be on his way out. Initially loyalty prevailed and Van Persie stayed, but as one of the hottest players in world football, a lack of silverware was disappointing, and in 2012, Arsenal€™s worst nightmare was confirmed. Van Persie signed for Manchester United in search of medals and if that wasn€™t enough to push Arsenal fans over the edge, he went the extra mile, scoring against his former club in a 2-1 victory. Old Trafford's new hero continued to embarrass Arsenal with his immaculate displays week in, week out, and he ended his break-out season with United as the league€™s top scorer once again, as he finally got his hands on the elusive Premier League title he had so craved. Arsenal fans will have taken some satisfaction last season as both United and Van Persie suffered losses of form, and Olivier Giroud outscored the Dutchman. But taking the moral high-ground isn't for football fans, and we can expect a specially raucous reception for the player when he returns tot he Emirates in a United shirt this season.