The development of football over the last decade has helped increase the number of women footballers around the world, especially in Europe. As a result, there have been several siblings in recent years who have gone on to careers as professional football players – here are the three most famous examples.
Eniola & Sone Aluko
Now known for her executive roles as Sporting Director of Angel City FC and previously Aston Villa W.F.C, as well as her appearances as a pundit and commentator, Eniola Aluko had a glittering career as a player between 2001 and 2019. The forward started at Birmingham City and Charlton before her breakthrough year at Chelsea in 2007. She then spent spells in America before a return to the Blues in 2012, where Aluko recorded 32 goals in 73 appearances over six years.
Eniola’s brother, Sone, has enjoyed spells across the Premier League, SPL and Championship, among others. One of his former clubs, Hull City, have had a slow start to 2022-23, with Championship betting odds of 4/1 to go down. Another of his other former sides is Reading, where Aluko spent four seasons. They have had a steadier start, placing mid-table at the turn of the year and therefore being among most pundits’ Championship predictions to stay up. As well as his time in England and Scotland, Aluko spent a year in China with Beijing Renhe before moving to Ipswich in 2021, where he is still playing.
Melania & Manolo Gabbiadini
Retired since 2017, Melania Gabbiadini only ever played for two clubs in her 17-year career. She started out at Bergamo in 2000 and went on to score a whopping 150 goals in 146 appearances for the club, before their bankruptcy in 2004 forced a move to AGSM Verona. Gabbiadini won five Serie A titles with the Gialloblu between 2004 and 2017, recording 153 goals in 150 appearances. Similarly prolific at international level, the forward made a staggering 114 caps for Italy, scoring 45 goals in that time.
By comparison, her brother's career has been much less decorated, with just two goals in 13 national team appearances. Despite not boasting any silverware to his name either, Manolo Gabbiadini has played for a host of prestigious clubs. The forward has represented the likes of Atalanta, Bologna and Napoli in Italy, as well as two seasons in the Premier League with Southampton. However, his most prolific spell has been with his current employers Sampdoria, where he has amassed 47 goals in 156 appearances, including an impressive bicycle kick against Sassuolo to welcome the new year.
Simona Necidova & Tomas Necid
Czech siblings Simona Necidova and Tomas Necid are yet another brother-sister pair to represent teams at European level. Necidova has spent almost all of her career at Slavia Prague, aside from a loan spell at fellow Czech side Liberec. She also has two goals in 32 appearances for her country, including a strike against Wales in the 2016 Cyprus Cup.
Necid, on the other hand, has been a footballing nomad by comparison. The forward has represented nine different clubs across the Czech Republic, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Holland and Poland. His most prolific spell came in Russia with CSKA Moscow, where he featured between 2009 and 2013 and recorded 30 goals in 109 matches. Necid, who has made an impressive 44 caps for his country, returned home to his native Czech Republic in 2020 with a move to Bohemians 1905, where he is still playing.
Women’s football is on the rise, meaning there will likely be even more footballing siblings across Europe in the future. While the men’s game has just celebrated the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the women’s is about to welcome the 2023 World Cup, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand from July 2023.