Sport and politics should never mix... Or so the saying goes. But when it comes to goalkeepers, life is never that simple and having bossed around their respective defences for nigh on twenty years, many feel the need to enter the profession in order fill the void of telling people what to do and where to stand. Others, however, became victims due to their outspoken views and opinions.

Divided Loyalties
Life in Spain during the Civil War was never going to be easy for Ricardo Zamora. The legendary goalkeeper's allegiances with always a matter of great controversy and his playing career gave no indication of which side he was on. As a result, both sides tried to exploit his standing for their own benefit. Despite being awarded the Order of the Republic medal by the president of the Second Spanish Republic in 1934, Zamora was imprisoned by Republican militia during the war after the Nationalists made the most of a rumour that the goalkeeper had been shot and killed in 1936. He managed to avoid being executed due to his willingness to play football with his guards and he was eventually released with a little help from the Argentinian Embassy. He later returned to Spain and muddied the waters further by playing in a benefit game for Nationalist solders befoe eventuall being awarded the Great Cross of the Order of Cisneros by Franco. Which side was he on? You decide!

A Spaceman Came Travelling
Former Coventry City goalkeeper, sports presenter and self-proclaimed saviour of mankind David Icke was a Green Party spokesman before he had a visit from the spirit world, which taught him that earth was secretly ruled by reptilian humanoids from the constellation Draco. Unsurprisingly, they disowned him.

A Cultured Man
After retiring from the professional game, former East German international Jurgen Croy became City Commissioner for Education, Culture and Sports in his hometown of Zwickau, remaining in the post for ten years.

A Cambridge blue
Not content with representing Cambridge University at football, England international John Frederick Peel Rawlinson later went on to become the Universtiy's Member of Parliament in 1906 - yes, they used to have their own MPs - and remained in office until 1923.

A Soldier's Tale
General Guillermo Suárez Masón, who was part of Argentina's military junta that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983, once played in goal for Argentinos Juniors' youth side. He was later charged with 430 disappearances and 39 murders following the regime's collapse after the Falklands Conflict.

Officer in Charge
Charles Charsley, the Small Heath goalkeeper who later went on to become Chief Constable of Coventry, also held the position of Deputy Mayor of Weston-Super-Mare from 1939 to 1940.

Active on Two Fronts
When not keeping goal for FK Sarajevo, Bosnian international Muhamed Alaim keeps himself busy by immersing himself in the local political scene and is an active member of the Party of Democratic Action.

Making Enemies
Portuguese goalkeeper Carlos António Gomes ended up in exile after becoming an outspoken critic of Portugal's fascist regime in the 1960s. The former international and first-choice keeper for Sporting Lisbon had enjoyed a successful career before allegations of rape, instigated by the political police of the regime, forced him to flee to Spain.

Keeper on the Right Wing
In September 2008, Italian international Christian Abbiati decided to break his silence about his political beliefs and declared that he was a fascist, stating "I am not ashamed to proclaim my political beliefs. I share [the] ideals of fascism, such as the fatherland and the values of the Catholic religion."

Put on the Spot
In 2001, former Yugoslavian international Dragan Pantelic, who scored over 25 career goals from the penalty spot, became a deputy in the Serbian National Assembly.

Prime Mover
He may have kept goal for the Faroe Islands but that wasn't enough for Kaj Leo Johannesen, who decided he wanted to save the entire country. Having served on the City Council of Tórshavn, he went on to become the country's prime minister, representing the Faroese Unionist Party (Sambandsflokkurin), taking office on 26 September, 2008.

Keeping his Council
After hanging up his gloves, former Burnley goalkeeper Albert Sanderson entered the world of local politics and enjoyed a thirty-year stint as a Labour councillor in Rochdale. First elected in the 1960s, the highlight of his political career came in 1983 when he became Mayor of the borough, holding the position until the following year.

Pyramid Schemer
Ahmed Shobair, who was part of Egypt's 1990 World Cup squad, served a term in the Egyptian Parliament from 2005 until 2010, representing the city of Tanta. He was also a member of the ruling National Democratic Party that was dissovled following the Arab Uprising in 2011 that toppled Egypt's dictator President Hosni Mubarak.

Keeper of the Opposition
In November 2004 Former Iran international Nasser Hejazi, who kept goal against Scotland in the 1978 World Cup Finals, announced his intention to stand for the Iranian presidential election the following year but his nomination was rejected by the Guardian Council of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran. Officially, his application was rejected on the grounds that he did not possess the necessary experience to run for office but rumour has it that he was seen as a realistic threat to the ruling party, such was his popularity in the country. Hejazi remained an outspoke supporter of the Iranian government and was banned by Iranian Television Network after speaking out against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, although his continued popularity saw this decision revoked soon after.

Pole Position
Former Poland goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski, the player who kept England at bay at Wembley in 1973, was elected to the Polish parliament in November 2011, representing the right-wing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Triple Whammy
Italy's Stefano Tacconi made several ill-fated attempts at running for office after hanging up his gloves. In 1999 the former Juventus and Genoa keeper was on Alleanza Nazionale's lists for the European parliamentary elections, but failed to earn a seat. In 2005 he attempted to run for the president of Lombardy, opting to represent Nuovo MSI - an extreme right-wing party - but failed to secure enough support of validate his candidacy before trying his luck a third time and running for council in the city of Milan the following year. However, three did not prove to be a charm as he only gained 57 votes and failed once again to get elected.

Connect Four
Following a successful 15-year career with Atlético Mineiro, Olavo Leite de Bastos, who was better known by the nickname Kafunga, served as an alderman and deputy for four legislatures in the municipality of Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

Second Choice Goalie
Italian international Giovanni Galli, who played for a string of Serie A clubs including Fiorentina, Milan and Napoli during his career, ran for Mayor in Florence as the centre-right candidate under the patronage of Silvio Berlusconi in March 2009 but was defeated by his centre-left opponent after taking only 40% of the local vote.