Buyers Beware: Five post-World Cup switch flops
The World Cup is the most important stage in soccer because the planet pauses for the sport’s best occasion. A profitable event can cement a participant’s place in historical past and previous editions have seen a number of stars make their identify.
There is not any larger store window than a World Cup, however sides ought to take warning when splashing the money on abilities who’ve thrived at main tournaments.
Here are 5 footballers who flopped after post-World Cup transfers to the Premier League.
Stéphane Guivarc’h
One of the least memorable members of France’s victorious squad from 1998, Stéphane Guivarc’h began the ultimate win over Brazil as Les Bleus have been topped world champions on residence soil
Guivarc’h broke into the France facet following prolific kind domestically, as he gained the Ligue 1 Golden Boot in consecutive campaigns for Rennes and Auxerre. The second of these successes noticed Guivarc’h finish the 1997/98 marketing campaign as main scorer within the league and UEFA Cup, kind which noticed him begin 4 fixtures for France on the World Cup, together with every recreation from the quarter-finals onwards.
Stephane Guivarc'h Newcastle 1998. Fair to say it didn't work at Tyneside pic.twitter.com/g4E7E8ZRXs
— 80s&90sfootball
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(@80s90sfootball) September 4, 2021
The ahead failed to seek out the online within the event, however ended with a World Cup winners’ medal as Zinedine Zidane’s double downed Brazil within the remaining. He moved to Newcastle that summer time with hopes excessive that the Frenchman may kind a fantastic understanding with Alan Shearer.
He scored on his debut in opposition to Liverpool, however made simply three additional appearances for the Magpies. Guivarc’h fell out of favour after Ruud Gullit changed Kenny Dalglish as supervisor and was offered to Rangers in November 1998, simply months after his arrival.
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El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Diouf shaped a part of a Senegal group that captured the creativeness on the 2002 World Cup, beating holders France within the event’s opening fixture.
Senegal shocked to succeed in the quarter-finals and Diouf was seen as his facet’s star identify, as he earned inclusion within the World Cup’s All-Star Team and gained the African Footballer of the Year award for his performances.
Liverpool gained the race for his signature and secured a £10m deal for the Lens ahead, as Gerard Houllier appeared to strengthen a facet that had completed as Premier League runners-up the earlier season.
Throwback to El Hadji Diouf laying into a few of his former Liverpool teammates again in 2017…
Some fairly harsh phrases about Carragher
#LFC
@BBCAfricapic.twitter.com/BqTSnH25e0
— Oddschanger (@Oddschanger) January 5, 2021
The Reds turned down the prospect to completely signal loanee Nicolas Anelka in favour of the deal for Diouf, a choice the membership got here to remorse because the Senegalese striker struggled at Anfield. He scored twice on his residence debut in opposition to Southampton, however it will be a seven month wait earlier than the ahead subsequent troubled the scoresheet.
“He has one of many worst strike charges of any ahead in Liverpool historical past.
“He’s the only no. 9 ever to go through a whole season without scoring, in fact he’s probably the only no. 9 of any club to do that. He was always the last one to get picked in training.”
– Jamie Carragher
His second season was even worse, as he grew to become the primary Liverpool quantity 9 in historical past to go a complete season with out scoring. Controversial clashes with membership greats Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have ensured his reputation on Merseyside is minimal, whereas an incident which noticed Diouf spit at a Celtic fan throughout a UEFA Cup tie between the groups additional soured his fame.
Salif Diao
Salif Diao joined compatriot Diouf at Liverpool in 2002, having impressed alongside the ahead throughout Senegal’s profitable run to the World Cup quarter-finals.
The highly effective midfielder had shaped a powerful midfield axis with Papa Bouba Diop for the nationwide group, however struggled to make any type of an impression at Anfield. He made 26 league appearances – typically out of place in defence – throughout his first season, however fell out of favour following a disappointing debut marketing campaign.
Jamie Carragher on former Liverpool teammate Salif Diao pic.twitter.com/vitXqkUOVa
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) October 12, 2014
Rafael Benitez’s arrival as supervisor in 2004 noticed Diao moved on, as he hung out on mortgage at Birmingham, Portsmouth and Stoke earlier than leaving Liverpool on a everlasting foundation for the latter.
Kleberson
Kleberson had been hailed because the ‘driving drive’ of Brazil’s World Cup success in 2002, with supervisor Luiz Felipe Scolari lauding the midfielder for his contribution to the trigger.
Alongside the brilliance of the ‘Three Rs’ in Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, Kleberson impressed as Brazil have been topped World Cup winners for a fifth time in Japan and South Korea.
The following summer time Manchester United agreed a deal to signal Kleberson from Athletico Paranaense, with Sir Alex Ferguson assured the 24-year-old may very well be a long-term answer within the Red Devils’ engine room. Such was his confidence, Juan Sebastien Veron – signed in a British report deal two years earlier – was allowed to depart, however Ferguson ended up swapping one South American disappointment for an additional.
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Kleberson did not stay as much as expectations and made simply 20 league appearances throughout two seasons, with health points partly in charge for his wrestle to adapt to the Premier League. He was offered to Besiktas in 2005, earlier than embarking on a nomadic profession that by no means once more reached the heights of 2002.
Andreas Isaksson
Isaksson appeared a shrewd signing for Manchester City in 2006, because the Citizens secured the signing of the Sweden primary.
The goalkeeper had impressed throughout his group’s run to the final 16 at that summer time’s World Cup, conserving two clear sheets, earlier than Sweden’s exit to host nation Germany within the first knockout spherical.
Signed for simply £2m, it appeared a discount buy for an skilled worldwide shot-stopper, however Isaksson proved an underwhelming signing. Fitness points plagued the goalkeeper at Eastlands and he made simply 19 league appearances throughout two seasons, struggling to dislodge Nicky Weaver as primary.
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His remaining look for City proved a harrowing one, as Sven-Göran Eriksson facet have been thrashed 8-1 at Middlesbrough on the ultimate weekend of the 2007/08 season.
Read – Iconic Performances: The night Zinedine Zidane dominated Brazil
Read Also – Iconic Performances: Franco Baresi’s display of enduring fortitude in the 1994 World Cup final
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The publish Buyers Beware: Five post-World Cup transfer flops first appeared on The Football Faithful. Source – thefootballfaithful.com