5 world-class football players who have lost their charisma

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

They were once considered as the future, or probably the possible contenders for the Balon d’Or, but with time their tenure as being some of the best players of their own position faded into oblivion. Not too long ago did they exist as some of the most promising talents in the world. Winning trophies for their teams in a much consistent fashion, they have only gone down in the history books as ‘good players’.

Of course, we remember most of them as our own childhood idols or as the legendary names behind our football jerseys. From the likes of Ronaldinho, who was once considered one of the best in the world, and arguably the greatest of all time, to the very recent ones in the form of Angel Di Maria, who is yet another player lying in the middle of nowhere.

With unbelievable careers both in the past and in the present, these ‘dark horses’ of football haven’t really been something to talk about in very recent times. As time fades away, so does their legacy.

Here are our top picks for 5 world-class players who were once considered as the ‘future’ of the sport.

#5 Arda Turan

The Turkish International led his extremely composed Atletico Madrid side to the 2013/14 La Liga title, Breaking the stalemate between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and being one of the most fierce attacking midfielders in the world. In 2013, he was ranked by the Guardian as #36 in the top 50 greatest footballers of all time, leaving behind the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata at that point in time. The attacking midfielder was considered as one of the greatest threats that the Atletico Madrid side had to offer, as his extremely possessive yet ‘composed’ style of play allowed his teammates to lift off their worries as playmakers.

After leaving to Barcelona in 2015, Turan, as well as Barcelona’s expectation went up extremely high, as Luis Enrique had bargained a deal for one of the most technical football players in the world. To everybody’s surprise, the Turkish turned out to be a disappointment. With only 36 appearances over a brief period of 3 years, the former Atletico Madrid powerhouse was seeing nothing more than just the bench. With injuries piling up in his CV, and with very little to brag about, Turan left Barcelona for the Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir on loan from Barcelona at the start of the 2018/19 season.

#4 Luis Nani

He was often known to have one of the best playmaking abilities in the world. With more than just delivering crosses or scoring goals, Nani was the pivot that balanced Manchester United from the flank. Ghosting into goalscoring positions and creating opportunities for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, Nani has had his good days as a football player.

The Portuguese International has had his trophy cabinet filled with silverware; From winning three Premier League titles to the Champion’s League honor way back in 2008, to multiple domestic titles, Nani has it all. Often considered as a reflection of his fellow International teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, his pace, agility and celebrational aspects made him, at the time, one of the best footballers in the world.

But with time, the Portuguese International was seen to tumble through multiple clubs at a very young age. From Fenerbahce to Sporting CP, he experienced less play-time and switching between clubs over the past few years, Nani is yet another football personality who the newer generation of football fans aren’t totally aware of.

#3 Mario Gotze

The 5’9 midfielder, who was the obvious reason behind the success of Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup Campaign, joined Bayern Munich when Pep Guardiola took over in 2013. With a versatile play style and an eye for goal, Gotze was considered as being one of the best young players in the world. With his tenure with Borussia Dortmund, winning the Bundesliga title back in 2012, the German International had experienced success in the early 2010s.

However, post-World Cup, the ‘German Messi’ wasn’t quite doing what he was known to do. He joined Borussia Dortmund again in 2016 and wasn’t quite delivering the kind of performance we’d expect him to deliver. Many said that the World Cup success exaggerated his talent and pressurized him to the limit, but certainly, that was not the case as he still continues to play.

After not being picked up for his international side on multiple occasions, Gotze’s tenure is said by many to be finished. As he too fades away with time

#2 Angel Di Maria

Following Argentina’s Campaign in 2010 FIFA World Cup, Di Maria quickly became a sensation. Often compared to the likes of Arjen Robben and Romario, he was considered as being one of the best wingers in the world. The Argentine International joined Real Madrid back in 2010 and was doing pretty well up until his much surprising transfer to Manchester United in 2014.

The Old Trafford was filled with a lot of expectations, as one of the best wingers in the world was now a part of their legacy. However, truth be told, the Argentine now seems to be fading away, as with the lack of goals and less play-time, Di Maria is yet another prowess who has lost his appeal in terms of being a world class player.

His current run with Paris Saint-Germain has been much better than that of his time at Manchester United, but with the inception of Neymar, Cavani and Mbappe, he has lost his place somewhere in the team. A quick and agile winger, Di Maria, at the age of 30, seems to float swiftly into the history books.

#1 Mesut Ozil

A maestro of a playmaker, and often considered as one of the greatest number 10s of all time, Ozil’s versatility and his ability to score goals for his team is one of the reasons why he is compared to the likes of Dennis Bergkamp. With a brief period spent with Real Madrid, the former World-cup winner left for the Emirates back in 2013, as a record signing for a German player at that point of time. His 4 FA Cups have been the most important highlights of his splendid career under Arsene Wenger.

Though his recent performances in the Premier League have been a little above average, Ozil’s notoriety of being one of the best playmakers in the world is now at its end. With fewer to no trophies since the last season, and with him looking absolutely fragile on the field, the former German International has not been able to win the hearts of the fans like he once used to do. Retirement from the International side has only led to his demise as an International player. With very little to brag about, Ozil now needs a restart in his career.