Where Are They Now? AS Monaco 2016/17
With a youthful squad consisting of largely unknown players, AS Monaco embarked on an extraordinary giant-killing season in 2016/2017 that began with knocking Tottenham and Man City out of the Champions League and concluded with a remarkable league-and-cup double ahead of PSG and an enthralling European semi-final defeat to Juventus. In a season where Monaco seemed to be defying the odds on a weekly basis, the performance which affirmed their status as a genuine contender for Europe's biggest prize came on the 19th April 2017 via a 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2nd leg of their quarter final tie, which saw them progress to the final four by an aggregate score of 6-3. The starting XI that day is now scattered all across Europe and worth hundreds of millions of pounds, but did the the upward curve continue for Monaco's starlets or has the bubble burst?
Goalkeeper: Danijel Subasic - One of the experienced heads in a youthful team, the now-35 year old Croat was influential in in his homeland's journey to the 2018 World Cup final with 3 penalty saves in the Last 16 shoot-out with Denmark and another 2 in the quarters against Russia. Still at Monaco, Subasic lost his starting place in May 2019 and is yet to make a league appearance this season, and was not selected for Croatia's last round of international fixtures in November.
Right Back - Almamy Toure - A youth academy graduate, Toure was only a bit-part player in his 3 years in the senior team, and a move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 has resulted in only a handful of appearances for the 23-year-old.
Centre Back - Kamil Glik - The Polish international has remained an ever-present in the Monaco defence since arriving for £10m in 2016, but was linked to a return to his former club Torino in January. Glik became club captain at the start of the 19/20 campaign following the departure of Radamel Falcao.
Centre Back - Jemerson - Having only joined Monaco 3 months before the victory over Dortmund, the Brazilian is still at the club but has struggled for game time this season. A call-up to the Brazil squad off the back of Monaco's phenomenal season was short-lived, with the 27-year-old making just one start for the national team against Australia in June 2017.
Left Back - Benjamin Mendy - Mendy's standout performances throughout Monaco's run to the Champions League semis resulted in a £52m transfer to Man City soon after the conclusion of the 16/17 season, at the time a record-breaking fee for a defender. An injury-hit 3 years has left Mendy on the periphery of City's squad, although the Frenchman has still won 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and the FA Cup, as well as the World Cup in 2018.
Defensive Midfield - Tiemoue Bakayoko - A crucial cog in Monaco's midfield triumvirate, Bakayoko's career has spectacularly nosedived since leaving France. Having joined Chelsea in 2017 for £40m, his one year in London was a nightmare, with the Frenchman heavily criticised for his inability to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. A loan spell at AC Milan was equally unsuccessful, and the midfielder has returned to Monaco in the hope of recovering some of the form that at one point made him one of Europe's hottest prospects.
Defensive Midfield - Joao Moutinho - Ended his 5-year stay at the club in 2018 to join Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Was pivotal alongside compatriot Ruben Neves in guiding Wolves to the Europa League in their first season back in the top flight, and won his 100th cap for Portugal at the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Attacking Midfield - Bernardo Silva - The Portuguese playmaker was only 22 when he left Monaco for Man City in 2017, and his inexperience showed in his first season in Manchester as he initially failed to justify his £43.5m price tag. Since then, Silva has gone on to be one of Guardiola's key players as he dislodged Leroy Sane from the starting line-up in 2018, and his role in City's domestic treble-winning season earned him a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and a nomination for the 2019 Ballon d'Or.
Left Forward - Thomas Lemar - Relations between Lemar and the club were placed under strain after a £92m transfer to Arsenal fell through on deadline day of the summer 2017 window. Finally allowed to leave the following summer, Lemar joined Atletico Madrid for £62m but his attacking flair is yet to fit into Diego Simeone's defensive-minded system. Despite scoring just 3 times in the past 18 months, he was part of France's 2018 World Cup-winning squad and has been linked with a move to Man Utd.
Striker - Radamel Falcao - As captain and a club legend, Falcao remained at the club for another two seasons and was crucial in guiding Monaco away from the relegation zone towards the end of a disastrous 2018/19 campaign. At 33, he moved to the footballing retirement home that is the Turkish Super Lig in September, and has scored 9 goals for Istanbul-based Galatasaray.
Right Forward - Kylian Mbappe - Having set the world alight by scoring 26 goals in one season at just 18 years old, Mbappe's rise has continued exponentially. A staggering £165 million transfer to PSG in 2017 set the expectations high, but 103 goals for club and country in the last 3 seasons has gone some way to silencing the doubters. His 4 goals at the 2018 World Cup, including a 25-yard strike in the final against Croatia, propelled the then-teenager to superstardom and drew comparisons to Pele. Now 21, the Frenchman is unquestionably one of the best players in the world, finishing 6th in the 2019 Ballon d'Or and being heavily linked with a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid.
The Manager - Leonardo Jardim - Heralded as a tactical genius in 2017 and linked with most managerial vacancies at the highest level, Jardim remained loyal to Monaco but was sacked in October 2018 after a poor start to the season. However, by January 2019 he was back at the helm after Thierry Henry's 3-month spell as manager had seen the club fall as far as 19th, and managed to guide them to 17th, avoiding relegation by 2 points. Jardim was sacked for a second time in December 2019 having won just 37% of his matches in charge since returning, and is not currently involved in the management of a football club.
Goalkeeper: Danijel Subasic - One of the experienced heads in a youthful team, the now-35 year old Croat was influential in in his homeland's journey to the 2018 World Cup final with 3 penalty saves in the Last 16 shoot-out with Denmark and another 2 in the quarters against Russia. Still at Monaco, Subasic lost his starting place in May 2019 and is yet to make a league appearance this season, and was not selected for Croatia's last round of international fixtures in November.Right Back - Almamy Toure - A youth academy graduate, Toure was only a bit-part player in his 3 years in the senior team, and a move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 has resulted in only a handful of appearances for the 23-year-old.
Centre Back - Kamil Glik - The Polish international has remained an ever-present in the Monaco defence since arriving for £10m in 2016, but was linked to a return to his former club Torino in January. Glik became club captain at the start of the 19/20 campaign following the departure of Radamel Falcao.Centre Back - Jemerson - Having only joined Monaco 3 months before the victory over Dortmund, the Brazilian is still at the club but has struggled for game time this season. A call-up to the Brazil squad off the back of Monaco's phenomenal season was short-lived, with the 27-year-old making just one start for the national team against Australia in June 2017.Left Back - Benjamin Mendy - Mendy's standout performances throughout Monaco's run to the Champions League semis resulted in a £52m transfer to Man City soon after the conclusion of the 16/17 season, at the time a record-breaking fee for a defender. An injury-hit 3 years has left Mendy on the periphery of City's squad, although the Frenchman has still won 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and the FA Cup, as well as the World Cup in 2018.Defensive Midfield - Tiemoue Bakayoko - A crucial cog in Monaco's midfield triumvirate, Bakayoko's career has spectacularly nosedived since leaving France. Having joined Chelsea in 2017 for £40m, his one year in London was a nightmare, with the Frenchman heavily criticised for his inability to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. A loan spell at AC Milan was equally unsuccessful, and the midfielder has returned to Monaco in the hope of recovering some of the form that at one point made him one of Europe's hottest prospects.Attacking Midfield - Bernardo Silva - The Portuguese playmaker was only 22 when he left Monaco for Man City in 2017, and his inexperience showed in his first season in Manchester as he initially failed to justify his £43.5m price tag. Since then, Silva has gone on to be one of Guardiola's key players as he dislodged Leroy Sane from the starting line-up in 2018, and his role in City's domestic treble-winning season earned him a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and a nomination for the 2019 Ballon d'Or.Left Forward - Thomas Lemar - Relations between Lemar and the club were placed under strain after a £92m transfer to Arsenal fell through on deadline day of the summer 2017 window. Finally allowed to leave the following summer, Lemar joined Atletico Madrid for £62m but his attacking flair is yet to fit into Diego Simeone's defensive-minded system. Despite scoring just 3 times in the past 18 months, he was part of France's 2018 World Cup-winning squad and has been linked with a move to Man Utd.Striker - Radamel Falcao - As captain and a club legend, Falcao remained at the club for another two seasons and was crucial in guiding Monaco away from the relegation zone towards the end of a disastrous 2018/19 campaign. At 33, he moved to the footballing retirement home that is the Turkish Super Lig in September, and has scored 9 goals for Istanbul-based Galatasaray.
Right Forward - Kylian Mbappe - Having set the world alight by scoring 26 goals in one season at just 18 years old, Mbappe's rise has continued exponentially. A staggering £165 million transfer to PSG in 2017 set the expectations high, but 103 goals for club and country in the last 3 seasons has gone some way to silencing the doubters. His 4 goals at the 2018 World Cup, including a 25-yard strike in the final against Croatia, propelled the then-teenager to superstardom and drew comparisons to Pele. Now 21, the Frenchman is unquestionably one of the best players in the world, finishing 6th in the 2019 Ballon d'Or and being heavily linked with a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid.The Manager - Leonardo Jardim - Heralded as a tactical genius in 2017 and linked with most managerial vacancies at the highest level, Jardim remained loyal to Monaco but was sacked in October 2018 after a poor start to the season. However, by January 2019 he was back at the helm after Thierry Henry's 3-month spell as manager had seen the club fall as far as 19th, and managed to guide them to 17th, avoiding relegation by 2 points. Jardim was sacked for a second time in December 2019 having won just 37% of his matches in charge since returning, and is not currently involved in the management of a football club.
Comments
Post a Comment