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#3 Aleix Vidal from Sevilla
Former Barcelona right-back Aleix Vidal has been released by Sevilla, the club confirmed in an official declaration. His contract was due to expire in 2022 but owing to a mutual agreement between the player and his team, Vidal departed the Andalusian side a year earlier.
Born in Catalonia, Vidal was part of Barcelona's youth setup for a brief period of time in 2001. However, he was released a year later, at 13 years of age. Having spent some time with Barcelona's two fiercest rivals, Real Madrid and Espanyol, Vidal finally found his stride in Almeria and went on to make 130 appearances for the club.
After a solitary season at Sevilla, the 31-year-old defender was signed by Luis Enrique's Barcelona for €18m. Brought in to be a squad player, Vidal could never make his mark at the Camp Nou and a long-term injury in 2017 eventually forced his return to Seville. The Spaniard possessed frightening pace and was adept at providing pin-point crosses but injuries prevented him from reaching his true potential.
With his injury record, it would be very difficult for the once-capped Spanish international to find a top-tier club willing to provide him consistent playing time.
#2 Max Meyer from FC Köln
Considered a prodigy in his younger years, Max Meyer has been dumped by FC Köln, after making a paltry 12 appearances for the club. He only joined the club on a short 6-month deal in January 2021 but it soon became painfully obvious that the German was nowhere in coach Steffen Baumgart's plans.
Capped 4 times by Germany, Meyer played his first senior game for Schalke at just 17 years old, catching the eye of multiple heavyweight clubs due to his splendid performances. However, the playmaker-turned-defensive midfielder stayed put in the Bundesliga.
Meyer's attitude towards the game has been his biggest adversary. While still contracted to Schalke, Meyer publicly criticized Christian Heidel, the German club's sporting director at the time, and stated that Heidel's constant bullying was the reason behind his departure. However, a bumper €190k per week deal with Crystal Palace caused people to speculate that Meyer's main motivation for leaving might have been money after all.
Still just 25 years old, Meyer is not linked with any club at the time of writing. Being released by two clubs in succession will definitely hurt his reputation, but the midfielder still has time to revive his career.
#1 Franck Ribéry from Fiorentina
The best of the lot, Franck Ribéry has been consistently brilliant for over 15 years now. The French maestro left Bayern Munich in 2019 to join Fiorentina on a two-year contract. After 51 appearances with La Viola, it was announced that Ribery has been released by the club.
Having won 24 trophies in his illustrious career, Ribery still hasn't declared retirement at the age of 38. He formed a formidable partnership on the wings with Arjen Robben during his Bayern days. The duo were fondly called 'Robbery' by their fans. Ribery famously provided the assist to Robben's goal in the 12/13 Champions League final, which ended up sealing the elusive 'treble' for his team. Indeed, the French winger's 12-year stay in Bavaria has inarguably attained legendary status in the books of football.
Ribery has been an excellent dribbler throughout his career, dazzling his audience by dint of his artistry on the ball. The winger has made over 688 appearances for both club and country in the 21 years of his senior career. While his on-field friend Robben announced his retirement at the end of last season, Ribery still hasn't revealed any concrete plans for his future.
