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The best footballers of the generation let down by their mediocre national sideClub or Country? This is a debate that brings out polar opinion not only among supporters but also among the players themselves. There are various factors that deter a player from representing his country at the international level. Lack of playing time, differences with the manager, loyalty and many other factors add to a player snubbing the opportunity to play for their country. However, the majority of the superstars are able to live their dream of playing for their country on the basis of their scintillating performances at the club level.Plenty is expected of superstars like Messi, Lahm, Ribery, Ronaldo, Neymar etc to be outstanding and brilliant at the international stage as how they are at the club level. They are expected to bring glory to their respective countries and anything short of a trophy they are labelled as flops. What about those superstars who are expected to carry the entire team on their sheer brilliance and talents? Are they flops or are they just plain unlucky to be part of a team that is not at the highest level?Despite the sheer weight of carrying a team through the tournaments, players are ridiculed and held responsible for their team’s exit. We look at 5 such unlucky players who are frequently let down by their national team despite their superhuman ability to win matches individually.
#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden
“You don’t mess with the Zlatan”. Under normal circumstances no one can mess with the creatively gifted player, yet one just needs to look at the performances of Sweden at the international level to know how to destroy a legend. One of the iconic strikers of this generation, Ibrahimovic has done it all at the club level. He has scored goals galore at each of the club he has played in and won numerous titles in Italy, Spain and France as well. He is one of the few players who have been able to replicate their club form on the international stage. He has scored 50 goals in 100 appearances for his country.
Despite being clinical in front of the goal and carrying the team on his shoulders alone, he has been deprived of international success.
The biggest reason for it being that he has never managed to have a support cast to utilize his wizardry. Since making his debut in 2001, he has been part of a team that got knocked out at the Round of 16 in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup. Additionally, he has been unlucky at the Euros where the team has been knocked out more often than not in the group stages.
The inability of Sweden to qualify for the 2014 World cup lost Ibramovic his chance to set the international stage alight with his magic. As Ibrahimovic rightly summed up “One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worthwhile to wait for the World Cup.”
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
The 2008 and 2014 FIFA World Player of the Year did justice to being one of the best players on the planet by scoring 51 goals in 47 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid last season. He has been phenomenal at the club level by being instrumental in both Real Madrid and Manchester United winning domestic and European honors.
What makes him a larger than life footballer is his superhuman ability to do things on the field which the average players can only dream of. He is capable of creating moments of magic be it assisting or scoring the defining goal almost in every match at the club level. However, when it comes to the international stage he is a marked man to the extent that his performances are made the reason for Portugal’s failures. He is unfortunate to be caught in this paradox.
CR7 has been unlucky as Portugal does not boast of players to support him or win on their own merit. He is always expected to be the lynchpin and carry the team on his shoulders. It has worked on some occasions where his magnificence has pulled them through; a point in case would be the World Cup playoffs against Sweden earlier this year. However, in most cases they are dealt with setbacks as negating CR7 negates the entire team. It is an irony that despite his club success he has not been able to make a mark at the international level.
"We're probably just an average team. I'd be lying if I said we were a top team," Ronaldo said. "Portugal was never a favorite (at the World Cup). I honestly never thought I would be a World Cup champion."
#3 Gareth Bale, Wales
The world’s most expensive player, probably the fastest with and without the ball has lit up the stage at the club level. After his move to Real Madrid, he was instrumental in bringing the La Decima back at Santiago Bernabeu after a decade. Yet when he is measured at the international level, his name doesn’t stack up in the elite list. Why so? It’s because Wales as a team rely on the superstar to continue wielding his wizardry in every single match.
It may be hard for Bale to establish himself as a Welsh Legend as the team he has around him is no way near his level. Without a solid force behind him which can defend the keeper and feed Gareth, it’s almost impossible to keep winning matches on solo performances.
For a player of his caliber, it’s a pity that he has never had the opportunity to wield his magic at the World Cup but will have a chance at the Euros.
#4 Wayne Rooney, England
The golden boy of England and the English media, there were huge expectations when Rooney into the senior team. Here was a prodigious teenager whose balance, flair, accuracy and ability to create moments of magic would have made the hardest critic dream of glory days. Who would have blamed the brave hearted for thinking that he would set the world alight? Going by his performances for Manchester United, he has managed to win everything at the club level be it Premier league titles, FA Cups, League Cups and even Champions League.
He is arguably England’s most talented player. With the fourth best Premier league goal scoring record of all time, it’s hence surprising that he was the one whose head was being called following England’s exit in Brazil. Rooney has played in different positions in midfield, on the left wing and as a number nine for United. His best football has always come when playing off a striker something which has never happened at the country level. Even under Roy Hodgson, the problem still persists of bringing the best of Rooney.
Rooney in spite of being part of England’s glorious golden generation never has had the support or quality which could help him replicate him club form. It’s also a fact that he has never performed England on the international stage, without a World Cup goal to his name. Yet, it can also be argued that maybe the truck load of expectations and the inability has been a cause for his underachievement.
If England are shaped to play to Rooney’s strengths, maybe, just maybe we might be able to see him do justice to his prodigious talent.
#5 Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast
One of the most complete strikers in the world when plying his trade at Marseille and Chelsea, Drogba was pivotal in Chelsea achieving success at the domestic and European level. A beast in terms of physical presence, Drogba has brilliant composure on the ball, ability to strike a ball like a bullet as well as an uncanny knack of combining pace and power which has resulted in breath-taking attacks and counter attacks.
Apart from being a lethal finisher with his head it was his positioning and his ability to strike fear into defenses that set him apart from the rest.
Drogba was part of the golden generation of les Éléphants that is brimming with talented players. The likes of Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Salomon Kalou, Tiote and others have been part of the national set-up for few years now. In spite of boasting one of the most complete teams, Ivory Coast has failed to deliver not only at the World Cup finals but also at the African cup of Nations.
A lot was always riding on the striker’s shoulders to carry the team through which has seen the team falter. Having scored 65 goals in 104 appearances as well as contributing to many assists, it’s a shame that the Les Éléphants have not been able to supplement to the mastery of Drogba like how Marseille and Chelsea have managed to achieve.
It is hence a disappointment that despite being one of the best strikers both at the club and country level, Drogba had to retire from les Éléphants without any success to show for his contribution.
