PERSONAL LIFE TAKES OVER
English football fans will remember Adrian Mutu as one of the large influx of players who joined Chelsea during, Roman Abramovich’s spending spree after taking over the club in 2003. Mutu came to Chelsea with a £15.8 million price tag and many Chelsea fans failed to see the investment justified on the pitch.
After conflicts with then manger Jose Mouriniho, Mutu tested positive for cocaine and was sacked from the club in 2004 to serve a seven month ban from football and a court case which still continues to date, with a final appeal to the European court of justice to avoid a 17million euro damages payment to his old club, which would be the largest fine ever levied by FIFA.
Although he will be well known for this, few will know of his career post Chelsea. After arriving to England as a talent 24 year old with a bright future in European football, Mutu’s fall from grace is perhaps not dramatic as many may believe. Mutu has remained an important player for all the clubs he was played for. Both during a brief spell at Juventus and during his six year spell at Fiorentina, he has averaged over 13 goals a season including being named player of the season by ‘il calcio’ during the 2006-2007 Serie A season. Despite this in 2010 Mutu once again failed a doping test, punished with a length ban.
The true question surrounding Mutu is to what extent his potential to be one of Europe’s top strikers was destroyed by his personal life? It is clear his rise to stardom was shattered following his time at Chelsea and the lengthy court case that pursues him. In the end it is fair to say that Mutu will fall under the banner of the one of many sportsmen whose personal life destroyed their promising career.