ADRIAN MUTU

Video Rating: 5 / 5

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.

Video Ranking: 5 / 5

Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu looks all set to leave Italian club Cesena in the summer. However, his destination has been known as of yet. There have been rumours that he could be set for a return to Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest.

Adrian Mutu played for Dinamo Bucharest when he was an emerging player during the 1999-00 season. Since then, Adrian Mutu has experienced a lot football. He has been part of both good and bad in football. Now, the 33-year-old striker is coming to the end of his career. As a result, many have been of the opinion that the decision to leave Cesena at the end of the season has already been taken by the Romanian, while he could be interested in joining his former club Dinamo Bucharest at the start of the new season.

Adrian Mutu, though, has said that he will look at the possibility of joining Dinamo Bucharest only club finish in the Champions League this season. This comes as a surprise given that it is very unlikely that many clubs will be showing an interest in signing the player in the summer because of his troublesome nature both on and off the field. Dinamo Bucharest are currently top of the Romanian league, and look on course to finish in the Champions League positions. However, they are facing stiff challenge from CFR Cluj, who are level on points with them.

“I dream about playing for Dinamo again. It is very likely that I’ll rejoin the club in the next few years, maybe even this summer, but only if they win the league. However if they don’t play Champions League football next season, it is unlikely. That’s the only way I will be there next season,” Mutu told Antena 1 with regard to his future plans.

Video Score: 4 / 5

An Adrian Mutu-less Cesena side could not perform well in the match against Fiorentina during the weekend, and as a result, lost the match 2-0. The result puts them bottom of the Italian Serie A table with no hope escaping relegation zone.

Cesena decided to drop Adrian Mutu for the match against his former club Fiorentina on the account of poor form. However, following the match, it seemed that they could have done well with the services of the former Chelsea striker, who is known for scoring goals even under the most stressful conditions. Adrian Mutu moved to Cesena in the summer after a disappointing end to his Fiorentina career.

He was all set to face Fiorentina for the first time since his move, but he may now have to wait for a long time before he gets the chance to do so. This is because Cesena are now rock bottom of the Italian Serie A table. They are a massive 13 points away from safety and relegation looks like a certain possibility for the moment. Cesena lost their last three matches prior to the Fiorentina match, but it was not enough to convince the Cesena coach about the inclusion of Adrian Mutu.

“I decided not to call him up because he wasn’t at my disposal all week and he didn’t look in top form against Chievo or when playing for Romania. Adrian is capable of resolving a match when he is in good shape. However, as things stand right now, we cannot afford to play anyone who isn’t at 100 per cent. He didn’t look in top form” said manager Mario Beretta.

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Video Rating: 4 / five

Video Rating: 5 / five

Video clip Score: four / 5

Adrian Mutu was extremely important in the match between Cesena and Genoa, as he helped Cesena record a 2-0 victory over Genoa. The victory becomes extremely crucial when you consider that Cesena struggling down at the bottom of the Italian Serie A table.

Even though Genoa are not doing well themselves, Adrian Mutu can surely say that he was the difference between the two sides. Despite being hit with a number of bans over the years, Adrian Mutu still retains the quality that has enabled him to play for the likes of Chelsea and Fiorentina over the years.

He displayed some of the quality in the match against the mid-table Genoa side. Adrian Mutu scored from the penalty spot in the second half. The first half between the two sides was deadlocked due to the lack of clear-cut chances. However, the second half penalty was enough to give Cesena the vital lead. They quickly capitalise on the lead by scoring 10 minutes later, with Adrian Mutu once again being the difference between the two sides. One of the main reasons for Cesena to dominate against Genoa has been the poor form Genoa have been showing this season. They have been unable to win any of the away matches since the end of September.

It was quite clearly evident when Cesena took the lead through Adrian Mutu. Despite going behind, Genoa did not respond to the manager’s urgency. In the end, they lost in the second goal to Mutu only a few minutes later to confirm their defeat yet again in an away match. Even though this victory has been extremely crucial, Cesena still remain in the relegation zone mainly due to their poor form that they have shown all season long. However, this victory helps them stay in touch with the pack.