Dead end stars

The winter market train has passed and not all players have gotten a ticket to continue in professional football. Injuries, personal reasons or contract terminations that have not been able to connect with another commitment in any other part of the world.

Several prominent players will spend Mondays in the sun, at least, until summer. Once stars and now unemployed after ending their old clubs and not finding a new destination.

A hectic january

The list of players who have terminated or terminated their contracts this January leaves several notable names in a brief hiatus in their careers.

The most prominent case is that of Diego Costa. The former Atlético de Madrid resigned with the rojiblancos for “personal reasons” and left for Brazil, waiting to find a new club. Arsenal, Olympique de Marseille, Wolverhampton, Trabzonspor and even Micah Richards assuring that he could help City. He stayed on parole, but it never happened. It will be one of the 'bargains', if it returns to a good level, in the next summer market.

Along with Costa, two former LaLiga players saw the MLS finish like Pablo Piatti and one of the great diamonds of Spanish football, Bojan, who was a member of Thierry Henry's Montreal Impact.

Another less pleasant memory for the Spanish fan was also out of the squad in winter. It is none other than Graziano Pellé, the author of the 0-2 that left the Spanish team out of the Euro 2016 in the tie against Italy. ANDhe forward was a member of Chinese Luneng until January 1, when he was left without a club to open the year.

Also on this list are Alex Teixeira, former Shakthar star who went to Chinese football for 50 million, Ramires, former Chelsea who resigned with Palmeiras, Keisuke honda, who closed his Brazilian adventure in Botafogo, Skrtel, ex of the Liverpool to whom an injury of the Achilles approaches him to the retirement or Elias, former signing of Atlético de Madrid.

Those who are still searching

The aforementioned have just reached this situation but for some the thing is lengthening somewhat more as are the cases, among many others, of Enzo Zidane, Jonathan Soriano, Alexandre Pato, Jefferson Farfán or Samir Nasri.

The latter is, perhaps, the greatest talent and worst character that prevented him from becoming the young star who dazzled the world with his remarkable technique since Olympique de Marseille. In June there was talk of a last big contract in Dubai but, since leaving Anderlecht in July, it has not found a destination.

Another great talent like Pato had his injuries cut off and at 31 he is without destination for the first time. Also Soriano, Espanyol youth squad, who was always a guaranteed scorer being the top scorer in Second (32 goals with Barça B), three times from the Austrian Bundesliga (31 goals in 13/14, as many in 14/15 and 21 in 15/16) and on one occasion of the Europa League, when he scored 11 goals in the 2014 edition.

Proven players who are still looking for a team and who, except for surprise, will have to wait for the summer to reach a new destination.