Freddy Adu
They called him the future Pelé. Considered a sporting phenomenon, but despite all the expectations created, it never enjoyed continuity in the US and ended up in Portugal. From there he went through various teams on the European continent without enjoying the prominence that was assumed.
Photo:
Rafael Suanes
MLS via Getty Images
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Alexandre Pato
He arrived in Milan from the Porto Alegre International. His first two years at the Italian club were good but little by little his level was falling by leaps and bounds.
Photo:
Claudio Villa
Getty Images
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Robinho
The bad sports behaviors of the Brazilian forward were fundamental so that he finally did not perform at the level expected by Real Madrid fans. After his time at the white club he fell to City, and from there to Milan. It will always be that eternal promise that was seen in front of Cadiz.
Photo:
JUAN MEDINA
REUTERS
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Anthony Le Tallec
The Frenchman was a member of his team’s squad at the 2001 U-17 World Cup in which he emerged as champions, scoring a goal in the final against Nigeria. After playing for Liverpool, Saint-Étienne, Sunderland or Le Mans, among others, he ended up playing for Astra Giurgiu in the Romanian League 1.
Photo:
Neal Simpson – EMPICS
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Portillo
Considered the successor of Raúl González Blanco, but far from that the striker passed through the Real Madrid squad without pain or glory.
Photo:
Shaun Botterill
Getty Images
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Adriano
He had all the physical conditions to become one of the best strikers in history but a life not entirely appropriate for a footballer made Adriano an eternal broken promise.
Photo:
DAMIEN MEYER
AFP
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Michael Johnson
Considered the next great talent in English football. He played 37 games for Manchester City, but injuries brought his career to a halt.
Photo:
Clive Brunskill
Getty Images
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Yoann Gourcuff
He signed for Milan from Rennes. Nicknamed the ‘Petit or Zizou’ at the beginning of his career but despite this he never came to resemble the former Real Madrid coach. He has played with the absolute and sounded like a possible signing of big clubs like Atlético de Madrid. But the media pressure generated around him since the beginning of his career by the great hope placed on his back was key so that he will never reach the expected level.
Photo:
Shaun Botterill
Getty Images
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Royston Drenthe
He came out of the Dutch quarry, and from one of the teams that has the most history, such as Feyenoord. Considered in his time as one of the great promises of international football. The white team bet on him but the play did not go as expected. The winger performed remarkably lower than what the whites had expected.
Photo:
PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
AFP
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Sebastian Giovinco
Injuries were key so that the Italian player was not the star he was supposed to be. After his time in Italy, Giovinco left for MLS to become the Toronto FC franchise player.
Photo:
Valerio Pennicino
Getty Images
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Anderson
He won the Ballon d’Or at the 2005 U-17 Soccer World Cup and after that his career was relaunched in a meteoric way. Del Gremio, he was signed by Porto de Portugal, being considered one of the future stars of world football. In 2007 he arrived at Manchester for an amount close to 30 million euros. The difficulty he had to adapt to England were one of the causes of his decline in sports performance.
Photo:
Clive Mason
Getty Images
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Jesé Rodriguez
He went from being a possible star of the white club to becoming discarded. Carlo Ancelotti trusted him but a serious knee injury and subsequent infection caused the youth squad to miss out on the road.
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Aurelien Meunier
Getty Images
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Bojan
One of the greatest hopes of the last years of La Masía. The pressure kept on him and the high expectations were, perhaps, the reasons why he had to leave the club of his life.
Photo:
Rodolfo Molina
DIARY AS
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Federico Macheda
Macheda was the ‘new Cristiano Ronaldo’. It got to be, but for a few days. He currently plays for Novara Calcio in Serie C.
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Matthew Peters
Man Utd via Getty Images
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Ravel Morrison
His career began with Manchester United in 2010. He then joined West Ham United in January 2012. Compared to Paul Pogba, he never reached the level of the Frenchman.
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John Peters
Man Utd via Getty Images
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Andres D’Alessandro
Diamond from the River Plate quarry passed through Germany, England and Spain until he returned to his country of origin. The Argentine midfielder, outside his borders, never gave up.
Photo:
Amilcar Orphali
LatinContent/Getty Images
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Goose
He was Neymar’s great partner at Santos, but he has not even reached the middle of it. He could be seen in Europe when he signed for Sevilla but his performance disappointed.
Photo:
CRISTINA QUICLER
AFP
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Jovetic
The player born in Titograd (Yugoslavia) has played in big clubs such as Manchester City, Inter Milan or Seville but has never reached that level that was assumed.
Photo:
VALERY HACHE
AFP
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El Shaarawy
He made his debut very young at Milan but injuries and lack of consistency meant that his football career was not as meteoric as was said at the time.
Photo:
MAX ROSSI
REUTERS
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Ben Arfa
With a prodigious slap, the Frenchman spent his best moments as a footballer in Newcastle, eventually signing for PSG years later. He is currently without equipment.
Photo:
LOIC VENANCE
AFP
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