Florent Malouda is an example of what happens when a team takes too long to move a talented player who has performed well for the club but cannot play at that level anymore. Florent Malouda was one of the best midfielders in Europe from 2004 to 2010 and the best player on Chelsea in 2010. However, football can be a cruel game to a player’s body because there comes a time when your body can no longer do what your mind wants it to do because you are no longer a young person.
Florent Malouda career is over with chelsea
The play of Florent Malouda with Chelsea started to display signs that he was at the tail end of his career during training for the 2011 season and by the end of the season it was clear that he no longer was the able to perform at a level that could justify his place in the starting eleven on a regular basis. However, because Chelsea did not move him at the end of 2011 season nor have conversations with him explaining why they needed to move in a different direction he was unwilling to accept a new role and became a public relations disaster for the team.
Star players do not meekly accept being consigned to the bench, especially if they believe they have the ability to play. Florent Malouda’s situation with Chelsea is an example of the team management letting a situation slip through the cracks because the team was having so many other difficulties on the pitch. Unlike with Didier Drogba where the team realized that he could not perform at the same level as he had previously and had spoken with him extensively about continuing his career with another club, Florent was basically forgotten about as little discussion was noted in the press about him finding a new home after the 2011-12 season.
Florent Malouda isn't linked with any clubs
The moment a team realizes that a star player is unable to continue playing at a high level they need to contact his agent and be proactive in finding him another place of employment because if not he will become an unwelcome distraction and a good business relationship will sour in a manner such as one trying to drink milk that is well past its best before date.
Players who have achieved immense success such as Florent Malouda are very proud individuals and their pride and image is important to them. Placing a footballer who only one year prior was one of the best players on the team to the bench instead of finding a transfer was a recipe for a public relations disaster. His results at his current team, Trabzonspor, indicate that the technical staff of Chelsea was correct and that he is unable to compete anywhere close to his previous level. His Turkish club is in the bottom half of the Turkey league standings and he has not been an impact player.
The 2010 version of Florent Malouda would dominate the current Turkish league but not the 33 year old, 2013-14 version of Florent Malouda. Florent Malouda’s immature actions of trying to force the club to play him at the end of his Chelsea tenure were not correct but the Chelsea management is also not without fault. The team executives should have realised that Florent would not be satisfied with a role on the bench and they should have moved him at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season. Instead, the team basically forgot about him and he proved to be such a distraction for much of the year.
Sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to an employee who has served your company well but it is often the best move for both sides. Florent Malouda should serve as an example of why a team and player must accept that some business relationships are not meant to last forever and the team must be proactive in moving a player because if not, the drama that will ensue will only serve as a distraction toward the pursuit of team goals.
Florent Malouda top goals
