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The world of football is often a joyous place. But things can go haywire quite swiftly. With fans and pundits quick to jump to conclusions these days, players are one bad move or mistake away from being pelted with criticism.
But such outrage is external and players are usually trained or at least sensitized on how to deal with it. The worst thing for a player would be to be treated poorly by his own club. It puts him in an awkward situation and it'd be difficult for anyone to play to the best of their abilities under those circumstances.
A number of players have received unfair treatment from their clubs in recent times. Today, we take a look at five such players who have been unfairly treated by their respective clubs.
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#5 Arjen Robben - Real Madrid
Real Madrid have often got lost in their attempts to sign high-profile stars to the extent that they fail to appreciate the quality they already have in their ranks. Arjen Robben's abrupt departure from the club is a case in point.
Robben and Wesley Sneijder, his teammate for club and country at the time, were both sacrificed to make way for Cristaino Ronaldo and Kaka in 2009. Robben had a decent outing in the 2008-09 season, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos.
He was sold to Bayern Munich that summer for €25 million against his wishes. Speaking to Goal, Robben said:
"I actually felt very comfortable there and played very well, but when politics come into play and you do not get a real chance, you have to make a decision whether you want to keep fighting or to go and continue your career elsewhere."
#4 Mesut Ozil - Arsenal
Mesut Ozil was a loyal servant to Arsenal for seven and a half years. He lit up the Premier League for the Gunners with his elite playmaking skills and was nigh-on unstoppable during his prime. He decided to stick it out with Arsenal despite a lack of major trophies, albeit his commitment was bought for a pretty penny.
Despite being one of Arsenal's best players of the last decade, his North London stint came to a rather unceremonious end. Mikel Arteta's decision to omit him from the registered squad for the 2020-21 season came as a surprise.
It was done just a few days prior to the closing of the 2020 summer transfer window. The decision left Ozil in limbo as he couldn't find another club in that short period of time. In an interview with The Mirror, the former Germany international's agent Dr Erkut Sogut hit out at Arteta. He said:
“I just ask for fair treatment like with any other player. But to not be in the squad at all, that was a couple of days before the window was closing and it was too late for us to react anyway. Maybe three days, four days before when I was told he might not be in the squad at all, he might not be listed. So that was a surprise.
"First for the Europa League and then for the Premier League as well, that was not expected by us at all. The coach didn’t want him in the squad and the player has to accept that, what can you do?"
Ozil eventually left Arsenal as a free agent in January 2021 and joined Turkish club Fenerbahce.
#3 Frenkie de Jong - Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong has done a decent job for Barcelona since joining the club in the summer of 2019. Despite his abilities and importance to the side, he was widely tipped to leave the club this past summer.
The Catalans were desperate to furnish funds in this summer's transfer window and had decided to cash in on the Dutch midfielder.
De Jong was opposed to leaving the Camp Nou. But Barca went ahead and agreed an €85 million deal with Manchester United for the sale of De Jong, as per The Athletic. They also tried to force the 25-year-old to leave by threatening legal action against him over his current contract.
Barca alleged that the terms offered to him by the previous board involved criminality, according to The Athletic. Reports claimed that De Jong was adamant that he wouldn't leave the club until he got the €17 million that Barca owed him in deferred payments.
Eventually, De Jong stayed put at Barcelona. He has since been largely used as a substitute or been extensively played out of position. At this point, it feels like parting ways is the best thing to do for both parties.
#2 Iker Casillas - Real Madrid
Iker Casillas is a bonafide Real Madrid legend. He is one of the best goalkeepers of the modern era and played for Los Blancos for the vast majority of his career. So when Casillas eventually had to call it quits on his Real Madrid stint, fans expected him to be given a hero's farewell.
After all, he had made 725 appearances for the club, winning three Champions League titles and five La Liga titles.
By then, Real Madrid's relationship with Casillas had become fractured at best. They decided not to give him the farewell he deserved. So Casillas appeared at a press conference without fanfare, trophies, videos or an ounce of warmth and was reduced to tears over his predicament.
Real Madrid were obviously criticized for the mistreatment they meted out to one of their all-time greats. In an effort to color the perception, Real organized an official presentation the following Monday where fans were also present.
The Santiago Bernabeu faithful cheered Casillas and called for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to quit.
Casillas' teammate for Spain and long-term rival at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez, hit out at Real Madrid over the incident in his column on La Vanguardia (via The Guardian), the following day. He wrote:
"In recent years, I have seen that he is not enjoying himself like before. He even seems bitter and I think everyone in this country should think about this.
“It cannot be that maturing Spanish athletes are not shown sufficient respect, that people neglect to value everything they have done for their sport and instead focus on their defects, sometimes with malicious intent.”
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo caused a huge furore when he stormed off the pitch in the dying embers of Manchester United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 19 October. Erik ten Hag suspended Ronaldo from the first-team for his actions and the Portuguese icon had to train with United's under 21s.
Fans and pundits were divided on Ten Hag's treatment of Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers of all time. But given the circumstances, Ten Hag perhaps did the right thing. No player is bigger than the team and such actions have consequences.
However, Manchester United could have avoided this whole situation. They should have let Ronaldo leave or sold him in the summer if they he was not a major part of Erik ten Hag's plans. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has started just two Premier League matches this season.
Consigning an all-time great and club legend to the bench after making assurances about his role is rather unfair.
