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Football is a fickle sport, and recency bias often sees players and managers branded losers or winners on the basis of a small sample size.
A bad patch of form or poor run at a new club may see fans getting frustrated with a particular player, despite all his previous achievements. The unforgiving nature of the sport is such that a bad touch or a misplaced pass is enough to define and label a player.
Various players have bore the brunt of that. Romelu Lukaku, during his spell with Manchester United, was considered by many to be a middling striker. With Inter Milan, he has turned out to be one of the best in the world.
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Moreover, players playing in Ligue 1 and Bundesliga are often not rated highly, because of the apparent 'easy' nature of the league. On that note, here's a look at five such superstars who do not get the respect they deserve.
#5 Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria's insipid spell at Manchester United has gone on to define the player, despite his stellar achievements with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina.
Di Maria joined Real Madrid from Benfica in 2010 and made his name as a technically gifted, creative forward with excellent dribbling ability. He was the Man of the Match in the 2014 UEFA Champions League final,, which Real Madrid won, but was surprisingly sold to Manchester United that summer for £67.5 million.
The Argentine never truly settled in Manchester, and earned the ire of the club's fans for his performances during the latter half of the season. Paris Saint-Germain came calling in 2015, and Di Maria has become an important cog in the Parisians' line-up since then.
The 33-year-old has made 264 appearances in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 88 goals and providing 110 assists. Di Maria scored the sole goal of the game in the Copa America 2021 final, which secured the trophy for Argentina.
#4 Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann was at the top of his game and one of the best players in the world when he decided to join Barcelona in 2019.
A product of the Real Sociedad academy, Griezmann became one of the very best with Atletico Madrid. The forward made 257 appearances in all competitions for Diego Simeone's side, scoring 133 goals and providing 50 assists. Griezmann was Atletico Madrid's talisman and star player.
However, the France international had been linked with a move away from some time, and Barcelona decided to pay £108 million for his services in 2019. The move made little sense then, and two seasons later the perception remains.
There is no denying Griezmann's quality. Despite exhibiting a clear decline at Barcelona, the 30-year-old still has 35 goals and 17 assists for the club in 99 appearances in all competitions. A FIFA World Cup winner with France, Antoine Griezmann has been heavily linked with a return to Atletico Madrid in recent days, and a move looks likely to happen this summer.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Update on Manchester United's transfer plans, Barca's plan for Antoine Griezmann, and more.
#3 Marco Verratti
There was a time a few years ago when Marco Verratti was persistently linked with a big-money move to Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain.
These days, there are no such rumours whatsoever. Verratti seems content at Paris Saint-Germain. He remains an extremely underrated midfielder, and his performances at Euro 2020, which his country won, once again highlighted his world-class quality.
A tigrish midfielder, Verratti is a technically gifted, courageous player with excellent passing ability. The 28-year-old has been at Paris Saint-Germain since 2012 and has made 346 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 giants, winning seven league titles.
Given how highly Paris Saint-Germain rate him, it seems unlikely that the midfielder will leave the club any time soon. The Italy international is one of the best midfielders in the game right now.
#2 Paul Pogba
The Paul Pogba conundrum has been puzzling fans of Manchester United and the Premier League for some time now.
Pogba is one of the most talented players in the world, but questions are often raised about why he has been frustratingly inconsistent for Manchester United. The Old Trafford outfit paid a then world-record fee of £94.5 million to re-sign him from Juventus in 2016. But there are still questions about whether he has been a good signing or not.
Pogba has made 199 appearances during his second spell with Manchester United, scoring 38 goals and providing 45 assists. He was one of the best players at both the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and the recently-concluded Euros. So there is a feeling that the 28-year-old performs better for his country than for his club.
Physically and technically gifted, Pogba has long been linked with a move away from Manchester United. The midfielder has been linked with moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Real Madrid.
#1 Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale is not a fan favourite among the Real Madrid faithful, despite his contributions over the years.
Bale joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur after a world-class 2012-13 season with the Premier League club. Real Madrid paid Spurs a then world-record fee of nearly £91 million to acquire Bale's services.
On paper, Bale's stint with Real Madrid appears to be a successful one. The Wales international has made 251 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 105 goals and providing 68 assists. He has won four Champions League titles with the club and has scored in two Champions League finals as well.
Nevertheless, the 32-year-old has copped heavy criticism. Bale does not enjoy the best of relationships with Real Madrid's fans and was sent out on loan last season to Tottenham Hotspur. The forward has returned to Real Madrid, but it remains to be seen what the club's plans are for him.
Also Read: Ranking the 5 best Chelsea players in the last decade.
