One of the foremost reasons for the overwhelming interest in the Indian Super League so far is the inclusion of some truly accomplished and world renowned players. With each franchise instructed to recruit and name a marquee player, every set of fans have a superstar they can enjoy cheering for.
The fitness and effectiveness of these players came into question even before the start of the tournament owing to the fact that they are all past their best. Let us take a look at 5 worst ISL marquee signings so far:
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#1 Alessandro Del Piero
Del Piero was signed by Delhi Dynamos as their marquee player for the inaugural edition of ISL for a mammoth sum of Rs 10.8 crores and many expected that he would be the driving force behind them. But things did not turn out to be as expected for both Del Piero and Delhi Dynamos. He was only able to find the back of the net once and was seen warming the benches most times.
The only goal scored by the former Juventus star,came in Delhi’s last game of the tournament, curling a free kick home, as the Dynamos drew 2-2 against Chennaiyin FC. This was, however, one of the few moments of brilliance that the Italian showed, in an otherwise disappointing campaign.
#2 Helder Postiga
The Rs. 3.9 crore marquee player of Atletico de Kolkata in the second season of ISL did make a good impression with the fans as he scored two goals in the opening match against Chennaiyin FC. But that was all that the fans got to see from him, as he picked up an injury during the match and did not take part in the rest of the tournament.
Though he did made a great start to the season, he was unable to regain his fitness and should be considered as one of the flop signings in the tournament. However, the Portugal star has been retained by the club as their marquee player for the upcoming season, hoping for a better long spell of action from him.
#3 Fredrik Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg,the marque signing made by Mumbai City FC in the inaugural season of the ISL was a big disappointment to the fans. The former Arsenal winger arrived with high expectations but his early injury was a major setback to Peter Reid's plans. The Swede did return towards the latter stages of the tournament but barely spent any time on the field as his lack of fitness and match practice was evident.
Ljungberg failed to make any telling contributions in the little time he played in India. It wasn't surprising looking at his record as he had last played more than 10 matches back in 2010. This probably suggests that those recruiting the player were short sighted in roping in the Swede.What was baffling though was Mumbai's decision not to go out and find a suitable replacement for their marquee player despite his persistent injuries. Ultimately it did cost Mumbai in the ISL.
#4 Robert Pires
There was a lot of excitement surrounding FC Goa’s signing of Frenchmen Robert Pires into their squad in the inaugural edition of Indian Super League. However, the former Arsenal star failed to convert that excitement into any decent on-field performances. Pires failed to provide any assists in the whole tournament, with his solitary goal coming from the penalty spot.
The Frenchman was also not been able to provide more than 2 successful crosses. From a player of his calibre, much was expected and both the fans and the team management was seen hugely disappointed. Pires, who was part of the Arsenal’s “invincibles” squad, also had his disciplinary issues.
He got into an ugly spat with Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Habas. The two had an ugly spat, after an ill-tempered match between Atletico and Goa, which saw eight bookings and one red card. The incident with Habbas saw Pires getting a two-match ban.
#5 Carlos Marchena
Carlos Marchena, the marquee signing made by Kerala Blasters in the second edition was nothing but a huge disappointment for both the fans and the team management.The 36-year-old struggled to get back to full fitness after getting injured during the pre-season in Kerala.
The former Spanish international played only 49 minutes in the Indian Super League in their 1-0 defeat to Delhi Dynamos. Peter Taylor, who was sacked by the club after their poor string of results in the campaign, had mentioned that Marchena cannot last for 90 minutes and is struggling to get back to top shape.
The defender came to the tournament with high expectations, as the Blasters, who finished as the runners-up in the inaugural season were looking to improve on their performance, but instead, Marchena could only contribute a mere 49 minutes to a disappointment Blasters season.
