Fernando Morientes: one of the unfulfilled stories of football

Time at Anfield

Morientes found the physicality of the Premier League too overwhelming

Arriving at Anfield with much fanfare involved, it was a sign of Liverpool’s ambition to pursue world class talent. The striker though in a spell of 16 months was a shadow of the prolific striker that Liverpool fans had seen over the years. His unquestioned work ethic was there, but the English game where football is much more direct in nature; his playing style didn’t seem to suit it. The excitement though surrounding his arrival can be best captured by Steven Gerrard’s words:

“"It's exactly the kind of signing we need. If you ask any of the fans about the calibre of player they want us to be bringing to the club, he would be it. I feel the same way. You know you're not taking a risk. It's good from a symbolic point of view that we've signed someone who's so renowned as a world-class player. I just hope, after all the success he's had and trophies he's won, he's as hungry to do the same for us."

Morientes in turn appreciated the faith shown in him by uttering various niceties about the club and how its history had inspired him to join the club. But words were not complemented by actions, as Morientes soon discovered much to his chagrin.

The physicality of the game overwhelmed him from displaying any sort of control. The coinage of the phrase “A fish out of water” could literally be applied to him as Morientes found the league a bit out of its depth.

Summing up his performances, which were captured by Barney Ronay of the Guardian, “Signed on a unique pay-as-you-sulk contract, the former Liverpool striker Morientes was technically classified as a spectator. Despite wearing club colours and even sometimes wandering into active areas of the pitch, any appearance by Morientes would be added to the official attendance. Hence the phrase "the crowd was our 11th man today"." Chris Bacombe of Liverpool Echo was much harsher as he compared Morientes to bird flu, lethal in other countries but no sign of it in Britain.

All said and done, Morientes did had some good moments specially the towering header against Fulham or the left footed arrowed finish for his debut goal against Charlton Athletic, both of them such wonderful exhibits of lethal and classy finishing.

One of the top most strikers in Europe, it is hard to fathom why his career never took off in English Football. No accusations of arrogance can also be levelled against him, as illustrated by him. No sign of disrespect either, instead ahead of the Millennium Cup final against Chelsea, he was quoted as saying how it was a privilege representing Liverpool FC.

His time at Liverpool can be best summed up in his own words” “I didn't like the physical nature of the game in England or the referees who let more things go, and who blow for fewer fouls than they do here [in Spain]. A striker isn't protected from rival defences there, and they gave me a really hard time.

"But whenever he scored for Liverpool he tended to do so in braces, but then those moments were so far and between, that they hardly carried any significance. For a striker who had averaged 1.73 goals per game before arriving at Liverpool, his returns of 12 goals over 61 appearances can only be termed as nightmarish.

Viva Espana

Even though his club career petered out towards the end, as it does eventually for most footballers, the charisma that was associated with him never disappeared. The cruelty of sport is that not every sports-person is afforded a glorious farewell.

A look across sport indicates that and the realization of an athlete that one fine day can be disturbing. Some fail to accept it, some just shrug it off and get on with life. Mental support at that time is what matters more than anything.

Morientes seemed to have regained his golden touch when he once again moved back to his native country Spain, as he rediscovered his lethal finishing. His three seasons on his return to Spain yielded 33 goals over a period of around 97 games.

One of the highlights of his career though was his time with the Spanish national side and his partnership with Raul. A prolific scorer who scored around 27 times over 47 appearances.

Debuting in 1998, he represented Spain at the FIFA World Cups 1998 and 2002, and was the scorer of the controversial goal which was disallowed against South Korea. On an individual level, his performances were always in consonance with that of the team, but Lady Luck never seemed to shine on the Spanish National side back then, as they unceremoniously exited tournaments.

Recent Developments

Tired of injuries and the fast evolving styles of game-play, Morientes announced his retirement in 2010, once he was released by Marseille. Recently, though he has been in the news when Rafa Benitez, the newly appointed coach of Real Madrid has touted him as a possible assistant coach.

His stint in commentary though is leading to some apprehensions, because of the sensitivity that surrounds Real Madrid. His past histories or rather clashes with authoritative figures such as Vicente Del Bosque and Jorge Valdavano have also cropped up.

A player from an era who deserved more than what he got, Morientes will always remain the unfulfilled stories of football. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, words in his book, Love in the Time of Cholera maybe sums up what Morientes was all about.

“He was still too young to know that the heart's memory eliminates the bad and magnifies the good, and that thanks to this artifice we manage to endure the burden of the past.”