The former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka might have benefited from a chat with his Argentina-bound compatriot before signing for Shanghai Shenhua
Nicolas Anelka has always come across as happily nonconformist, so it is unlikely that he would have consulted with one of his oldest footballing allies before leaving Chelsea for Shanghai Shenhua. But a word in the ear of David Trezeguet might have given an interesting perspective on departing European football for a distant, if lucrative outpost. Evidently it is not always the most rewarding decision.
Back in August, Trezeguet signed up for what appeared to be an easy stroll in the sunshine, backed up with a handsome payday, in the United Arab Emirates. He agreed a one-year deal with Baniyas SC, the club with the camel on its badge who are based in Abu Dhabi. But Trezeguet’s stay lasted only three months. Injuries, which limited him to fewer than a handful of appearances, were cited as the official reason as the player terminated his contract. The club even praised his honesty, thanking him for not wanting to pick up a fat cheque when he felt he couldn’t contribute.
But come the January transfer window, it seems matters of the heart convinced Trezeguet to wave an early farewell to Abu Dhabi. A call to arms from his boyhood club, River Plate in Argentina – his parents are Argentinian – proved irresistible. Trezeguet’s injury concerns have miraculously disappeared, and the 34-year-old striker has fulfilled a lifetime ambition by signing a three-year deal. He is so spellbound he felt compelled to compare the act of joining River to winning the World Cup with France or collecting titles with Juventus and Monaco. “For me football is passion and I wasn’t getting that in Arabian football … What better place to experience that than here?” he enthused. “Being here is a unique feeling, motivated by everything that River represents.”
Trezeguet is the latest player with Argentinian roots who has cut short a career overseas to join the cause of the River revival. Fernando Cavenaghi, who had won the league with Bordeaux, and Alejandro Domínguez, who earned titles with Zenit St Petersburg and Rubin Kazan in Russia, also mounted metaphorical white horses to ride all the way back to Buenos Aires. Another, Leonardo Ponzio, will join this month from Real Zaragoza.
River are on a mission to recover from the horror of last season’s relegation. They are currently second in Argentina’s Primera B Nacional, and the arrival of experienced players who know what it takes to be in a winning team is a fantastic boost when River need it most. At a time when most players haggle over this many thousands and that many millions to finalise moves, thank goodness for the few who turn their back on the bucks to chase rewards of a purer kind.
Trezeguet is a particularly influential person to bring into this situation as he went through the decline and renaissance of Juventus, the Serie A club where he spent a decade. Notably, players such as Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero all stuck around when Juve were demoted to Serie B, and their guidance was crucial in helping along the young players who came into a strange situation. “Our shirt represents a history and the Juventus youngsters understood that,” Trezeguet said. “River are going through a very difficult time … I want to be part of the history [of their recovery].”
Although Trezeguet may be known for his achievements in the blue shirt of France, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and cracked in the goal to claim the 2000 European Championship, he has always maintained a strong connection with his Argentinian roots. He was born in Rouen, where his father, Jorge, played for three seasons in the 1970s. But Trezeguet spent most of his youth in Argentina, before heading back to France in his teens to further his career.
It was there that he struck up a friendship with fellow strikers with whom he would grow up at the Clairefontaine academy, Thierry Henry, and the kid from the year below, Anelka. This month they are all on the move, probably for the last time. Trezeguet has followed his heart to River, Henry is following his back to Arsenal. We can only wait and see how much love Anelka generates for his new life in China.
River PlateChelseaTransfer windowAmy Lawrenceguardian.co.uk
