Chelsea are one of the many top European clubs that are known for stalling the careers of some of the most exciting players from all over Europe. The club had as many as 33 players on loan last season and are also letting go a number of players this summer after the new boss Antonio Conte got his chance to examine the squad. Over the years, they have purchased players for contingencies that never occurred leaving such players with no game time and little chance to progress in their career. One such player who has now completed a move away from the Stamford Bridge is German international Marko Marin.
The Yugoslavia-born attacker moved to England from Werder Bremen back in 2012 in a £8m deal that saw him play just 16 games for the Blues in his stint in England. He has since then been sent on loan to Seville, Fiorentina, Anderlecht and Trabzonspor in the last four years roaming all over Europe but not cementing a place in any of the teams. However, he has now made a permanent switch from the Blues to Greek outfit Olympiacos and will hope to revive his career that is fast going downhill. So where did the fall start for the 27-year old? Where did it all go wrong?
The German international was a well sought after commodity in the summer of 2012 when Chelsea managed to lure him to the Bridge at a time when they had more interim managers than normal ones. At the time, Marin played an international game two years before and needed regular game time at a top class club to prove himself and find his way back into the starting XI for his national side. However, the likes of Oscar, Victor Moses and Eden Hazard were all purchased at the same time (and the likes of Juan Mata and Yossi Benayoun already in the squad) and with similar expectations which left Marin with hardly any chance to prove himself.
Hazard and Oscar made immediate impacts on the squad under both Roberto di Matteo and Rafa Benitez and they managed to secure a long-term place in the squad the Bridge. But that was not the case for Marin who was making his debut in England and needed time to settle in. He was not able to set the field on fire and was not a regular starter for the club at the start of the season. He was slowly used only as a backup for injuries or cup games and was not able to stake his claim for a place in the starting XI. He then had to be sent off on loan as the manager did not see enough of an opportunity for him to improve the Chelsea squad in the next season.
Ever since, his most fruitful season has been at Trabzonspor where he managed to get 24 games under his belt having played just the 6 games in the previous two season. That was a time when Marin was hitting his peaks and needed regular game time but his decision to move to Chelsea back fired as he was left without a club who are ready to have him in their starting XI. Though it might not be fair to say that the Stamford Bridge outfit ruined his career, if he was able to avoid a move to the Bridge in 2012, he may well have had a completely different look the last four years of his life. However, he will hope that his new 5-year deal with Olympiacos will help him revive his career with club and country.
