Fiorentina

There's Ben Johnson, the doping dope stripped of his gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the 100m final.

There's also the fastest couple on earth, Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones, who took the athletics world by storm with their performances in the 100m sprint, before crashing back down to reality and sitting in prison pondering over where it all went wrong.

These three athletes are amongst the worst drug cheats ever, being too blinded by the extrinsic rewards that come with success at the highest level in sport.

However, the worst of them all just has to be the guy from Romania that never learns.

ACF Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu, who has scored four goals in 11 league appearances this season, has tested positive for the banned substance sibutramine.

A statement from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) read: "CONI announces that a positive test has been confirmed on Adrian Mutu with the presence of metabolics of sibutramine found in tests done by the FIGC on January 10 after the Serie A game between Fiorentina and Bari."

Sibutramine is effectively an anti-obesity drug, banned by governing bodies in virtually all professional sports.

If you think that's bad, it gets worse; the Romania international was sacked by Premier League giants Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine back in 2004, and was given a seven-month worldwide football ban.  

Chelsea sued Mutu for breach of contract, and the player is still in the process of making a third appeal against a fine levied at more than 17 million euros (£14.75 million).

You would've thought he'd have learnt by now not to cross the doping authorities again, but no, this foolish action of his in January 2010 is as high up there as the pinnacle of sporting stupidity.

Whilst Ben Johnson, Tim Montgomery, and Marion Jones were all using performance enhancing drugs, Mutu has now twice been caught in the act of taking drugs that do not boost sporting performance in any significant way.

But why would Adrian Mutu be so stupid as to ruin his career by taking a banned substance that doesn't have any impact on performance?

It's a question that only Mutu himself can answer.

The only logical reason for the Romanian using sibutramine would perhaps be that as an appetite surpressant, i.e. a diet pill, he could lose some weight and this could therefore improve his speed and acceleration, thus meaning he can close down defenders quicker and make better forward runs.

And why is a substance like sibutramine banned?

Sibutramine, like a lot of substances, can be addictive. Whilst it does not benefit an athlete in any significant way, it can be open to abuse due to its addictive nature.

Reportedly, three athletes from the USA (not the three above!) were banned when found positive with sibutramine, and were apparently unaware of the ban on the drug.

So perhaps Adrian Mutu was unaware that sibutramine is a banned substance?

Or maybe Mutu thought he could get away with taking the substance, considering it's an unlikely drug professional sportsmen would use.

Footballers, especially at the elite level, are most likely to be caught taking such things like anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, (HGH) or stimulants such as amphetamines or caffeine.

Blood doping is also commonly used in sport, benefiting a footballer by increasing their VO₂ max (aerobic capacity) and thus their overall fitness and stamina.

Heck, if you wanted to improve performance on the pitch, then even something as ludicrous as increasing oxyhaemoglobin levels with the notorious erythropoietin (EPO) would be more useful than taking sibutramine!

All in all, Adrian Mutu has made possibly the worst decision a drugs cheat could make; having his glittering career at the pinnacle of the sport ruined by taking a simple diet pill.

Rumour has it the former Juventus man could potentially face up to four years on the sidelines.

If that's the case, then it seems clear his Fiorentina contract won't extend very far past its current expiration date of June 2012, if it even reaches that far at all.

A just punishment it would be for a player that simply cannot learn: cheaters never prosper.

And if you don't think that's true, then just ask either Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, or Tim Montgomery. Then again, at least they had the sense to get banned for something worthwhile, unlike that poor little fellow from Romania.

I have always thought that when life gives you a second chance, you should seize it.

Think about Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol: he gets the opportunity to see how little the world would mourn his death.

You would cherish every day after that experience, wouldn’t you? And, more importantly, you would surely never make the same mistakes again.

It struck me that the same was true for Fiorentina’s errant striker Adrian Mutu, a man who has known his share of sporting turmoil—some of it self-inflicted.

He was banned from the game for using cocaine, but he served his time and looked to be completely rehabilitated.

Indeed, it seemed to me that there was a renewed zest in his approach to enjoy the sport which had been denied him for some time.

Just one text message changed all that.

“Have you seen your man Mutu has tested positive again?” it said.

I hoped the information would prove wrong, but confirmation came by way of a news story outlining the outcome of checks following the recent Fiorentina match with Bari.

The Romanian had indeed tested positive for sibutramine, an appetite suppressant, and could face a four-year ban.

The news has left Fiorentina fans reeling.

The best case scenario is that there turns out to be some fault with the tests and he is cleared of any offence.

But the worst case could effectively end his career.

If he did take a banned substance, it smacks of sheer stupidity, given the price he already had to pay for a previous infringement.

He will have let himself, his club, and his supporters down, and thrown away a second chance that some people are not lucky enough to get.

Going back 12 months, Manchester United had confirmed the signings of Adem Ljajic and Zoran Tosic from FK Partizan Belgrade, in a deal reported to be worth around £16.3 million for the duo.

Both players were considered to become superstars in the game, with 17-year-old wonderkid Adem Ljajic continuing his development back in Serbia on-loan, before joining up with the Premier League champions in January 2010.

Zoran Tosic stayed at United, and graced the Premier Reserve League, before starting 2009-2010 with more minutes on the bench than Federico Macheda or Danny Welbeck.

Adem Ljajic, however, continued to impress in Serbia and was living up to his nickname, "Little Kaka."

He gained UEFA Champions League experience, featured regularly for the Serbia U-21 team, and was looking as if he could seriously begin to emulate the likes of Real Madrid playmaker Kaka.

However, the coaching staff at Old Trafford disagreed, and decided against the option of signing Ljajic, citing issues obtaining a work permit.

Of course, for a player who has attracted interest from the likes of Inter Milan as a 16-year-old, Manchester United was never going to be the only option available to him.

And thus, despite reported offers from Russian Premier League giants like CSKA Moscow and Rubin Kazan, Ljajic has hit the jackpot and looks set to embrace the wonders of Serie A and La Viola.

Subject to passing a medical, Fiorentina look set to sign the Serbian star for a fee of around £7.1 million.

So, what could Fiorentina be getting for their money?

First of all, he'll be another quality player to add to the ranks as La Viola embark on a quest to improve on sixth place in Serie A and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League, after they play Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga in the last 16.

Secondly, linking up with the likes of Stevan Jovetic (a future superstar in World Football), Ljajic will add more energy to the team and can get the game flowing with his pace and forward runs through the middle.

Thirdly, this lad has a good shot on him. He isn't called the "Little Kaka" for nothing; give him the ball from a distance and he could well create something special.

He has scored some brilliant goals in Serbia for Partizan Belgrade, and given enough playing time, there could definitely be plenty more where they came from.

Lastly, like a lot of upcoming attacking midfielders, Ljajic has an eye for a pass, and dissect opposition defences with a calculated ball through to the attacker. This could come in useful for the likes of Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino.

A year ago, it was FC Barcelona and Inter Milan's loss for not faxing a bid in sooner, as Manchester United acted quick to snap up Serbia's next big star.

Today, it's Manchester United's loss for not keeping the player by sending him out on-loan again.

And also today, it's Fiorentina's gain, as La Viola can boast Stevan Jovetic and now Adem Ljajic as two future superstars in World Football.

It may not seem like a big deal now, but two or three months down the line when the Serie A side are in the semifinals of the Champions League and Manchester United are out of yet another competition, it might then sink in for Sir Alex Ferguson et al that they're the ones who've lost a real talent in this sport.

Twelve months ago, this writer predicted big things for Adem Ljajic.

December 9th 2009: Fiorentina have just come back from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 and advance to the Champions League knockout stages as group winners. As the Italian side leave the pitch, the Kop rises to applaud them as they depart. Lightning had indeed struck twice.

Fiorentina's European venture was secured when Gigliati (The Lilies) finished fourth in Serie A. Viola were to have another crack at the Champions League after being eliminated in the group stage last season, finishing third to German giants Bayern and then French champions Lyon.

After navigating past Sporting CP in the Playoff Phase, Fiorentina found themselves drawn with Lyon once again, along with Liverpool and Debrecen.

Many pundits expected Fiorentina to fight for the second spot with Lyon, but with Viola getting a shock win at home to group favourites Liverpool, a win at home to Lyon and two wins against the groups potential banana skin Debrecen, Fiorentina were through before even kicking a ball at Anfield.

The build-up to that night at Anfield ignored Fiorentina. The talk was of Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani finally making his Liverpool debut, but in truth Aquilani's presence was overshadowed by another Alberto, man of the match Alberto Gilardino, who scored the winner in Viola's 2-1 win.

The win sets up a clash with another of last season's European rivals, Bayern Munich, in the knockout stage. In truth the draw could perhaps have been kinder given Fiorentina's seeding, but it could have been much worse.

That said, Fiorentina have absolutely no reason to fear the Bavarian side. In Stevan Jovetic they have one of the stars of the Champions League so far. The young forward, a native of Montenegro, scored both goals in the home victory over Liverpool and has caught the eye of a host of top European clubs.

Elsewhere, Juan Manuel Vargas has established himself as one of the most effective left sided players around, and on the other flank Marco Marchionni has had a good season.

Gilardino has given fans plenty of reasons to highlight him as a key man, and his strike partner Adrian Mutu certainly doesn't play like a man plagued by the ghosts of his past.

In goal, Sebastien Frey has been in top form this season and is putting a lot of pressure on Raymond Domenech to include him in the France squad for the upcoming World Cup.

In front of him, Alessandro Gamberini has forged a strong defensive partnership with Dario Dainelli, and Cristiano Zanetti provides them with plenty of protection in the anchor man role.

Viola are a team to fear as the Champions League moves into the knock-out phase. Bayern Munich could quite conceivable learn the hard way, just as Liverpool did twice this year. If Bayern fall, the giants of Europe may well find themselves hoping to avoid facing the famous purple colours of Fiorentina.

Dreams, as the saying goes, cost nothing.

But when your sporting hopes have been dashed by defeat, even that can seem like too heavy a price to pay.

If you don’t support one of the giants of football the chances are you will invest a lot of time, effort and emotion in your club for very little reward.

So when the good times come, you have to savour them to the full.

Fans of Fiorentina, the team from a city more famed for its art than its football, are enjoying such a moment right now.

On Wednesday night they beat Liverpool at Anfield to finish top of their group and go into the last 16 of the Champions League. It is not a position they are used to occupying.

Alberto Gilardino’s injury time goal made a world of a difference to the Viola.

It has helped them to avoid the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and the English trio of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea in the next round.

Instead, they will face either Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, CSKA Moscow, Olympiakos or Porto.

None of them easy, but none of them unbeatable (although Juventus fans might argue Louis van Gaal’s side come close).

But make no mistake, Fiorentina have earned the right to believe they can progress to the quarter finals.

While Inter and Milan were making heavy work of qualification, they came through with five wins out of six –- their only defeat being suffered with ten-men after a controversial sending-off.

They have stood toe-to-toe with Lyon and Liverpool, two regulars in the Champions League knockout stages, and not looked inferior.

And in Juan Manuel Vargas, Stevan Jovetic, Sebastien Frey and Alberto Gilardino they have had some of the star performers of the group games.

Of course, it won’t be simple to progress.

Nonetheless, the long-suffering fans of Fiorentina surely deserve the right to believe that they could get through to the final eight.

Their performances so far entitle them to look to the future with at least a small degree of confidence.

If nothing else, they can sleep soundly for the next couple of months knowing they are among the best 16 sides in Europe and might yet prove themselves even better than that.

In the past few years, the Serie A has been relegated to a second-tier player in the UEFA Champions League.  Back in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons of the tournament, the Serie A held three of the eight quarter-final spots and in both seasons had a team in the semifinals or finals.

In the previous three seasons, the clubs of calcio have been successful in navigating the group stages but have lost in the first knockout round all too often.  The 2006-07 tournament proved to be the beginning of a downward spiral.  Despite Milan winning it all, a promising Roma team was humiliated 7-1 in the second leg of the tie against Manchester United, after winning 2-1 in the first leg.

With the Premier League dominating the final four the last few years and La Liga producing a dominating champion, Barcelona, along with a newly built Madrid powerhouse, it didn’t look like a promising year for Serie A.  It was especially dismal since two of the leagues best players, Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were sold to La Liga clubs in the summer transfer period.

With only one match left in the group stage, it appears to be time for some guarded optimism on the peninsula.

Fiorentina has already qualified for the knockout stages, with Inter, Juventus, and Milan all controlling their own destiny against lesser opponents.  It is by no means a guarantee, given that Rubin Kazan is fully capable of giving Inter fits, Juventus must play a past champion in Bayern Munich and Milan lost to Zurich earlier in the competition. 

That said, the Serie A clubs will be favored in all three matches.

Another reason the Italian teams could make a deep run into the Champions League is the change in level of competition.  In the past few years, the Premier League clubs were clearly the strongest and with the most depth.  With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the Big Four appear to be having a down year. 

Liverpool has already been knocked out, while both Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered from the loss of experienced talent in the transfer market.  Either team could still make a run but aren’t as imposing as they were in years past.

So, if Serie A is to return to prominence, who will it be?  For starters, I believe all four clubs have the talent and form to make it to the quarter-finals, which would be a success on its own. 

The teams with the best combination of talent, depth and a secure position in the Serie A table are Inter and Juventus.  They could reasonably sustain a prolonged Champions League run while still battling for top spot in the league. 

Milan have a great Champions League history and a starting 11 capable of winning some close matchups, but the depth is not available along the backline or in the wide attacking positions.  This could force key players like Nesta, Pato, and Ronaldinho to tire as the season goes on.

The Viola are the most intriguing squad of all in my mind.  They have played stunningly in the Champions League and appear ready to unleash one of the world’s best young players in Stevan Jovetic.  If you haven’t seen him play, watch this clip .  He is capable of creating goals out of nothing and has the fire to compete on any level. 

Cesare Prandelli has his team playing with great movement and organization, to the point that they are a nightmare match up for any team in the draw.  They will be the underdog against any of the bigger clubs, but stand a puncher’s chance against anybody.

While it's hardly a foregone conclusion, the 2009-10 campaign could be remembered as the year the Seria A came back into prominence.

It was a night which saw Fiorentina achieve an historic victory to send them to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history.  In doing so, they condemned a Liverpool side they had soundly beaten in Florence to the ignomy of the Europa League.

Fiorentina are the first of the Italian sides to qualify, but they may well not be the last; despite a poor showing in Barcelona, Inter likely need only a 0-0 at home to Rubin Kazan to join them, whilst Juve and Milan could book their places with victories over French opposition this week.  That would make it four teams out of four, something no other European league can realistically hope for going into the last round of games.

An objective observer might view this as a sign that Italian football is perhaps starting to regain a foothold near the top of the European summit that had slipped in recent seasons.  An objective observer.  Not a title you could give to any of Sky Sports' panel in the UK.

"You wouldn't fear any of the Italian sides in the last 16," exclaimed Andy Gray, going on to say that drawing an Italian team would be preferred by the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd or Chelsea.  Really, Andy?  Man Utd would prefer to play Milan or Inter rather than Olympiakos or Unirea?  With the greatest of respect to those teams, are you sure?  What about Fiorentina, who knocked out the mighty Liverpool?  You tell us all the time how strong the Premiership is, how we must watch the titanic clashes between Man Utd and Liverpool - but the Merseysiders looked second best to Fiorentina when they met.

His colleague on the panel, Graeme Souness, was only too happy to join in the regular kicking they like to give Italian football.  When Andy Gray was struggling to describe what he thought of Italian football ("not second rate, maybe, but..."), Souness stepped in with the brilliant observation that it was "dull".  "That's a good word," said Andy.  Yes, because even if it was true - which it is blatantly not to anyone who actually bothers to watch the league - clearly it is necessary to play exciting football to win....

Not wanting to be left out, David Platt - a man who has played in Italy - joined in.  "It shows the poor state of Serie A."  Inter, he contended, were walking away with Serie A and yet were poor in Europe - thus the whole league must be rubbish.  It's such a simplistic argument that it almost merits no response, but allow me to try.  Have you watched Inter in Europe for the past umpteen seasons, David?  For whatever reason, they are always shockingly bad.  That is a fault with the club, but it is not a reflection of the league - other teams who struggle in Serie A have performed well in Europe - such as Milan when they last won it only 3 years ago, or even this season.

As an observer sympathetic to Italian football, the relentless attacks on the Italian football get a bit wearisome.  They are generally always the same ridiculous attacks that are based on nothing more than a stereotypical view of what Italian football was once like - catenaccio etc - and is so out of touch with reality it is embarrassing that professional pundits can spout the same nonsense every round of games.  Never mind that Fiorentina have scored the most goals so far this season in the Champions League; never mind that Serie A is the only league that could have four teams in the last 16; never mind that a Milan team that had looked distinctly average in the league went to the Bernabeu and deservedly beat the Galacticos of Real Madrid in one of the games of the season so far.  At a basic level, it seems the attitude is:  "It's not on our channel, so let's talk it down".

Maybe we shouldn't expect any more.  They have their own interests to promote after all.  The danger is that people who watch it might actually be convinced by what these "experts" have to say.  That they will listen to Andy Gray, a man who famously wrote off Milan before the second leg of their semi final against Man Utd three years ago, dissing Alberto Gilardino and Clarence Seedorf especially (Milan won 3-0, Seedorf and Gilardino grabbing two of the goals), and be convinced has some sort of superior knowledge that he should share with us.  If that happens, then we are in real trouble...

Anyone unfamiliar with Fiorentina who found themselves watching Liverpool's Champions League defeat on Tuesday is probably still sitting there, slightly dazed look across their face, thinking "How the hell did Brian May score twice past the five time European Champions, and how come he looks so young?"

Ladies and Gentlemen (and any Bleacher Creature who's unsure), it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Stevan Jovetic.

"Jojo", as he is known to fans of la Viola, signed for the Italian club in May 2008. Only 18 at the time of the move, he had already played an incredible 51 games for the Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade.

Jovetic was one of the players involved in the first game of the Montenegro national team, which played Hungary in 2007, aged just 17. Since then he has gone on to score six goals in eleven International fixtures and has also captained the side on two occasions.

His progress had been monitored by a number of top European sides including Real Madrid and Manchester United. But Fiorentina and their Sporting Director Pantaleo Corvino managed to beat them all, by securing his signature for seven million pounds. Last season, a meagre two goal haul seemed scant reward for his effort.

After this match, it is fast becoming a deal that can be labelled a bargain. The main difference in his second season is that consistency has been added to last years occasional flashes of brilliance.

Despite - or perhaps because of - the presence of established stars Mutu and Gilardino, Jovetic has become a permanent fixture in the side. The addition of physical strength to his already obvious class and style have seen him take over the team, particularly in important or difficult moments.

This has lead to the inevitable comparison to Roberto Baggio, a true Viola legend. Jovetic himself hates the Baggio comparison, but Fiorentina fans are finding it increasingly difficult not to get carried away.

The start of Jojo-mania came after he scored the goals that got them through the qualification rounds of the Champions League, lifting them past Sporting Lisbon. Since then he has added winners over Palermo, Sampdoria and Livorno. Now with this victory over Liverpool, fans of the Gigliati will have to hope this is one star they can hold on to.

His signature will become even more sought-after than ever, and with the addition of buy-out clauses to the clubs contract structure they are right to be nervous. Juventus showed no hesitation in paying to secure Felipe Melo, how long before one of Europe's giants comes calling?

Fiorentina have shown they are willing to sell their stars as long as the price is right. The departure of Andrea Della Valle has damaged the infrastructure of the club, and Jovetic was closer than most to the former president, dedicating a goal to him last weekend.

Now is not the time to discuss possible transfers however. Fiorentina fans should enjoy their moment, as should Jovetic. The future may indeed be bright, but the present is most definitely la Viola.

France v Romania, 2010 World Cup qualifier, September 5, 2009

France 4/9; Draw 13/5; Romania 11/2

How Raymond Domenech is still the French manager is unbelievable.

France’s troubled World Cup qualifying campaign enters its decisive phase this weekend, with crucial make-or-break matches against Romania and Serbia determining whether the French will be attending South Africa 2010 next summer.

Last month’s patchy and unimpressive 1-nil win at the lowly Faroe Islands did little to reassure fans that Le Bleus are headed in the right direction having had a disastrous start to qualifying that saw the former European and World Cup winners pick up only four points from the first three games.

The biggest problem which Domenech has failed to address throughout qualifying is to identify the best team available to the French. At the back, while Patrice Evra (12/1 to score)and Bacary Sagna have made the full-back positions their own, William Gallas has chopped and changed his centre-half partner without success. Ancient Eric Abidal looks set to get the nod for the match with Romania, however any one of Squillaci, Mexes or Escude could be drafted in at the last minute.

One old-timer to have been given the axe in midfield is Patrick Vieira. Lassana Diarra, having started the season in sparkling form for Real Madrid, looks to have finally cemented his position as the first-choice holding midfielder in the squad.

Moving further up the pitch though, and the French run into the same problems of not knowing their best team. Going forward, the French should be one of the best teams in world football. Every squad in the world would love to have the likes of Franck Ribery (6/1 to score first), Thierry Henry (EVS to score), Karim Benzema (6/5 to score), Yoann Gourcuff and Nicolas Anelka (to name but a few offensive options) in their ranks. However it appears a case of too many cooks for Domenech as the coach has failed to build a team with a solid-foundation in the final third.

While times are tough for France, Romania are also in their worst shape for some time. Having lost at home to Lithuania and Serbia and away at Austria in qualifying, the Romanians are currently second-bottom of Group 7 with only a faint chance of reaching the playoffs.

Up against it, Romania coach Razvan Lucescu has been forced to call Adrian Mutu (10/3 to score) to lead the line in the forthcoming matches despite the fact that the Fiorentina hitman has been sidelined recently with muscle problems. At the back though the Eastern Europeans will be short as regular goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont is missing following knee surgery this spring.

Despite missing their regular shot-stopper, the Romanians will be able to field a hugely talented and experienced backline with Dorin Goian (Palermo), Cristi Chivu (Inter), and Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk) all in the starting line-up. (Romania are 9/2 to keep a clean sheet.)

While France will be confident of getting the result they need at the Stade de France on Saturday, we expect a tense and tight affair with very few goals.

101predicts: France 1 - Romania 0 (9/2)

France 4/9; Draw 13/5; Romania 11/2

Full match odds here.

Last week's decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could have ramifications for football as big as the Bosman ruling in 1995 and the Webster ruling in 2006. The notable difference being that where the previous legal rulings significantly increased player power in the football market, this newest ruling is almost definitely a triumph for the clubs.

Having tested positive for cocaine in September 2004 his employer, Chelsea FC, decided to sack Mutu in October. After spending almost €30m purchasing Mutu from Parma in the summer of 2003, barely a year and a half later, Mutu was out on his ear with his reputation in tatters.

The CAS have ordered Mutu to repay over half of the investment Chelsea made in him. The final figure of €17m (which was originally €9m as deemed by FIFA) is a hammerblow...even by a footballer's standards.

Of course, one would be pushed to ask, why did Chelsea push for such drastic action in the first place with Mutu? Surely a €30m write-off on a player was too much back in 2004?

Maybe for most, but probably not for Roman Abramovich.

Even then, the most naive of football fans will still tell you that there is a more than fair chance the young, rich, and famous playboys of the Premier League will often experiment with recreational drugs anyway.

Don't clubs deal with this sort of thing in-house?

And that's where Mutu can be rightly aggrieved. The decision to make Mutu's (admittedly disgraceful) actions public and sack him on that basis was more than likely, a politically motivated decision within the club. 

Adrian Mutu, I can assure you, is not the first footballer in history to have been caught snorting cocaine by his club, so why treat him as such?

Various cynics have suggested his quite public spat with Mourinho at the time may have been a decisive factor in the events leading up to Mutu's dismissal...was Mutu faking injury? We'll never know for sure.

But the sacking was also to prove a double blow for Mutu, because along with losing his lucrative contract at a clearly successful club, Mutu was banned from football for seven months and was fined £20,000 by the FA.

Mutu did eventually return to football however; moving to Italy, signing with Juventus (who were themselves to drag moral standards in football to a new low, ironically). So by January 2005, Juventus had come to aquire for free what Chelsea had paid over the odds for.

Another obvious question, and one proposed by Mutu's legal team then arises, can Juventus be held liable for part of the compensation? Common sense would dictate this would certainly be a bit of a stretch, especially considering Juventus were simply dealing with a free agent at the time of his signing and nothing more.

The CAS agreed.

Today, Mutu has established a reputation for himself as a reformed man at Fiorentina, remarrying and living a far cleaner lifestyle off the pitch—away from the world of porn stars and the devil's dandruff.

But the past has come back to haunt Mutu. Even the salary increase Mutu received from Fiorentina with his last contract will not be enough to compensate for the incredible sum staring Mutu right in the face.

Two options remain for Mutu: To take the case further into the court system and appeal at the EU level or to simply retire from the game and avoid having to pay the compensation altogether—remember, the decision was a ruling by the CAS, not a civil court and therefore is not applicable outside sport.

Time is ticking.

Chelsea would be foolish to expect the money back in one lump sum this summer and while Mutu's teammates at Fiorentina admirably have come together in a fund-raising effort for their teammate, it is entirely possible now that Mutu may soon become bankrupt should he decide to play on.

As the dust clears, the implications for the wider world of football are enormous. A precedent has been set whereby clubs can demand compensation from players for breach of contract but at a more fundamental level, it seems FIFA has finally decided where to draw the line with players.