Sometimes it is not best idea to join a major club at a tender age in football. The game pressure, stiff competition for playing time and trust from the manager and fellow teammates may be the stumbling blocks too much for a young player to bear.
In the late 2000s, a promising Brazilian kid named Lucas Piazon had greatly impressed when he was only 14, scoring numerous goals for São Paulo’s youth team and representing Brazil in the Under-15 matches. His performances attracted the scouts from many major clubs of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga.
In 2011, Chelsea managed to fend off other rivals to secure Piazon’s signature at £5 million, which included clauses that could raise to £10 million. The wonderkid had just turned 17. This was a clearly a player in the club’s long term plan, a potential star to make a major impact for Chelsea for many years to come.
For the player himself, it was the best opportunity to develop into a world class player and showcase his talents and skills at one of the world’s top football leagues. Not to mention the big money contracts, fame and legacy that would follow. Capable of playing in the winger, forward and attacking midfielder positions, Piazon could be the next Kaka and the main guy for Chelsea and Brazil.
Piazon settled in nicely at Chelsea, helped and looked after by his comrades David Luiz and Ramirez. He played and won the Youth Cup for the club in 2012, and was awarded Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year. An impressive start to his career. When he turned 18, Piazon was able to obtain the work visa, making him eligible to play for the senior team.
In December 2012, Piazon finally made his much anticipated debut in the Premier League. In the loopsided match against Aston Villa, Chelsea had raced to a four-goal lead. With 15 minutes left, Piazon got his chance. He came off the bench and immediately made his presence felt with an assist to Ramirez to score the fifth goal.
By the 90th minute, Chelsea was leading 8-0. Piazon won a penalty and was given the greenlight to open his account for the ninth goal. But alas his shot was saved. Although it did not matter to the foregone scoreline, it seemed to be the turning point of the young player’s footballing fate.
In the following month, Piazon was loaned out to Malaga. It was entirely normal for clubs to loan out their young players in order to gain experience. But little did Piazon know, this was the beginning of his “loan” journey. For the following nine seasons, Piazon was loaned to seven clubs; some he did well, others were average and forgettable adventures.
Fast forward to 2021, Piazon’s Chelsea resume was anything but impressive. He had only appeared 3 times for Chelsea – once in the league and twice in cup matches – with one assist and zero goals to his name. He earned zero caps for the Brazilian senior squad. In January 2021, Piazon left Chelsea and joined Portuguese outfit Braga. Before his departure, he was ironically Chelsea’s longest serving player, having owned by the English club for a decade.
No one can be sure if Piazon was just an average player to start with, or could not really fulfil his immerse potential, or if Chelsea had crippled his career with the lack of opportunities and absurd loan system. Maybe things would be different if Piazon, and many other similar wonderkids, had started their football careers at the smaller humble clubs with lower expectations and pressure.
31.10.2021
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