Most fans of the “spurs”, however, are now little concerned about the progress of the Malian. Especially after the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov to White Hart Lane, whom the English press has dubbed the “purchase of the season” and “the most versatile forward of the Premier League.” But both of these epithets could and should have been addressed to Frederick Kanoute.
The beginning of his career on foggy Albion turned out to be promising. There were unforgettable episodes. But soon things began to decline - until Kanute moved to Spain. Now he is the best sniper of La Liga as part of a club contesting the league title. It is in demand among Real Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus and is considered a player on whom the fate of the European Cup competition between Seville and the former Malian club Tottenham depends. In any case, in the first winning quarterfinal match (2: 1), it was Kanoute who equalized the score from the penalty spot.
Vivid pictures of the present were also visible in his English epic. The spectacular scoring debut at West Ham was followed by a series of successful matches that provoked Liverpool's buying interest. In Tottenham Hotspur, Kanoute also started for health, having scored 9 goals in 11 games, including a goal scored, albeit in a meeting with the nondescript Wolverhampton, a phenomenal header.
Forwards of the Premier League with an equally deep understanding of the game could be counted on the fingers of one hand. And hardly any more. Who regularly practices defense, skillfully closes the ball with the hull and interacts with midfielders, surpasses guardians both in speed and skill, equally successfully scoring with his head and with both legs? Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent - that’s probably all. Recent feats performed by Peter Crouch have added a lot of whists to the lanky forward of Liverpool. But he lacks speed and stability. To get into the “Top” category, three recently handsome goals scored by the head is not enough. And how many moments Crouch ruined, we will not remember.
In England, Kanoute was often plagued by injuries due to which he could not fully surrender to football. In any case, he visited the Tottenham infirmary more often than most of his teammates. But in general, at White Hart Lane, he did not succeed for two reasons. First, before the appearance of Lennon, the Spurs did not have the current breadth in attack. In search of the ball, Kanouta had to move to the flank, fight the defenders, put in the penalty area and watch how Elder Poshtiga flies past the ball just as mediocre as the entire Portuguese career in Tottenham Hotspur. Secondly, participation in the 2004 Africa Cup affected the game of Kanoute. Like many other clubs, the Spurs were not thrilled to leave the best players for the tournament at the height of the season, from which the players returned either exhausted or late. And here is Tottenham’s request of FIFA, full of cynicism, about the legitimacy of Kanoute’s appearance for the national team of Mali (who previously defended the colors of France’s junior team), which indirectly diminished the dignity of his second homeland and hardly favored further relations with the club. At the Africa Cup he played passionately and enthusiastically, shared the laurels of the tournament's top scorer. He returned to Tottenham with a pale shadow, which scored just 9 goals in the next season in 41 matches with Spurs.
A completely different attitude to Canute in Seville. As a Muslim, he was against advertising the new sponsor of the Andalusian club - the popular online casino. At the beginning of this season, he taped the 888.com logo on his T-shirt, since gambling is contrary to his religious canons. This would irritate another club even more than the desire of a football player to play for his country in the continental championship. But unlike the previous employer, Sevilla acted prudently. First, she allowed Kanouta to appear in a T-shirt without an inscription, and then convinced him that wearing a logo does not mean an approving attitude to gambling. Moreover, he was exempted from attending events sponsored by the sponsor. A truly mature decision when a football player is perceived as a person.
Is it any wonder then that today Kanute is the best striker of the championship of Spain? And it’s worth it, considering that in the example David Villa, Fernando Torres, Raul, Rud van Nistelrooy and Samuel Eto'o continue to light. Of course, the striking transformation of the striker was influenced not only by his treatment as an adult, but not as an annoying lad. Regular injections from Wing donors are also a good thing. And now Kanute really shows what he is capable of. And in every match, and not from case to case. And the coach of the “spurs” Martin Yoll can only imagine what kind of attack he could have, stay Mali in London. Berbatov - Kanoute. Sounds good, right?
Translation by Andrey KARNAUKHOV