Players Under The Microscope / Alsy / 12 August 2008 /

Morgan in the driving seat - Allsy examines the career of the Fiorentina and Romania skipper who has put leagl disputes and failed drugs tests behind him to become one of Europe's outstanding strikers

A quick glance at this season's Champions League teams exposes one glaring omission - where are AC Milan? The Champions League without Milan is like an injury-free Kieron Dyer... extremely rare! Instead Fiorentina (after pushing Milan into fifth place last season) face Slavia Prague Tuesday night in the first leg of a third-round qualifying tie.

Fiorentina's captain is Adrian Mutu. The 29-year-old Romanian has had eight clubs to date including Chelsea FC. Forgotten him? Just Google the phrase "turbulent football career", skip past Best, Gascoigne and Collymore and Mutu turns up shortly afterwards.

Unless you follow Italian football you might have assumed that Mutu went the same way as fellow Chelsea coke-head Mark Bosnich - namely to the pie shop, pub and finally the unemployment line but instead Mutu remains one of Europe's top strikers. Much has been written about the gargantuan wages and transfer fees that follow football's elite but Mutu may have to cough-up a transfer fee of his own if his appeal against Chelsea's £9.6m compensation fails.

Chelsea fans watching Mutu at the European championships may have experienced a sense of déjà vu. Facing a stuttering Italy, Mutu was at the centre of events scoring Romania's only goal of the tournament in the 55th minute. Towards the end of the game he had the chance to put Italy out from the penalty spot but Buffon made the save, Italy drew (and eventually progressed) and Mutu was cast from hero to villain... a caricature many Chelsea fans would recognise.

In 2003 Claudio Ranieri brought Mutu to Chelsea paying Parma £15.8m for his services. Ranieri knew that Mutu was one of the best young prospects in Serie A but he will have also known that Mutu had a reputation as an off-field playboy. Mutu had a patchy start in Serie A; firstly with Inter (10 appearances, zero goals) and then when he was shipped out to Verona.

However, by the time he he'd left Parma he'd begun to hit the net with regularity and in less than three years he'd played for three Serie A clubs before becoming the latest bauble in Roman Abramovich's West London fantasy football project. Mutu started well scoring four goals in three games but then the well seemed to dry up. By the time he was sacked for failing a drugs test in 2004, few Chelsea fans were sad to see him go.

There is one little problem with this glass-half-empty view of Mutu. It doesn't take into account his stunning growth as a player since returning to Serie A. Considering the legal problems that have followed him since leaving Chelsea it's admirable that he's fulfilled his potential.

At Juventus he scored seven goals in 31 appearances from right midfield before moving to Fiorentina in 2006 and raising his game further. Mutu has now scored 33 goals in 62 appearances under the familiar tutelage of Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli. I made much of Arshavin skills before Euro 2008 but if you're assessing deep-lying strikers, then Mutu is definitely from the top draw.

Romania have lost only once when Mutu has scored (despite missing a penalty against Italy he was the game's outstanding player) and he's just as influential in Fiorentina shirt. Now in tandem with Alberto Gilardino, Fiorentina's attacking options present a major headache for Slavia.

The Czech team have had plenty of time to prepare (their last game was postponed to accommodate an Iron Maiden concert) while experienced midfielder Vladimír Šmicer is injured. All-in-all Fiorentina are a home banker at [1.4] to win Tuesday night. Slavia are a decent side but don't be tempted by the generous [11.5] to win or [5.0] for the draw - in the Stadio Artemio Franchi 50,000 fans will make very difficult for the Czech Republic visitors but two individuals, Mutu and Gilardino, are likely to ensure that the tie is well beyond Slavia Prague when the final whistle blows

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