The failed transfer of Juan Camilo Zuniga to Sampdoria is simply another bizarre episode in the Colombian’s time with Napoli.
Former sporting director Pierpaolo Marino signed the fullback for €8.5 million in the summer of 2009 after Zuniga shined in his debut season in Italy, demonstrating his trademark dribbling and crossing skills in 28 Serie A appearances for Siena.
It didn’t take long for Zuniga’s versatility to pay dividends in Walter Mazzarri’s preferred 3-5-2 formation as he was equally deployed in either wing-back position. The charismatic Colombian would often switch flanks during a game or spell with either Andrea Dossena or Christian Maggio, where his speed and creativity would benefit Napoli’s counter-attacking style.
Zuniga ran across every blade of the San Paolo pitch and offered the club a unique player willing to run at defenders, commit to the tackle and his often wayward shots on goal were forgiven and balanced out by his marauding gallops down the touchline stretching opposing defenders.
It was Zuniga who secured Napoli’s first entry into the Champions League, when his goal in the penultimate match of the 2010-11 campaign against Inter, triggered a celebration that lasted through the summer. The fullback featured in seven of the club’s eight Champions League matches the following season as the Partenopei advanced past a punishing group and pushed eventual champions Chelsea to the brink in the round of 16.
It wasn’t long before the biggest clubs came knocking and Napoli were entertaining, and subsequently spurning, offers from Arsenal, Barcelona and Juventus.
However, things took a turn for the bizarre when Zuniga suffered an injury to his right knee in October 2013. The club was slow to release details of the injury and a subsequent operation did not occur until nearly a month after the initial diagnosis.
The exact injury was never fully revealed and Zuniga would only play a handful of matches the rest of the season.
Napoli fans were surprised when Colombia coach Jose Pekerman named Zuniga in his 23-man World Cup roster and downright shocked to see none of the ill effects of a troublesome knee, as he started four of the five matches in Los Cafeteros quarter-final run in Brazil.
The following season would offer more of the same, as Zuniga was routinely left on the bench or in the stands by coach Rafa Benitez, en route to a paltry seven Serie A appearances in the 2014-15 campaign.
Pekerman was not bothered and continued relying upon Zuniga as the defender played in four international friendlies in the lead-up to the Copa America and featured in three of the club’s four matches this past summer.
Since Zuniga’s initial injury, the club has brought in the likes of Anthony Reveillere, Faouzi Ghoulam, Ivan Strinic and, most recently, Elseid Hysaj to play as fullbacks.
None of these players, save for perhaps Ghoulam, offers the quality of two-way play Zuniga still has in his arsenal.
How then does a player who features regularly for FIFA’s third-ranked nation rarely play for his club side?
Napoli are now stuck with a player who is clearly unhappy, as the prime of his career is spent watching the likes of a 33-year old Maggio, who offers little besides “veteran leadership” and lapses in concentration sandwiched between errant crosses, take his spot on the pitch.
“Apocalypto” as Napoli announcer Raffaele Auriemma dubbed the 29-year old Colombian deserves better.
