Maicon at Inter; to go or to stay?

Date: 16th July 2011 at 3:00pm
Written by:
Thiago Motta celebrates with his team mates Chivu, Maicon and Pandev

Douglas Maicon’s fall from grace is symbolic. Many believed the Brazilian right back to be the best in the business. A complete fullback with the ability to bomb forward being soundly aware of his defensive duties, Maicon carried the tag of being the best right back in the world. Well until he met a certain Welshman.

Last season, the world class right back suffered an unsatisfactory run of form with Inter. Many fans and pundits were calling for his head and Massimo Moratti’s decision to reject Real Madrid’s offer of €35 million came under immense scrutiny.

One year on, Moratti might be considering his options. Maicon turns 30 on the 26th of July, 2011. With one year left on his contract and his age clearly against him, Maicon’s future at Inter is looking bleak. The arrival of Jonathan does not help in securing Maicon’s position at the club. Expecting to receive a similar offer of €35 million might be delusional. But the likes of Liverpool FC and Manchester City cannot be exempted from outperforming each other on the grounds of lunacy. Should Inter strongly consider putting an end to the Maicon era? Yes.

Maicon’s assets were his pace and his physique. At 30, Maicon’s pace is expected to dip and his body will have a telling effect on his game. Gareth Bale smoked past the Brazilian, humiliating him in the Champions League, an experience Maicon may never recover from. The effect of that match had a visible impact on Maicon’s confidence in the latter half of the season. He no longer was the player that made marauding runs down the right flank. Inter also run the risk of losing him on a free in June 2012. It would be a shame if the club did not make any money of him. The club is at a point where the old guard must be replaced by the new generation.

The core of this side is depreciating and lacks the motivation to chug on further for glory. Inter’s stars are in need of a new challenge. That might well be the case with Maicon. His recent outing against Ecuador in the Copa is demonstrative of his quality. He is still a top, top defender. However the San Siro may not be the venue that sees the best of him. He has much to offer for a Russian or a Turkish club. This being said with utmost respect to the Russian and Turkish league but the top leagues in Europe will expose his weaknesses time and time again.

Tricky wingers are emerging in Italy and are found in abundance in England and Spain. The Italian game is widening up and pace can be found in most teams in Italy today. Inter’s reliability on Maicon in Europe got dismantled last season. The Nerazzuri might shudder at the thought of Maicon coming against an Angel Di Maria or an Ashley Young in the near future. Also, Inter will change the shape of their line up under the new coach.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s system of a 3-4-3 provides no place for a fullback. The Italian might accommodate Maicon on the right of midfield but Rafinha is testament of how Gasperini can destroy a fullback by pushing him into midfield. Inter will face a substantial financial and tactical risk by holding onto Maicon. His wages will prove to be heavy in this period of rebuilding. The money saved from his wages can be channelled into other areas of the team that require focus.

Post a good Copa America, Maicon might interest some ambitious clubs in Europe. An offer in the region of €10-€15 million might be tabled by a club or two in search of experience to upgrade their European dreams. Inter would be rather foolish to snub a lucrative offer and provide Maicon with an extension on his current contract. The news suggests a two year extension is on the cards. Maicon is entering into his twilight years as a footballer.

Fullbacks are experiencing shorter careers due to the work ethic expected of them and its subsequent impact on their bodies. In 2014, Maicon will be 32 with the MLS awaiting his call. Douglas Maicon would want more than that, one would presume.

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3 responses to “Maicon at Inter; to go or to stay?”

  1. Rory Hanna says:

    You make some very good points, but I believe Inter should only sell Maicon if they think that Jonathan will be a much better replacement. That might seem like an obvious point, but there seems to be a lack of world-class full-backs right now.

    England don’t have one, Italy don’t have one and neither do Argentina, although if Javier Zanetti can be counted as a right-back he is still top quality in my opinion. As for Maicon’s Brazilian rival Daniel Alves, I think he is one of the most overrated players in the world.

    Maicon is one of just a handful of magnificent right-backs left. Losing him without finding a replacement would be crazy.

  2. Ogo Sylla says:

    Great points indeed Rajath & I agree with Rory about the dearth of quality fullbacks in the Wolrld (although I’d argue FRA are not doing too badly for themselves).

    Either way I think the train has passed regarding selling Maicon. At this point Inter are better off keeping him & slowly easing Jonathan in. Honestly I don’t see EPL clubs lining up for him ’cause they’ll remember what Bale did to him & simply won’t bother.

    Speaking of Bale & what he did to Maicon, I blame the fact that the Brazilian was returning from injury & that Benitez didn’t tactically adjust well enough to deal with the Welshman (i.e. double-teaming him)

  3. Rajath says:

    Rory – Yes, however there is a dearth for quality left backs, right backs are found by the dozen. Some options for Inter include Van Der Weil, Bosingwa, Andreas Hinkel, Mattia Cassani, Pablo Zabaleta, and Darjo Srna. They could look to bring back Davide Santon too.

    Ogo – I am not sure if Maicon would like a mentoring role at the club though that might be ideal for young Jonathan.