Has-been to hero, Falcao savoring Monaco makeover
MONACO — Dismissed as a has-been after a disastrous spell in England, Radamel Falcao will savor the Champions League anthem more than most before Monaco and Juventus square off in Wednesday’s semifinal first leg
he Colombian striker will captain the principality club against the Italians — whose own star striker Gonzalo Higuain was once his colleague at River Plate — at Stade Louis II as it attempts to take another step towards a possible Ligue 1 and Champions League double.
Monaco has won admirers everywhere this season thanks to the exciting brand of soccer played by its young team, and the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar will be targets for the continent’s giants in the offseason.
But all of them will admit the role played by the 31-yearold Falcao has been vital.
Last July he scored in a 2-1 loss to Fenerbahce in Istanbul as Monaco’s campaign began in the third qualifying round first leg.
More than nine months lat- er, he has 28 goals in all competitions and has now scored 45 in 50 European appearances, putting him ahead of German great Gerd Mueller as the most prolific player in the history of the continental competition.
“I have.always believed in RadamelT and right from the start of the season I was already saying that he would get back to his best form,” Vadim Vasilyev, Monaco’s vice-president told French television station TF1.
“Nobody believed it but now we have the proof.”
This time a year ago Falcao was considered a bust after two seasons on loan in the Premier League, with Manchester United and then Chelsea, yielded just five goals.
The Daily Mail dubbed him “a rich man with a broken reputation”, while The Daily Telegraph highlighted how he had been paid the equivalent of $1 million per shot by Chelsea.
He was left off the Colombia squad for last year’s Copa America, but his reputation has been restored this year in stunning style.
“I think it’s all about confidence and having a regular run on the team. The rest takes care of itself,” Falcao told UEFA.com.
It is not just about what happens out on the pitch for Leonardo Jardim’s free-flowing side, though. Falcao is also finally settled in the glitzy Mediterranean principality.
“I feel loved by the club and by the fans. My teammates support me and I am very happy at the club and in the city, enjoying this moment,” he said before the quarterfinal, second leg win against Borussia Dortmund.
“My family is also enjoying being here and I think these circumstances have allowed things to go as well as possible on the field.”
That comfort level has allowed Falcao to bury the memory of a difficult first season in Monaco, cut short by a serious knee injury that saw him miss the World Cup in Brazil.
It was the start of all his problems, and when Monaco faced Juventus in the Champions League quarterfinals in 2015, he was warming the bench at Old Trafford.
Monaco just wanted to rid itself of Falcao and his burdensome pay packet at that point. But in January this year the club was pleased he stayed, despite a reported $66 million offer from Tianjin Quanjian of the Chinese Super League.
Falcao has just a year left on his Monaco contract but for now he is only focused on a glorious end to this season.
Two wins from its last four league games should be enough for it to take the French title from Paris SaintGermain, while a first Champions League crown would top it all.
“Not many players get the chance to play in a Champions League semifinal,” said Falcao, a two-time Europa League winner. “I don’t know if I’ ll get another opportunity so I want to make the most of it. It is my dream.”