Former Juventus, Parma, and Chelsea striker, Adrian Mutu has claimed he could’ve ‘easily’ won the Ballon d’Or if not for cocaine use, but reveals he was ‘happiest’ at Fiorentina.
The Romanian star is currently working as a coach in his home country following his retirement from his playing career in 2016.
He found himself in hot water in October 2004 when he failed a drug test for cocaine and was sacked by the club, just months after a big £16m transfer from Parma.
“Taking cocaine during my time at Chelsea was the worst decision I could have made in my career,” Mutu told Telegraph Sport.
“I was alone and sad, but neither depression nor anything else justified my actions. I should have asked for help, and I didn’t. However, you learn from everything in life, and that lesson made me a better person – much more mature and self-aware. And I’m proud of that.”
Mutu believes that this addiction cost him a truly glorious career as a football player, even winning the Ballon d’Or.
“I’ve reflected on that many times. I believe that for more than a season, I was amongst the best players in the world, so I could have won it easily. But bad decisions prevented me from doing so. I try not to beat myself up about it.”
The problems continued upon his return to Italy when there was another ban for failing a drug test at Fiorentina in 2010.
“Italy put me on the international map, and after such a turbulent and conflicted period in England, it opened its doors to me again to continue my career. At Juventus, we won two league titles, but I was happiest at Fiorentina, where I regained my best form,” continued Mutu.
Now that he is a coach working with academy players, he hopes that his experience can help pass on some valuable lessons to youngsters.
“As a footballer, I wasn’t able to see many things. I also wasn’t ready at the time. As the years went by, I realised the mistakes I made during that period. Do I regret it? I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but it was something I didn’t know how to handle. Now, I see everything from a different perspective.”