ISL 2018-19: 5 foreigners who have flopped after shifting clubs
More than half the matches of the league stage of ISL 2018-19 are done and dusted with. Bengaluru FC are the only team which is unbeaten after playing 10 matches. Meanwhile, Delhi Dynamos are the only team which is yet to grab the full three points from a single game.
A big chunk of the failure or success of any ISL club can be attributed to how their foreign players are performing. The imports are the ones who create the maximum impact on the team.
For example -- Ferran Corominas has been finding the back of the net regularly for FC Goa; Bartholomew Ogbeche has been sensational for NorthEast United and made a huge impact on the club. The Nigerian player is one of the main reasons why the club is sitting in the top 3 currently.
The Brazilian Raphael Augusto has been excellent in the midfield for Chennaiyin FC. Moroccan midfielder Ahmed Jahouh has also been splendid for The Gaurs. There are many other such foreign players that have been phenomenal for their respective clubs.
However, there is also a bunch of foreign players who, despite having prior experience of playing in the ISL, have failed miserably. These players made a switch to another club ahead of the start of the season but were not able to settle in as well as they - and the club they signed for - would have liked.
In this article, we assess the performance of 5 foreigners were exceptional for the clubs they played for in the previous season but have been major flops for their new clubs this time around. Without further ado, let's get started. Here are the 5 players:
#5 Rene Mihelic (Chennaiyin FC to Delhi Dynamos)
Slovenian midfielder Rene Mihelic first travelled to Indian shores for ISL 2017-18. The 30-year-old was a part of Chennaiyin FC in the previous season and had a major impact in the club. He settled in well with the Marina Machans. In the 14 games he played for the Chennai-based club, Rene scored 2 goals but more importantly had 4 assists to his name.
Rene played his role of acting as the pivot in the midfield to perfection and created many good scoring opportunities for the Marina Machans. His contribution was vital on their road to lifting the trophy last season.
He had a great understanding with Jeje Lalpekhlua as well. However, Rene has suffered to get things going since his move to Delhi Dynamos for the 2018-19 ISL season. The Slovenian has struggled with The Lions.
Even though he has got a lot of game time, the 30-year-old has failed to make a positive impact. The midfielder has only two assist in 10 games and will also be disappointed with his poor passing accuracy of 59.94%.
Delhi and Chennai are currently placed at the 10th and 9th position in the ISL table currently. Maybe it would have been better for both the clubs and Rene as well had he decided to not make the switch in the first place.