On May 24 2013, nouveau-riche AS Monaco announced that they had completed the signings of James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho from Portuguese champions FC Porto for a combined fee of €70 million, with €25 million of that sum put forward to acquire the services of the ever reliable box-to-box midfielder Joao Moutinho. Is this the right move for a player who is about to move into the prime years of his career? Is he switching clubs for the money or does he see something in this Monaco side that many others have missed?
Joao Moutinho grew up a Sporting player, joining them from hometown club Portimonense at the young age of 13. He spent all his youth years at Los Leões and broke into the first team when Jose Peisero gave most of his talented youngsters, such as the likes of Nani, Miguel Veloso and Moutinho himself a shot in the first team. After spending time with future national team manager Paulo Bento in the youth team, steadily and surely, Moutinho broke into the lineup and became a regular in one of Portugal’s best sides. His determination, work rate, adaptability and overall quality cemented him into fan’s minds and he was finding himself a midfield regular in the Sporting lineup. After iconic sporting figure Ricardo Sa Pinto left the Jose Alvalade, Moutinho was handed the vice captain role at the tender age of 19. This showed just how much progress the youngster from the Algarve region of Portugal had made. Only a season later, he continued to show how much of a player he was, as Sporting coaches deemed him fit enough to lead the team at only 20 following Custodio and Ricardo departing Lisbon. Moutinho kept climbing the ladder with Sporting, earning plaudits for his extremely consistent performances.
But Moutinho broke Sporting fans’ hearts, when in July 2010, he completed an €11 million move to league rivals FC Porto, one of the three powerhouses of the league. Sporting chairman José Eduardo Bettencourt describing him as a “rotten apple”. Moutinho ignored these comments, and played a part in the northerner’s title win. Again he solidified his place in the team, no doubt being one of the first names on the team sheet week in week out. He was part of the side that steamrolled their way to the Europa League final, defeating teams of pedigree such as CSKA Moscow, Villareal and they overcame league rivals SC Braga in the final. Moutinho was now a regular in both club and country sides, his form at domestic level more than enough to cement his place on the international stage, where he once again churned out consistent games throughout friendlies and qualifying. Moutinho remained a regular throughout all three of Porto’s title triumphs, and scored a rare goal against Malaga in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. He was also played throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 Euros, where Portugal were knocked out by Spain through the dreaded penalty shootout.
So now the question is: why throw this away? Moutinho was a regular for the best side in his country, he was literally bossing every team in the league and he was frequently competing at the top level in Europe.
Firstly, Moutinho is giving away almost assured Champions League football. Monaco, despite their new found wealth, are a side that has only just regained promotion from Ligue Two, and with all the new signings, including Falcao and Rodriguez, they might not gel properly at first, which could risk a mid-table finish which is not very pleasant for players who are competing for the international squad. Moutinho has a lot of competition for his spot in the midfield of Portugal’s team, so it would be drastic for him to lose that.
In addition, Moutinho is leaving behind a system that he fits into perfectly, both domestically and internationally. Portugal and Porto offer the same system, which Moutinho fits into like a key in a hole. Yes, it is great to get out of your comfort zone, but in modern football, things can change in seconds. One patch of rough form can cost you, as Mats Hummels has demonstrated for Dortmund and Germany respectively.
Also, he had other options. Going in to the prime years of his footballing career, time is of the essence for Moutinho, 27, and he only really has three to five more years or top level European football, and if things go wrong at Monaco, then it will be a sticky situation for the Portuguese player, as he’d be in the latter stages of his career, with not many other top European clubs willing to take on a 29-year old midfielder. So it is a must for Monaco and Moutinho to qualify for the Champions League. If they don’t, it can only affect his club career, but it might also play a part in whether he has done enough to earn a call up to the national squad.
With the negatives, though, comes the positives. On a bumper contract in a city like Monaco is a dream come true for many people in the world, not just footballers. It would be foolish to turn down the combination that I stated above. Go take a look for yourself at Monaco on Google Images. You will be amazed. Finally, Moutinho has the opportunity to prove that he can play anywhere in the world. France boasts a relatively competitive league in the shape of Ligue One. Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Marseille and Lyon and Bordeaux can all stake claims for the title, with the former being the favourite.
Is he driven by money? Will he, or Monaco succeed? To be honest, I don’t know. Moutinho doesn't give off the impression that he is driven by money, as his fantastic work ethic and and excellent determination on the field exemplify. But his decision to join an unproven team from a Champions League regular speaks differently. Overall, we can’t get into the minds of footballers. There could have been many other factors in the move, including picky agents, clauses and bonuses. In my opinion, Moutinho probably should’ve explored more secure, assured options, which I know were there. Tottenham had a deadline day bid turned down a year ago. Of course, dull and grey London can’t compare to the vibrant and warm Cote d’Azure, but it would've been the best for his career, which I think Monaco isn't.
Joao Moutinho grew up a Sporting player, joining them from hometown club Portimonense at the young age of 13. He spent all his youth years at Los Leões and broke into the first team when Jose Peisero gave most of his talented youngsters, such as the likes of Nani, Miguel Veloso and Moutinho himself a shot in the first team. After spending time with future national team manager Paulo Bento in the youth team, steadily and surely, Moutinho broke into the lineup and became a regular in one of Portugal’s best sides. His determination, work rate, adaptability and overall quality cemented him into fan’s minds and he was finding himself a midfield regular in the Sporting lineup. After iconic sporting figure Ricardo Sa Pinto left the Jose Alvalade, Moutinho was handed the vice captain role at the tender age of 19. This showed just how much progress the youngster from the Algarve region of Portugal had made. Only a season later, he continued to show how much of a player he was, as Sporting coaches deemed him fit enough to lead the team at only 20 following Custodio and Ricardo departing Lisbon. Moutinho kept climbing the ladder with Sporting, earning plaudits for his extremely consistent performances.
But Moutinho broke Sporting fans’ hearts, when in July 2010, he completed an €11 million move to league rivals FC Porto, one of the three powerhouses of the league. Sporting chairman José Eduardo Bettencourt describing him as a “rotten apple”. Moutinho ignored these comments, and played a part in the northerner’s title win. Again he solidified his place in the team, no doubt being one of the first names on the team sheet week in week out. He was part of the side that steamrolled their way to the Europa League final, defeating teams of pedigree such as CSKA Moscow, Villareal and they overcame league rivals SC Braga in the final. Moutinho was now a regular in both club and country sides, his form at domestic level more than enough to cement his place on the international stage, where he once again churned out consistent games throughout friendlies and qualifying. Moutinho remained a regular throughout all three of Porto’s title triumphs, and scored a rare goal against Malaga in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. He was also played throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 Euros, where Portugal were knocked out by Spain through the dreaded penalty shootout.
So now the question is: why throw this away? Moutinho was a regular for the best side in his country, he was literally bossing every team in the league and he was frequently competing at the top level in Europe.
Firstly, Moutinho is giving away almost assured Champions League football. Monaco, despite their new found wealth, are a side that has only just regained promotion from Ligue Two, and with all the new signings, including Falcao and Rodriguez, they might not gel properly at first, which could risk a mid-table finish which is not very pleasant for players who are competing for the international squad. Moutinho has a lot of competition for his spot in the midfield of Portugal’s team, so it would be drastic for him to lose that.
In addition, Moutinho is leaving behind a system that he fits into perfectly, both domestically and internationally. Portugal and Porto offer the same system, which Moutinho fits into like a key in a hole. Yes, it is great to get out of your comfort zone, but in modern football, things can change in seconds. One patch of rough form can cost you, as Mats Hummels has demonstrated for Dortmund and Germany respectively.
Also, he had other options. Going in to the prime years of his footballing career, time is of the essence for Moutinho, 27, and he only really has three to five more years or top level European football, and if things go wrong at Monaco, then it will be a sticky situation for the Portuguese player, as he’d be in the latter stages of his career, with not many other top European clubs willing to take on a 29-year old midfielder. So it is a must for Monaco and Moutinho to qualify for the Champions League. If they don’t, it can only affect his club career, but it might also play a part in whether he has done enough to earn a call up to the national squad.
With the negatives, though, comes the positives. On a bumper contract in a city like Monaco is a dream come true for many people in the world, not just footballers. It would be foolish to turn down the combination that I stated above. Go take a look for yourself at Monaco on Google Images. You will be amazed. Finally, Moutinho has the opportunity to prove that he can play anywhere in the world. France boasts a relatively competitive league in the shape of Ligue One. Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Marseille and Lyon and Bordeaux can all stake claims for the title, with the former being the favourite.
Is he driven by money? Will he, or Monaco succeed? To be honest, I don’t know. Moutinho doesn't give off the impression that he is driven by money, as his fantastic work ethic and and excellent determination on the field exemplify. But his decision to join an unproven team from a Champions League regular speaks differently. Overall, we can’t get into the minds of footballers. There could have been many other factors in the move, including picky agents, clauses and bonuses. In my opinion, Moutinho probably should’ve explored more secure, assured options, which I know were there. Tottenham had a deadline day bid turned down a year ago. Of course, dull and grey London can’t compare to the vibrant and warm Cote d’Azure, but it would've been the best for his career, which I think Monaco isn't.