Worst European Team of the Season so far, starring Ronaldo, Pique & Lukaku

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 30 Dec 2022 08:28 GMT
• 7 min read

The 2022-23 season has already been a season like no other. For the first time in history, we had a mid-season World Cup with Qatar 2022 taking place in November and December.

This resulted in Europe’s club competitions being condensed in a packed calendar both before and after the World Cup.

This has taken some getting used to for players - and as always there have been some big stars who have flopped badly for their clubs.

Europe's biggest football flops in 2022-23

We take a look at 11 high-profile stars who have disappointed this season so far.

Eduard Mendy (Chelsea)

Mendy kept 14 clean sheets in 34 Premier League games for Chelsea last season, but only managed one in nine this term before being dropped by Graham Potter, who had succeeded Thomas Tuchel as coach. Kepa Arrizabalaga is now ahead of him when fit, and the Blues remain in the market for a longer term No.1.

Mendy also endured a dreadful World Cup for Senegal as they crashed out in the last-16 to England.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Second, just a single point off champions City last season, Liverpool find themselves 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal this term. No Reds player has disappointed more than Alexander-Arnold, whose defensive positioning and tenacity - or lack thereof - has seen Liverpool concede some silly goals.

He snuck into England's World Cup squad with Reece James injured but found himself third-choice in Qatar behind Kyle Walker and Kieran Tripper.

Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

Pique was so bad this season that he was forced to retire with the campaign only three months old. Pique’s legendary career came to a sad end in November after a start to the season in which it was demonstrated that he was no longer good enough at this level. He made a string of errors in the Champions League that saw Barcelona eliminated in the group stages by Inter. In his defence, though, many of Barca’s defenders have disappointed in 2022-23, including Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia.

Harry Maguire (Man Utd)

Maguire deserves credit for his World Cup performances with England, but let's not forget that Manchester United - who he captains - started winning once he got dropped. The most expensive defender of all-time made a catalogue of errors in the early part of the season and is now firmly behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the central defensive pecking order.

Angelino (Hoffenheim)

Angelino has had some fall from grace this past year. In 2020-21 he was one of the most productive left backs in Europe, scoring eight goals and starring in the Champions League. But he has lost his way in his career and, after being loaned out to Hoffenheim, he has struggled badly for a team who are 11th in the Bundesliga and only four points off the relegation zone.

Renato Sanches (PSG)

Sanches exploded onto the scene at Euro 2016, suggesting he was a future superstar. He flopped badly at Bayern Munich but slowly repaired his career before again suggesting at Lyon he was ready to star for a big club. He rejected Milan for PSG this past summer but once again he has floundered so far at a top team. He is well down the pecking order in Paris.

Franck Kessie (Barcelona)

Kessie’s decision to join Barcelona on a free transfer this summer already raised doubts before the season started due to the sheer abundance of talent in midfield at Camp Nou. Those fears have now come to pass as he has started just two La Liga games, plus five appearances from the bench for a total of 213 minutes. He has scored just once in all competitions. He is already being linked with a move away.

Paul Pogba (Juventus)

Pogba has not kicked a football this season since his free transfer move back to Juventus from Manchester United in the summer. In September, the 29-year-old underwent surgery for a torn meniscus that he suffered during the summer and which had not responded to conservative treatment. He tried to recover in time for the World Cup with France but then suffered a thigh injury prior to the finals. Pogba is still not back in Juventus training and manager Max Allegri admits he has no idea when he will be fit.

Jadon Sancho (Man Utd)

Sancho can line up on either flank but is increasingly found on neither flank with Antony signed from Ajax for €100m and Alejandro Garnacho becoming a rising star on the opposite side. Sancho had two goals and an assist before missing England's World Cup squad. He then didn't even make it to his club's mid-season tour of Spain. Sancho was not "physically or mentally ready" to play for Man Utd said Ten Hag. His long-term future at Old Trafford is very much in doubt.

Romelu Lukaku (Inter)

Lukaku returned to Inter on a one-season loan this past summer from Chelsea, but has struggled horribly with his fitness. He has played just 256 minutes of club football this season, starting three games and appearing in only five matches in total. He has scored two goals this campaign. He also struggled badly at the World Cup. Clearly unfit, he appeared twice as a substitute and missed a hatful of clear chances in the 0-0 draw with Croatia that saw Belgium eliminated in the groups.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)

Ronaldo’s second Man Utd spell ended in disaster. The Portuguese was dropped for Marcus Rashford and managed just a single league goal before giving an unsanctioned interview to Piers Morgan in which he slammed the club, its Glazer family ownership, and manager Ten Hag. Released by United on the eve of the World Cup, Ronaldo is reportedly on the cusp of a lucrative move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. His top-level career is over.