As for Felipe Caicedo, defender Pablo Zabaleta, now retired, told an anecdote about the short time they spent at Manchester City (the Ecuadorian was at the club from 2008 to 2009, and the Argentine between 2008 and 2017) and how each of them took advantage. opportunity to learn a new language.

“I went there without knowing English and as soon as we arrived, the City gave four South Americans a teacher: Robinho, Elan, Felipe Caicedo and me. It was two hours on Tuesdays, after practice, with a woman who only spoke English. I was alone in the third grade, the others had signed up. I took a year of classes and the rest was listening and practicing,” Zabaleta told the magazine in 2018. Graphics, from Buenos Aires.

Last week, Madrid-based newspaper AS compiled a list of what, based on performance and fees paid to buy passes or loans, the media deemed the 15 worst signings in England’s history. Among those mentioned is Caicedo. The striker turned out to be a failure for Manchester City. He was between 2008 and 2009 and his attitude left a lot to be desired. In fact, they described him as a rebel,” the Spanish newspaper pointed out.

poor numbers

But it’s not just Felipao’s absences from City’s English lessons or his likely willingness to adapt to a very demanding game of football that is responsible for the bad image the Ecuadorian has left after his short stint in the Premier League. The man from Guayaquil arrived in England seven months before his 20th birthday.

He made his debut on 10 February 2008 and played the last 15 minutes in a 2–1 win over Manchester United. But that flattering debut did not reverberate through the rest of Caicedo’s time at City. The reason for this is the bad numbers he posted AS he put him on the shameful list.

Caicedo played 27 games in the Premier League with Manchester City between February 2008 and May 2009 and in only one of those matches did the Ecuadorian spend 90 minutes on the pitch. In that competition, out of 2,430 possible minutes, the young forward played 1,032 minutes. According to the specialized website Transfermarkt, he was not called up for the most important English tournament 18 times.

the second worst

Caicedo scored four goals in the Premier. Against Hull City, he made two in Manchester City’s 5-1 win, ten months after being signed. He then scored one against Blackburn Rovers and another against Bolton. In the UEFA Cup (today’s European League), the footballer who emerged from the lower leagues of Rocafuerte scored three goals (one against Racing Santander in 2008, and in 2009 another against Aalborg and another against Hamburg).

AS He reflected on Caicedo’s discreet career at City: “He failed to stand out and others like Carlos Tévez took his place. He played only 35 games and scored seven goals. Part of the most disastrous contracts – in which Felipao takes fourth place – are Brazilians Robinho, Maicon and Jo, Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz, Argentinean Matías Vuoso, Italians Rolando Bianchi and Bernardo, Corradi, Englishmen Scott Sinclair and Matthew Mills, Scottish Gerry Creaney, among others.

“Ecuadorian striker Felipe Caicedo has been transferred to Manchester City, of the English Premier League, for an approximate amount of 16 million dollars, which would make him the most expensive transfer for a national football player in history,” EL UNIVERSO reported on February 1, 2008.

“Caicedo, 19, whose sporting rights belonged to Switzerland’s FC Basel, was signed on the closing day of the transfer book of English football, in which several contracts were signed,” added this newspaper 15 years ago. (D)