Radamel Falcao was once touted as the next big thing in Spanish and French football, but he somehow lost his way once he chose to move to England. There are many striking traits about Radamel Falcao including him being a lethal striker, especially with the head. Falcao is what one would call a poacher in the box.
He made a name for himself at Porto and then got himself a transfer to AS Monaco in France after a brilliant couple of years at Atletico Madrid. Having represented Monaco for a good 3 years, he decided to move to Manchester United. He flopped miserably at United and played a season on loan at Chelsea. Ultimately, he transferred back to Monaco and is currently plying his trade in the Turkish league. Here’s 10 things we bet you didn’t know about Radamel Falcao.
Injuries could have finished his career even before it Started
Falcao got a permanent contract from the board at River Plate in Argentina and was on his way to stardom when injuries raised serious questions over his career. He injured his knee against San Lorenzo and then tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament shortly. Niggling injuries kept bugging him till the first half of 2007 before he could fight back to full fitness again. Worth knowing about Radamel Falcao?
About Radamel Falcao & Portuguese Dilemma
Having shone under Diego Simeone at River Plate in Argentina, Falcao got offers from two Portuguese clubs – Benfica and Porto. Benfica were the first to get in touch with his agent and a deal was almost over the line before Porto swooped in really late and won his signature. He justified the hype surrounding him in Portugal when he scored a wonderful goal on his debut against Pacos de Ferreira for Porto. Interesting fact about Radamel Falcao?
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Falcao is named after a famous footballer
Radamel Falcao’s father Julio was a huge fan of the beautiful game. He named his only son after the famous Brazilian footballer Paolo Roberto Falcao. It was in those days when Brazil used to be the powerhouse of South American football, envied by all in Latin America. Amazing to know this about Radamel Falcao?
Falcao is of British descent
It is strange that Radamel Falcao couldn’t replicate his form of the Portuguese and French leagues in England, whereas he had a lineage connection to the land. Falcao’s grandfather, George King, a Britisher, migrated to Colombia from North Yorkshire village. Did you know this about Radamel Falcao?
Falcao won consecutive Europa Leagues
One can call Radamel Falcao a Europa League specialist. He simply loves the competition. Having pumped in 19 goals in his second season at Porto to help them win the Europa League, Falcao moved to Spain and to Atlético Madrid where he played under Diego Simeone and won the Europa League again in 2012. In 2011, he went on to break Jürgen Klinsmann’s record of 17 goals in one Europa League season, scoring 19 and assisting 5. The most gripping fact about Radamel Falcao?
About Radamel Falcao’s Ballon d’Or race
Falcao was in the company of big names at the 2012 Ballon d’Or ceremony as he finished 5th behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. He scored a stunning 52 goals in 68 games for Atleti, only Messi and Ronaldo having scored more than him in the same period of time, across Europe’s top five leagues. Simply awesome about Radamel Falcao, isn’t it?
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Pep Guardiola called him ‘the best forward in the penalty box’
Falcao lit up La Liga, replacing Sergio Agüero at Atlético Madrid from Porto. He proved to be serious competition for the Messis and Ronaldos in his two seasons at Atlético. He scored for fun under Diego Simeone as Atlético challenged Real and Barcelona for the La Liga crown. Pep Guardiola, then Barca manager, went on to praise a rival player by saying that he was ‘the best forward in the penalty box’ at the time. Stunning this, about Radamel Falcao?
Falcao joined Monaco for a reason
After two successful seasons in Spain, Falcao made a rather odd switch when he chose to move to France to represent AS Monaco. The striker was on fire in one of the best Leagues at the time and moving to a relatively less competitive French league was seen as a step down by many. However, he justified it by saying that his heart had always belonged to Monaco since his idol Thierry Henry donned their colors. An idol-worshiping idol for many, doesn’t this speak about Radamel Falcao?
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A giver and a astute Christian
Falcao is a religious person, leading Christian groups like Locos por Jesus and Campeones para Cristo in his native Colombia. He champions the thought of religion in helping the needy and contributes to the education and feeding poor kids in his hometown. He met his wife Lorelei Taron at an evangelist church. She is an Argentina native and a singer. Loved this about Radamel Falcao?
Think twice before tackling Falcao
Falcao starred for Argentina outfit River Plate before he was injured by Sonar Ertek, a defender for Monts d’Or Azergues in a match between the two teams. Fans in Colombia condemned the act and took out processions. Some aggressive even went to the extent of issuing death threats to Ertek, claiming he had injured Falcao on purpose. Did you like our story about Radamel Falcao?