Another Italian Club for Stephen Appiah
Ghanaian Stephen Appiah may have exited the international football scene but his passion for football can never be extinguished. Appiah is set to satisfy his hunger for success and re-establish himself as a top player in Cesena.
Ghana’s driving force joined Bologna’s 2009-10 campaign before joining Cesena. Appiah shared his excitement for the upcoming Serie A season to BBC reporters. "I didn't play a lot of games for Bologna last season but I'm hoping to get more playing time this season. In training I've showed the coach that I'm ready to play and I feel good," Appiah said. Appiah wants to ensure that the club avoids relegation this season. Promotion in Serie A is a sweet victory for Cesena because they have been absent in Serie A for 19 years.
"I've had a difficult time in the last two years and I'm determined to put that behind me and enjoy my football again," said Appiah. The difficult time refers to his stint years in the Turkish club Fenerbehce, where he had issues with his contract and injuries.
Appiah was doing well before his injuries set in. Born in Accra (Ghanaian capital), the veteran midfielder already showed passion at an early age. In fact, he used to absent himself from school just to play football. He started his career in Hearts of Oak at the age of 15. He moved to Italy to join Serie A club Udinese when he was 16. He transferred to Parma three years later.
Despite his skills, Appiah was not a regular in Parma’s first team. In his third year in Parma, he went to Brescia on loan. It was there where he became a first team regular. Soon enough, he was all over the sports newspapers of Italy.
Juventus spotted the midfielder’s talents; they bought him permanently in 2004 for €6 million. Appiah had a fruitful first season with Juventus. He appeared in 30 Serie A games. Juventus was crowned Serie A champions in his first season but they were stripped of their title when the Calciopoli scandal erupted. Despite the relegation, Appiah helped his club win the Scudetto in his second season. He rose to popularity as one of the few Africans who have savoured the Italian’s domestic football price.
Fenerbahce bought Appiah from Juventus in 2005. He helped the Turkish club win the Turkish Super League in 2007. The midfielder was a favourite in Istanbul. It seemed like Appiah had a promising future in Fenerbahce until his knee injury set in. Appiah claimed that the club wanted to freeze his registration during his injury lay-off. Things took a turn for the worse when he went to Italy for rehabilitation and the club refused to pay him for several months. Such treatment compelled Appiah to end his contract with Fenerbahce.
Appiah was a free agent for almost a year. Clubs like Tottenham and FC Rubin Kazan provided him with opportunities but they decided not to sign him in for fitness reasons. Clearly, his injuries threatened to destroy his career. Even so, he remained a regular in his national team. Now he can never be forgotten because he led his country to finally qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time four years ago.
Bologna finally signed him in on a free transfer in November 2009 but still, his injuries prevented him from playing in the first team. He only made a debut for the club in May 2009.
Appiah was without a club for two years, and for a professional football player, that can be very disheartening. Two years is a major setback. It’s a good thing that Appiah kept himself together because this year, he was given a chance by Cesena to start again.
Appiah’s official statement reflects his happiness and gratefulness: “I am happy with the agreement with Cesena because they showed how much they wanted me to join them when we started negotiating. It is a new start for me although it is still in Italy. They have a project which I am happy to be part of. I have met the management of Cesena and have assured them I will give it 100 percent as I usually do. They can definitely count on a fit Stephen Appiah without a doubt. I would like to say a big thank you to the management, players and supporters of Bologna for giving me a chance to get back into football after my long absence”
Appiah has also retired from the international football scene and is concentrating his efforts on his club career. His retirement may be abrupt to many people, but he has done his part. He has helped his nation become four-time African champions. Perhaps the two-year club hullabaloo has exhausted him so much that he decided to simply concentrate his efforts on his club stint. It is rare to come by good second chances and Stephen Appiah is making the most out of it.
Tags: