The father of up-and-coming Danish international Christian Eriksen has warned young players everywhere that England is not an option, singling out Chelsea, above all, for criticism.
“The training facilities are good – but kids should not go there” said Thomas Eriksen, after his son was allegedly asked, having failed to impress twice previously due to a perceived lack of strength and ability, to return for a third trial at Cobham, the Blues’ Surrey training ground, in 2008.
“Chelsea thought he was too weak and not that great” claimed Eriksen Snr, as his son went on to sign for Ajax that summer before becoming a mainstay of the national team last year and shining in the Copenhagen-hosted friendly against England this February.
Chelsea have stood accused in the past of treating potential youth team targets improperly. In September 2009 the club were banned from the transfer market for two windows, before being readmitted upon appeal, for circumstances surrounding their signing of France u21 winger Gael Kakuta from Lens - currently being lent to local rivals Fulham.
As recently as last week, Juventus General Manager Giuseppe Marotta branded the West Londoners “unethical” over their pursuit of Lucas Piazon, dubbed ‘the new Kaka’, for reportedly offering the 17-year-old Brazilian hotshot in excess of £1 million per year to sign in the summer.
But this particular bout of abuse aimed at the club will likely antagonise as much, if not more than earlier denigration, as Chelsea have brought their youth policy to the fore this term and invested heavily in their academy ever since Roman Abramovich’s 2003 takeover, hence the facilities that could be said to have been under-sold by Eriksen when described as “good”. The Dane held the Premier League Champions up as a reflection of an “English mentality [that] does not work” and said “they are completely cold with the way they treat players”.
Viewers of Sky One reality TV show Football Icon, filmed at Cobham between 2005 and 2007 in which over 6,000 boys aged 16-18 competed for a professional contract with the club, may recall the incredible opportunities on offer to those contesting, including expert advice from first-team players and management, exclusive behind-the-scenes access and plenty of competitive action, being warmly received. Notably, the series sparked a range of football-related reality programmes, such as Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker and Football’s Next Star, run by Italian Champions Inter Milan.
Even when the kids’ dreams were crushed in Football Icon, they reacted with great maturity and professionalism, subsequently attributing primarily positive memories to the experience. They understood that professional football is a tough nut to crack and, many having already attended trials and been overlooked, proved a great deal more dignified in their evaluations of Chelsea's meticulate scouting system than Messieurs Eriksen and Marotta.
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