Welcome to Last Word on Football’s ‘Returning Players’ series. In this edition, we take a look at Nemanja Matic.
Matic broke through at Slovak side MFK Kosice as an attacking midfielder in 2007 before signing for Chelsea for £1.5 million in 2009. He would go on to make 154 appearances for the Blues but failed to gain much notice in his first spell at the club.
Returning Players – Nemanja Matic
First Spell at Chelsea
Matic was brought to Chelsea by Carlo Ancelotti but was used sparingly by the Italian. He arrived with an injury from the U21 European Championships and struggled to convince Ancelotti that he was worth playing after.
The Serb made his debut against Wolves, coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute in a game Chelsea won 4-0 in November 2009. He failed to make the impact that Ancelotti desired, and would play just once more that season.
Teams That Matic Played for in Between
Chelsea decided it was best for the then 22-year-old to go out on loan to Dutch side Vitesse Arnheim in August 2010. Having played regularly in Holland, Ancelotti still seemed to have no plans for the midfielder.
Portuguese giants Benfica saw something in Matic that Ancelotti did not, and brought him to Lisbon as part of a swap deal that saw David Luiz head to Stamford Bridge in January 2011.
Jorge Jesus initially drafted Matic into the side to play as a central or attacking midfielder, as he had only played there to this point. He did not make much of an impact at the club, sitting on the bench behind Javi Garcia often.
When Benfica sold Garcia to Manchester City and Axel Witsel to Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer of 2012, a new holding midfielder was needed in the side. Instead of signing a new player, Jesus handed this role to Matic.
This was the turning point in the midfielder’s career as he began to show his true class in his new position. The combative, consistent defensive midfielder we know today began to develop at Benfica.
Having impressed the club and slowly become one of the key players at the Estadio Sport Lisboa, Matic faced former employers Chelsea in the 2013 Europa League final. A late header from Branislav Ivanovic saw his former team win 2-1, but he had been Benfica’s best player on the night in the eyes of many.
Soon after, Matic received the Primeira Liga Player of the Year award. Jose Mourinho then arrived back in London and had set his eyes on bringing Matic back to Stamford Bridge.
In January 2014, he arrived back at his former side to bring Chelsea their first Premier League title since the year he left the club.
Return to Chelsea
Matic had a full debut to remember against soon-to-be champions Manchester City. He instantly made his €25 million transfer fee look like a bargain, giving a commanding performance in a ‘Mourinho Masterclass’ 1-0 victory at the Etihad.
The new member of Chelsea’s spine showed everything he was soon to bring to Chelsea during this game, showing tactical nous and physical power to nullify City’s world-class attack, in a game that saw him clip the crossbar with a venomous effort from 30 yards.
Shutting out the likes of John Obi Mikel and Ramires, Matic would soon create a partnership with summer signing Cesc Fabregas, which saw Chelsea develop a midfield with every characteristic Mourinho wanted. The pair became untouchable in the starting lineup, as Matic’s attributes as an engine in midfield complimented Fabregas’ playmaking capabilities from deep.
The pair led Chelsea to a dominant Premier League title victory in 2015, which earned Matic a place in the PFA Team of the Year. His side faltered in the following season, leading Jose Mourinho to be sacked, which also saw the beginning of the end of his partnership with Fabregas.
Matic was still an important player for Gus Hiddink and to Mourinho’s permanent successor, Antonio Conte. Matic was once again a key part of a Premier League title-winning side. This time he was seamlessly linking the defence and attack with N’golo Kante in Conte’s new 3-4-3 shaped Chelsea.
Having been such a key part of Chelsea’s recent success, the board decided it was time to cash in on the Serbian international in 2017. The club received a fee believed to be around £40 million from Manchester United for the 28-year-old.
Matic reunited with former manager Jose Mourinho at United. The defensive midfielder played a similar role with United as he had done with Mourinho’s Chelsea, creating a complementary partnership with United’s deep-lying playmaker Paul Pogba. He remains with the Red Devils and still contributes under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He ended his time in London with seven goals and 19 assists from 154 appearances. The Serb won an FA Cup in his first stint along with two Premier League titles.
Main Photo
