Chelsea flop who received titles in additional international locations than any participant desires to be a monk
Former Chelsea flop Mateja Kezman previously revealed his plans to become a monk after hanging up his boots.
The Serbian striker, who had a less-than-stellar stint at Stamford Bridge, is deeply religious, displaying his faith through several tattoos and even wearing an undershirt displaying an image of Jesus Christ during matches. Not long after leaving Chelsea, the forward turned heads when he confessed his desire to go on a spiritual journey after his playing career.
“I want to become a monk,” Kezman declared, as per the Evening Standard. “It is God’s decision. But if God calls me, I will do it.” Yet, it seems the divine signal hasn’t quite come through just yet. Transfermarkt notes that Kezman is currently the agent of Serbian star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
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Despite struggling at Stamford Bridge, Kezman’s time at Chelsea was not all doom and gloom. The striker scored the decisive goal against Liverpool in a Carling Cup final to deliver the first trophy of Jose Mourinho’s reign, having arrived in the same summer as future club legends Petr Cech and Didier Drogba.
Recent snaps of Kezman reveal a drastically altered look. The former striker now sports a long beard and is almost unrecognisable from the player who holds the record for winning league titles in most European countries (5). This impressive feat is only matched by Rivaldo and Robinho on a global scale.
Before earning his Premier League winners’ medal, Kezman had already claimed title victories in Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. He later added the Turkish Super Lig at Fenerbahce and the Belarussian Premier League with BATE Borisov to his collection.
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(Image: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
His single season at Chelsea ended with Kezman scoring seven goals in 41 appearances. It was a stark contrast to his final season at PSV, where he signed off with 31 goals in 29 league games. Former teammate Glen Johnson shared how Kezman’s frustration got the better of him as he struggled to replicate his previous form.
“I don’t remember what game it was but I remember what the dressing room was like! He smashed a few lockers up, put a few holes in the seats,” Johnson told Betting Expert.
“It happens all the time, players aren’t happy about coming off and he hadn’t been playing much at the time and he was given an opportunity but he was frustrated with himself as he’d missed a few chances.”
After his stint with Chelsea, Kezman moved to Atletico Madrid, aiming to mirror Diego Forlan’s resurgence, who had banged in 25 goals for Villarreal following his departure from Manchester United. Reflecting on his time at Chelsea, the forward expressed his regret at not living up to the fans’ expectations but acknowledged that Mourinho had a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal.
“I am very happy and proud of my time in Chelsea in one year, but now it is behind me,” he said to the Evening Chronicle. “I am very sad because of all the supporters in Chelsea, but it was a year with a lot of stress. For one year they were all behind me, giving me support in the stadium and on the street as well.
“I owe them more goals – one day it might happen, I might be back to Chelsea, you never know. But for now, I want to play and Mourinho was not going to give me a chance.”
