10 Pro Evolution Soccer Legends Who Flopped In Real Life
8. Valeri Bojinov
Valeri Bojinov’s career was by no means a disaster. He played at the highest level in the Premier League, Serie A and Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
But there will always be a lingering sense of “What if” concerning the diminutive Bulgarian, especially among Pro Evo gamers.
Bojinov was nothing short of phenomenal on the game, whether you were taking control of him at Lecce or Fiorentina - his first two clubs as a senior pro.
Similar in some ways to Lionel Messi, he was short, quick and surprisingly strong. He also had a rocket of a shot. PES fans loved him. Having first debuted at Lecce at the tender age of just 15, it looked as though Bojinov had the world at his feet.
Solid spells at Fiorentina and Juventus suggested he was worthy of the hype and Sven Goran Eriksson appeared to agree, making Bojinov one of his first signings as Manchester City manager.
His time in the Premier League would prove disastrous however, with Bojinov first suffering a knee ligament injury that side-lined him for six months before enduring further heartbreak after snapping his Achilles while warming up for what was supposed to be his comeback.
He ended up missing nearly two years of football – and it showed. Moving on to Parma, Bojinov rediscovered some of his old form, but the old magic was lost.
The injuries also persisted in the years that followed with the Bulgarian eventually turning out for a further 14 different teams with middling results.