10 Chelsea Heroes Whose Careers Have Nosedived Since Leaving

2. Carlo Cudicini

Carlo Cudicini may have left Stamford Bridge in 2009, but, in truth, his Chelsea career had effectively ended five years earlier with the arrival of Petr Cech. The Italian initially joined the Blues on a loan deal during the 99/00 season from Italian club Castel di Sangro - a deal that was quickly made permanent. He made just three appearances during his first season at the club, and was on the bench as Chelsea won the 2000 FA Cup final, although he began to challenge Ed de Goey for the starting spot the following season and started 23 league games. Cudicini soon became a fan€™s favourite following a series of consistently excellent performances, and was voted the club€™s Player of the Year for the 01/02 season by the supporters. His form carried on into the 02/03 season, and he was recognised as being the safest set of hands in the league as he won the ITV Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season award. However, his past injury demons returned to plague the 03/04 season, prompting the Chelsea hierarchy to stump up for a 22 year old prospect at Rennes by the name of Petr Cech. The arrival of Cech was seen as yet another example of the Blues€™ unnecessary spending splurge considering Cudicini€™s status at the club - in fact, the potential battle for the number one jersey bears a striking resemblance to the tug-of-war he finds himself locked in with new boy Thibaut Courtois. A sense of deja-vu, perhaps? Since being ousted by his Czech counterpart, Cudicini was restricted to a series of sporadic appearances in the domestic cup competitions and consistently failed to qualify for a Premier League winners€™ medal, registering a combined total of seven league appearances during both of the victorious seasons. The Italian managed to feature slightly more once the Czech shot-stopper€™s injuries began to take their toll, but by January 2009 he had clearly had enough and swiftly departed for Spurs. In his three years at White Hart Lane, the experienced goalkeeper failed to threaten a starting berth between the sticks, however, and was signed for LA Galaxy in December 2012 on a free transfer. The 41 year old has since been released by the American outfit and is currently without a club.