Dzeko, who did not do himself justice at Manchester City, has reached a first Champions League semi-final at Roma, showing players can reach the heights after falling short in England
One of the joys of European football is catching up with familiar faces who have slightly fallen off the radar since leaving England. This applies less to global stars like Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez, both of whom play for clubs who are always in the news, and more to foreign players with a quirky character, like the maverick talent who gains cultish adoration despite never quite living up to the hype, or the flop who disappears without a trace before surfacing again to complain about the food, the people and the weather in a scathing interview about his “English hell”.
For a reminder that a world exists far beyond the Premier League, look no further than Marseille’s comeback victory in their Europa League quarter‑final against RB Leipzig. The French side had Kostas Mitroglou up front and there were more blasts from the past alongside the Fulham disappointment. Florian Thauvin, who once tried to dazzle Tyneside with the sartorial elegance of a tuxedo, scored in the 38th minute and Dimitri Payet, a hero at West Ham before his messy exit, grabbed the decisive goal with a lovely piece of skill.
Related: Waning powers of Iniesta and Suárez point to change at Barcelona | Jacob Steinberg
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