Julio Baptista: The Return of ‘the Beast’

Nothing in this world should be taken for granted. When life is on a high it’s just as important to remember the lows. This applies just as much to football, after all these are the players lives and careers. For all the talent in the world alone won’t make you the best player in the world. Opportunities, Mentality, Strength of Character, Consistency, Luck, Injuries, Managerial Tactics, Team and more will all play a factor in how much a player achieves and for how long. How often as the next big thing never really made it that big? Or how often has a player had everything and reached the top, only to drop back down before he really should have done?

In the case of Júlio ’The Beast’ Baptista that last point could certainly be applied. Having started his career at Sao Paulo as a Defensive Midfielder, he signed for Sevilla in August 2003. Then manager Joaquín Caparrós quickly moved him further up field and from then on, he operated as either, an Attacking Midfielder or Striker. His raw power and pace was difficult for defenders to stop whilst at the same time having been used to playing the ball around from further back his link up play and close control was suited to La Liga. Scoring 47 goals in just 79 games in all competitions over the course of two seasons for not even an out-and-out striker is some record. Especially when taken into consideration he was just 21 upon signing for the Andalusians, he was adapting to a new country, a new position and for a fee in the region of £1.75 million. To put it into context in that same summer Manchester United also brought a Brazilian midfielder by the name of Kleberson for just under £6 million. Baptista was remarkable value and keeping with Sevilla’s policy they sold him on to one of the big boys in Real Madrid for an initial fee of £13.8 million. An increase of 688% on the fee they paid, but for all parties it seemed like a good deal, but in hindsight Sevilla were the clear beneficiaries.

A season with Los Blancos saw him play a number of times on the left-wing/attacking midfield, had he have played more centrally then who knows but a certain Zinedine Zidane was occupying that place. He hit 8 league goals but that was nowhere near the player that Spain was accustomed too. A loan spell to Arsenal followed and 10 goals in 35 games in a new league doesn’t seem too bad at first glance. Though as 6 of them goals were in the Carling cup and 4 of which were in a peculiar game against an under strength Liverpool side his time in England overall was deemed unsatisfactory. Back to Madrid it was then and things started to go well again under then coach Bernd Schuster, even scoring the solitary goal in El Clásico. Towards the end of the campaign though he lost his place in the side and it seemed for the best that he left the Bernabéu.

Italian side Roma brought him in for €9m but it was he’s wages which would prove the stumbling block in the future. In the 27 games he played in his first season in Serie-A, 9 goals wasn’t a bad return. It was what happened from then on in that had fans bemused. How often has a player showed considerable promise in his first season at a club never to push on and fulfil that potential. For a club in such a precarious financial position, Baptista proved not to be a shrewd investment. Lawyers were reportedly contacted during the summer after the Brazilian refused to agree to join other clubs with Roma so keen to sell.

Enter Málaga in this January transfer window; €2.5m is a very clever signing. Yes he hasn’t been at his best since the Sevilla days, yes he probably will never reach that level again despite still only being 29 – but for such a small transfer fee, on only a two and a half-year contract, with something to prove and in a league in which it best fits his ability. It might well be a cracking buy. It’s not just his return to Spain either it’s the area in which he will reside; the closest top flight sides are Almeria and Sevilla. His debut for Málaga saw him rarely touch the ball but this was against the phenomenon that is Barcelona and he was playing as the sole striker, his one chance to shine took off him by Duda who stroked the free kick home that he had been lining up. But in his next game away to Valencia he was certainly more in the game, playing in the hole, linking up well with Rondón, showing good awareness and forward runs at least in the first half that rolled back the years even if he did have a tendency to collide with not just the opposition players, when competing in the air. When they went down to 9 men, few would have fancied them from a losing position. However a curling right footed finish from outside of the box almost rescued a point, had a late goal not spoiled their evening.

What ‘The Beast’ brings to the table for the Andalusians, is big game and top-level experience. Under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini, there might be a chance of at least showing some decent form for the money invested, and providing he keeps his hunger it looks a very good move.

Thanks to Paul Wilkes for his piece on Julio Baptista, and you can read much more of his splendid writing on his website La Liga: The Midlands View and you can also interact with him via his Twitter account here.

Tags: Julio Baptista, Malaga