The Colombian striker struggled badly to get back to the football elite in European football; he finally did it this season with a spectacular year at Monaco. 

For those who have been following football for a relatively short period, not too long ago the world saw Radamel Falcao at the same level as Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. 'El Tigre' as people knew him back then, scored nearly the same number of goals than the other two football giants when he played for Atletico Madrid, but right before the World Cup, a horrible knee ligament injury prevented him from representing Colombia and nothing was ever the same. Getting back to the same level that put him on the map as one of the best, seemed like a pipe dream at this point. 

Falcao’s injury

The Failed Transfer Experience

Radamel Falcao's agent, Portuguese businessman Jorge Mendes, believed that the best future for the Colombian striker was far from Atletico Madrid. He still hadn't realized the big mistake both were making by pushing Falcao's exit from the club in a rushed transfer to AS Monaco after a failed attempt to get to Real Madrid. Both clubs from Madrid had reached a gentlemen's agreement in which none would touch the other club's players due to their rivalry; they didn't want another incident like the one with Hugo Sanchez back in the 80's. Radamel Falcao and even Jorge Mendes didn't fully understand what was at stake here, they both believed that with enough money a move was possible.

But the fans' reaction to the possible transfer, as well as the Atletico club partners who have significant influence in President Enrique Cerezo, were the reason why Falcao never came close to a move to Los Blancos. This bitter result ended in the Colombian's reluctance to continue playing for the Colchoneros regardless of the bright future ahead of them, he wanted out, and the quickest way was found by Mendes. France was Falcao's next destination where he would play for AS Monaco; the French club paid Atletico Madrid nearly €70 million for the Colombian's contract.

Falcao's Darkest Days

Even if nobody understood Falcao's decision to leave the Colchoneros at the moment, nobody saw the type of hell the striker would have to endure for the next four years. His move to Monaco was at the start of the 2013-2014 season, that was just a year away from the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Falcao was Colombia's most valuable player and their leader, but bad fortune played against him in January of 2014 when he suffered a nasty knee ligament injury that prevented him from representing his country in the summer tournament. That's when the striker's life gave a negative turn, his recovery took over six months, and nothing was ever the same.

In this period of recovery, Falcao was loaned to Manchester United and Chelsea where he severely underperformed and confirmed everybody's greatest fear: the Falcao we all knew and loved was gone. Even with his country, manager Jose Pekerman stopped calling him for many important matches and tournaments between 2015 and 2017. As far as everybody was concerned, Radamel Falcao was finished. But 'El Tigre' seemed to have other plans in mind, the stars began to align in his favor and life would give him another chance at success.

Falcao’s return to glory

The Comeback 

It's not hard to determine why Radamel Falcao was able to come back to everyone's good graces, AS Monaco had the most competitive squad since their glory days in the early 2000's. The inclusion of young sensation Kylian Mbappe combined with Falcao's vast experience, gave Monaco a real shot not only at the Ligue 1 title but the Champions League as well. With a little help from Nice and Mario Balotelli against Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco managed to lift the Ligue 1 trophy. However, the biggest success besides this one was the stellar performances they gave in the Champions League. But they were unfortunately eliminated by Juventus in the semifinals, Falcao helped his side get there with a not too shabby 30 goals in 43 matches in all competitions.