NICE’S blunt 29-word statement on deadline day concluded a shocking year for Kasper Schmeichel.
The goalkeeper, 36, was brutally axed by the Ligue 1 side as they ripped up his contract just 12 months after he arrived in France.
And that came after he was controversially let go after 11 years with Leicester City.
The Dane cemented himself as a club legend at the King Power.
He made a whopping 479 appearances for the Foxes, famously winning the Premier League in 2015-16 and 2021 FA Cup, taking on the armband and even ‘scoring’ a last-gasp header that eventually got credited to Chris Wood.
But many eyebrows were raised when he was left out of a 5-1 win at Watford in May 2022, then missed Leicester’s pre-season training camp and eventually was allowed to leave with a year left on his contract.
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Part of that came down to a business decision – Schmeichel earned a reported £130,000 per week, second only to Jamie Vardy on Fosse Way.
But SunSport understands the goalkeeper was not universally popular within the Seagrave training ground and it felt the right time to move him on, receiving just £1m from Nice.
Upon his emotional exit, Schmeichel said: “I came to Leicester as a young man who was in need of a home. I needed a bit of love, I’d been around a lot of clubs and I needed somewhere I could call home.
“It’s been more than just a club to me, it’s been a place where I’ve made lifelong friends and memories – it has been my home. Thank you for your unwavering support – you are what makes this club so special.
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“This isn’t a goodbye, this is farewell, see you soon. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. But again, thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”
Not only had Brendan Rodgers lost one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League but he also lost a key experienced head in a dressing room significantly lacking leadership.
Danny Ward took the No1 spot between the sticks while injury-prone Jonny Evans inherited the armband in a dismal season that ended in relegation for the Foxes.
But for Schmeichel, the grass was not necessarily any greener on the other side of the Channel.
He got off to a nightmare start when he allegedly turned up at Nice overweight.
To make matters worse, he was said to have wound up his new team-mates by breaking club rules – including arriving late for team meetings and undermining manager Lucien Favre.
Schmeichel then got overlooked for the opening game and dropped again in September.
And although he did play 36 Ligue 1 games, he found himself on the bench for three Europa Conference League fixtures.
Then by October, his lack of popularity was demonstrated by his own fans booing him and there were already reports he could be let go by Nice due to his “poor attitude” when the transfer market reopened in January.
The 93-cap Denmark international stayed put but failed to win over Nice’s board, management or supporters.
And throughout the summer window, his name continued to be linked with a transfer exit, despite two years still to run on his deal.
Giants Chelsea and Bayern Munich were both tipped to make moves while Nottingham Forest considered a shock swoop.
But they all opted to go for different options and Schmeichel was left in limbo with seemingly no club wanting him.
New Nice boss Francesco Farioli decided he wanted ex-Chelsea and PSG goalkeeper Marin Bulka as his first-choice stopper at the Allianz Riviera.
And with Schmeichel surplus to requirements, he had his deal terminated.
The club said bluntly: “OGC Nice and @kschmeichel1 have decided by mutual consent to terminate the contract of the Danish international. The club wishes him every success for the rest of his career.”
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A shock reunion with Rodgers at Celtic has been rumoured for the legendary goalkeeper, despite the surprising exit under the Northern Irishman from Leicester.
But should that fail to materialise, Schmeichel’s career is at serious risk of fizzling out to a sad end as an unwanted free agent who turns 37 in November and question marks over his character, mentality and physicality, just two years on from arguably his greatest day leading his team to glory under the Wembley arch.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
