Has Adrian Mutu Blown His Second Chance at Fiorentina?

I have always thought that when life gives you a second chance, you should seize it.

Think about Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol: he gets the opportunity to see how little the world would mourn his death.

You would cherish every day after that experience, wouldn’t you? And, more importantly, you would surely never make the same mistakes again.

It struck me that the same was true for Fiorentina’s errant striker Adrian Mutu, a man who has known his share of sporting turmoil—some of it self-inflicted.

He was banned from the game for using cocaine, but he served his time and looked to be completely rehabilitated.

Indeed, it seemed to me that there was a renewed zest in his approach to enjoy the sport which had been denied him for some time.

Just one text message changed all that.

“Have you seen your man Mutu has tested positive again?” it said.

I hoped the information would prove wrong, but confirmation came by way of a news story outlining the outcome of checks following the recent Fiorentina match with Bari.

The Romanian had indeed tested positive for sibutramine, an appetite suppressant, and could face a four-year ban.

The news has left Fiorentina fans reeling.

The best case scenario is that there turns out to be some fault with the tests and he is cleared of any offence.

But the worst case could effectively end his career.

If he did take a banned substance, it smacks of sheer stupidity, given the price he already had to pay for a previous infringement.

He will have let himself, his club, and his supporters down, and thrown away a second chance that some people are not lucky enough to get.