Argentina: Claudio Lopez

The Claudio Lopez of two years’ past struck terror into Europe’s meanest defences, but a lucrative move to Serie A sent his career into a downwards spiral which has only lately shown signs of being arrested.

The sleek left-footed Argentinian has failed to do justice to his ability in Italy and goes to the World Cup with many believing he peaked two years ago.

Hector Cuper’s brilliant Valencia team of the turn of the millennium was spearheaded by an electric Lopez, with his scoring rate and drive from a position just off the frontmen directly influential in the Spaniards reaching the Champions League final in 2000.

Then a player whose craft could unlock the tightest of defences, his performances in the Primera Liga and Europe led to a £23million switch to Lazio.

But a year of misery followed, with a sequence of injuries rendering him incapable of cooking up similar spicy performances at his new Rome home.

The then Lazio chief Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose England side Argentina face in Sapporo on June 7, was an admirer of Lopez’s rich talent and convinced the frontman into the transfer.

Cuper conceded Valencia could not compete with the lure of the lira, and himself followed Lopez to Italy in 2001 when Inter Milan offered him their top job.

Eriksson was allowed to spend heavily after Lazio won the 2000 championship, but Lopez’s initial struggle ran at a parallel to the Biancoceleste’s drop in form.

While Hernan Crespo, who Lopez will play just behind at the World Cup, scored 26 league goals in his first season in the blue and white, Lopez tallied a pitiful zero in 16 games.

They were bought to be a dream team, but the contribution was all one-sided.

Eriksson jumped before he was pushed at Lazio last January, and Dino Zoff’s reign ended early this season when the goals again dried up.

But Alberto Zaccheroni has tapped away at the player’s talent reserves and been rewarded with a steady, if not eye-catching, flow of goals.

Marcelo Bielsa, coach of Argentina, has never doubted Lopez’s ability and made him a staple figure is team during World Cup qualifying, keeping faith with the man who domestically was being tagged a big-money flop.

Five goals were the product from 16 appearances, complementing Crespo’s nine, as Argentina became the first side to guarantee their participation at the finals.

Favourites at 4-1 with France, Argentina are expecting the real Claudio Lopez to stand up and be counted in the Far East.