It must be said that Anorthosis had pulled out all the stops to attract the man who had been under contract at Chelsea for ten years, suffering a series of loans and injuries without ever breaking through with the Blues. “He received €250,000 per yearwhispers a local journalist. That’s a lot by Cypriot standards and it’s huge for a player who had a lot of failures and who had also played little in the pros because of his physical problems. The worst thing was offering him a three-year contract. One of the many mistakes of the previous management of the club.”
When the new managers bought the club at the end of last season, they tried to make as many savings as possible. And the Musonda file was a priority. With only 298 minutes of playing time from October to the end of January (only one start in the Cup when he gave his only assist), when the new coach definitively put him aside, the Belgian attacking midfielder represented an expense useless.
He will receive checks from Anorthosis until October 2025
Negotiations to terminate the two years of contract he had left began, leading to an agreement three weeks ago around the sum of €110,000. Anorthosis paid him a first tranche of €50,000 and will pay him the remaining €60,000 in six installments until October 2025. A nice financial return for Musonda, but a huge slap in the face too. Even a Cypriot club, sixth in the last championship, no longer believed in him at all.
The question arises: who will still believe in Charly Musonda? The images of his performances at Anorthosis will not plead in his favor. Active at Apoel Nicosia where he finished as the competition’s best assist giver in 2023-2024, Dieumerci Ndongala (ex-Charleroi, Standard and Genk) crossed paths with him last season. “Just about twenty minutes during the match at homehe remembers. I was delighted that he came on. I know he is a football phenomenon. But unfortunately, this is no longer the Charly we knew. The technique is still there, but in terms of intensity and rhythm, it wasn’t really that anymore.”
We sense a certain restraint in the speech. Almost a modesty in a mixture of sadness and disappointment. “Charly, I don’t know him personally but everyone had heard of him in Belgium. It was the youth phenomenon from Anderlecht who left for Chelsea. Before the match, I went to chat with him on the pitch. I wanted to ask him what he was doing in the Cypriot championship at his age and with his talent, but I told myself he didn’t want to hear that. We talked about the competition and life on the island.”
gullThe technique is still there but for the intensity and the rhythm, it’s no longer that.
It was January 6, 2024. Charly Musonda did not yet know that he would only make two more appearances for Anorthosis before disappearing. “He also had some injuries.”specifies the Cypriot journalist. If there haven’t been problems as serious as in the past, his body has betrayed him. As if he seemed incapable of handling the physical aspect of professional football. “When I saw him play against us, I felt a form of disappointment in Charlycontinues Ndongala. He’s really been unlucky with injuries in his career.”
A bruised body that could push him towards early retirement. A young teenager with a lot of confidence when he was at Anderlecht, then a young adult bordering on arrogance during his time with the Blues, Musonda had found a form of humility by agreeing to sign for Cyprus. Very far from the glamor of the Premier League, which he experienced three times in 2017-2018 (35 minutes combined). “He was ready to forget his past as a football prodigy to build an interesting second half of his career, mourning his Ballon d’Or dreams.”confides to us one of his relatives, who ended up losing contact in recent months.
Charly Musonda breaks the silence: “I still have ten years of football ahead of me”
This failure in Famagusta risks undermining his desire to bounce back. Ndongala still wants to believe it a little. “At Anorthosis, Charly did not fall into the ideal club. There quickly were financial problems and a change of coach. Fans’ expectations were huge when he signed. What he needs is a club where we will be patient with him. We will take the time to rebuild his physical condition without putting pressure on him. Charly is an artist, he needs love.”
Graduated from university, his brother was hired by Tottenham
Will a club dare to make such a bet, when its last official match was already ten months ago? Maybe if Musonda agrees to play almost for free and if he is ready to take another step back. After Chelsea, Betis, Celtic, Vitesse, Levante and Anorthosis, it’s starting to look like a descent into hell. And during that time, he learned there was life after a playing career.
His older brother Lamisha (32 years old) appears happy on his social networks after retiring at 28, following a final stint at TP Mazembe, where his father Charly Senior was assistant coach. For her part, Tika (30) proves that you can find happiness differently. He stopped playing football at the age of 26 after nearly having his leg amputated following a blood clot. He then began university studies in England and left with a diploma in sports. First a recruiter for Chelsea youth, his work was noticed and he was hired by Tottenham in the first team scouting unit in January 2022.
This choice that Charly will have to make, sooner or later, is also observed carefully in Zambia, the country of his father’s birth. After a summons (refused) in March 2016, the federation has never forgotten the Musonda file. She would still like to convince him if he managed to keep up the matches. And as a symbol, the selection is today coached by Avram Grant, a former Chelsea coach. Where Charly’s professional history began twelve years ago. Already twelve years old.
