Guilty of tip-toeing around modern-day football from continent to continent in search for a last-minute fling with the beautiful game, the present-day 35 year-old reached soaring heights during his days at FC Porto, Galatasaray and Sporting Lisbon, which came in the years between 1996 to 2003. Infamously nicknamed ‘Super Mario’ during his time in Turkey, Jardel clocked up 198 league appearances for those three clubs and netted an earth-shattering 205 goals – an astonishing ratio beyond any recognition and such a feat that twice earnt him the esteemed accolade of the European Golden Shoe in 1999 and 2002. In doing so he followed in Ronaldo’s steps to become only the second Brazilian to achieve the elite prize coveted by every single forward on the continent.
For all the admiration truly earnt in his heyday, off-the-field indisciplines and untimely depression looked hellbent on strangling out the playing life of Mario Jardel, an irrefutably talented presence who could have been elevated to the stature of the greats, and became transformed into an ailing figure of a former self.
Released by Sporting Lisbon before the start of the 2003/2004 campaign, Jardel has since struggled to overcome the niggling injuries that have burnt any lingering desires to pull on the boots for one last extensive phase. Inevitable depression from divorcing his wife and the subsequent usage of cocaine, which he confessed at the beginning of the calendar year upon his premature release from Newcastle Jets, contributed to the downfall. “I started making mistakes when I had bad friendships. Then, divorce came, depression and then cocaine. I now want to restart my life. I am training. I am not a good example for children, but I am admitting my mistake."
The epicenter from his immediate fall from ‘grandeur’ can be pinpointed as early as 2002, where an article from the Guardian concluded the situation perfectly as ‘The disintegration of his marriage, which coincided with the summer's double disappointment of omission from Brazil's World Cup squad and a collapsed transfer to the Spanish League, has, he says, made him too depressed to play football.’ With Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Betis rumoured to have made an approach – both ending disastrously as Sporting rejected promptly – Jardel’s much-craved transfer to Spain never came and thoughts gathered that his emotional exodus to his homeland was in protest at this.
Controversy was an ever-present mishap that threatened to overshadow a career that had the divine essences of success and prosperity beckoning. His stint in Istanbul with Galatasaray beared fruitful results with 22 goals but acted to go on strike when he wasn’t paid, before a potential legal battle lurked in the fore as a pre-contract with Benfica wasn’t honoured due to a lack of money on their side and thus led to Jardel signing for cross-city rivals Sporting. Cameos for Bolton, Newell’s Old Boys, Anorthosis Famagusta and most recently Newcastle Jets, where he starred as their marquee player, were short-lived and yet more contract wrangles with Deportivo Alaves have seen the former sensation fail to reignite the spark he possessed several years ago.
International ambitions remained just that and one of his disappointments will have been not to don the “Seleção” more often than just ten occasions, but returning to Brazil is an intelligent move and harbouring dreams of still playing consistently for club cannot be ripped apart yet. Transferring to one of the most renowned European teams eluded the grasps of Mario Jardel and to the day remains territory untouched, but twice being the recipient of the European Golden Shoe asserts the goalscoring figures that he was unquestionably one of the modern-day greats to have graced the European scene. Mario Jardel: The much-hyped rise and fall of the able traveller - Coming to a stadium near you.
Achievements:
- FIFA U-20 World Cup (1993)
- Copa Libertadores (1995)
- Portuguese Liga (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002)
- Portuguese Cup (1998, 2000)
- Portuguese Super Cup (1998)
- UEFA Super Cup (2000)
- Argentinian Torneo de Apertura (2004)
- Copa Libertadores Top Scorer (1995)
- Portuguese Liga Top Scorer (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002)
- UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (1997, 2000)
- Profile at Football Database
- Mario Jardel Videography
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