Ten years ago, during the World Cup in Brazil, he came off the bench and scored the winning goal for Belgium against Russia in the 88th minute, becoming the youngest Belgian scorer in World Cup history. That year, he was named the most promising talent in Belgian sports. His performances with Lille caught attention, earning him a transfer to Liverpool, where he became one of Jürgen Klopp’s favorite “super subs.” He scored crucial goals in derbies, was the hero of the epic comeback against Barcelona, and even scored in the Champions League final against Tottenham. Today, Divock Origi is 29, and it’s as if he’s disappeared from the football world. Officially, the Belgian with deep Kenyan roots is still part of AC Milan, where he arrived as a free agent in 2022 after seven seasons at Liverpool, one of which included a loan spell at Wolfsburg. As a free transfer, he secured a high salary—4,000,000 euros net, a considerable sum by Italian football standards.Divock #Origi will continue to earn €4m per season until June 2026 💰 The former Liverpool striker has trained individually in Florence and Rome in recent months. The Belgian must stay in Italy out of necessity by decree 🔎🗣️ @lucabianchin7 pic.twitter.com/XOb9KsDfUt— DCM (@DIRETTADCM) November 14, 2024 But Origi didn’t find his rhythm in Milan, scoring only two goals in 36 matches across all competitions. After a year, he was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest, the only club willing to take on his hefty salary. There, he was again disappointing, scoring just one goal in 22 matches last season, leading Forest to return him to the Rossoneri when the season ended. Milan, already with players like Morata, Abraham, Jović, and the young Kamarda, had no place for him, yet no other club was willing to take on his 4,000,000 euro annual salary. Zlatan Ibrahimović commented that Origi would not be part of the first team and would train with the reserves. However, even there, Origi has not been seen in training or matches. So, where is Divock Origi?Promise kept! We have another Divock Origi!He’s been spending time in Florence and Rome… but not Milan. Due to tax benefits, Origi needs to stay in Italy for more than half the days of the year. Until January, he’ll be in Italy, training individually, as Milan has allowed him to train independently, wherever and whenever he wants. The club has given up on him, so he often stays in Florence and Rome, training with private coaches. The problem is that his contract with the Rossoneri ties him to the club until the summer of 2026, guaranteeing him 6,000,000 euros over the next year and a half—money he has been unwilling to forgo. Last June, he turned down offers from Turkish clubs willing to pay him less. Milan hopes he’ll reconsider in January and find a solution to part ways. Origi isn’t yet 30 and could still strengthen another team, though he’ll need time to regain match fitness. The last time he wore the Rossoneri jersey was 529 days ago, against Verona.AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS – QUALIFIERSWednesday Namibia – Cameroon 0-0Liberia – Togo 1-0 (0-0)/Sangare 83 pen/Chad – Sierra Leone 1-1 (1-1)/Thiam 34 pen – Dumbuya 29/Thursday 16.00: (5.00) Equatorial Guinea (3.45) Algeria (1.78)16.00: (6.25) Lesotho (3.50) Central African Republic (1.65)16.00: (4.80) South Sudan (3.45) Congo (1.80)18.00: (2.90) Burundi (3.05) Malawi (2.65)19.00: (7.00) Madagascar (3.50) Tunisia (1.60)19.00: (1.70) Rwanda (3.50) Libya (5.50)22.00: (7.25) Benin (3.70) Nigeria (1.55)22.00: (4.50) Burkina Faso (3.45) Senegal (1.85)
