Abascal is not necessary, but he destroyed the World Cup player. Such a Nicholson would be useful for Spartak

Abascal is not necessary, but he destroyed the World Cup player. Such a Nicholson would be useful for Spartak

Nikita Paglazov November 23, 2023, 08:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

Although in France things are not going very well for Shamar.

Shamar Nicholson left Spartak at the end of the summer transfer market. The forward went on loan to French side Clermont. In the Ligue 1 club, Nicholson became a starter. Shamar also continues to play for the Jamaican national team. And he helped the selection of him create a mini sensation.

The Jamaican team advanced to Canada, a participant in the 2022 World Cup, in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Nations League. In the first match, held in Kingston, the Jamaican team lost 1-2. And the only goal in their composition was scored by Nicholson, who received the ball in the area and hit Milan Boryan in the goal. The failed result left the Jamaicans little chance of advancing to the semifinals. Still, beating Canada on the road is a difficult task for a modest team. But Jamaica managed to win! And the star of the match was Nicholson, who scored a double in three minutes. In the 63rd minute, with the score 1: 0 in favor of Canada, he scored a return goal, hitting the home team with a touch. A little later, Shamar scored the second goal after a pass from the left wing. After that, Canada and Jamaica scored again. But thanks to the away goal rule (in CONCACAF it was not abolished), it was the Jamaicans who advanced the most. In the semifinals of the Nations League, Jamaica will face another test: the American team. The first match will take place in March 2024.

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Nicholson, thanks to three goals in the last two games, raised his total to 11 goals in 42 games. And he entered the top 15 scorers of the national team in history. Luton Shelton is in first place with 35 goals. Overall, Shamar is doing well in the national team. Unlike what happened to him at Spartak.

Nicholson’s time at Spartak

The Jamaican striker moved to the RPL in the winter of 2022. Spartak acquired Nicholson from Belgian side Charleroi for €8 million, a substantial amount. In the spring part of the 2021/2022 season, the forward scored five goals and gave two assists in 12 RPL matches. It’s not the worst statistic. And in the round of 16 of the Russian Cup, Shamar scored a hat-trick against Kuban (6-0). Spartak eventually won the trophy and Nicholson spent 24 minutes on the field in the final against Dynamo. A good start to the Russian leg of his career.

Nicholson with the Russian Cup

Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”

But before the 2022/2023 season, Spartak was led by Guillermo Abascal. He preferred to see Alexander Sobolev in the starting lineup, with Nicholson receiving playing time primarily off the bench. During the entire season in the RPL, he scored only three goals and spent 815 minutes on the field (22 matches). In the Cup, Nicholson played four matches, scored one goal, but was then disqualified for a fight in the match against Zenit. The spring had a negative impact on Nicholson’s future at Spartak. Shamar entered the field, did not take advantage of great opportunities and was left out of the game. For this reason, the Club decided to part with the player. There were no buyers for Nicholson, the forward was loaned by French side Clermont. The agreement includes the possibility of repurchase. “We are leaving on friendly terms. Shamar always gave everything for the club and the club reciprocated. Maybe one day he will wear a Spartak shirt again. It has always been an honor for him,” said Nenad Protega, the player’s agent. Guillermo Abascal, explaining the reasons for the departure of Nicholson (and Balde Keita on loan to Espanyol), described the main lack of constant practice of the game: “According to our sporting project, we gave these players the opportunity to change clubs, since that here he did not have a large number of minutes of play”

Nicholson in Clermont

Photo: Jean Catuffé/Getty Images

Nicholson spent the first half of September getting fit in France, having missed pre-season at Spartak and not taking the field in a single game. In mid-September, Shamar made his debut for Clermont, after which he appeared in almost all of the club’s matches in Ligue 1. Nicholson became a player in the starting lineup. In seven games he scored a goal against Lorient, in addition to two assists (in games against Le Havre Kuzyaev and Lyon). They’re not the most powerful statistics, but Clermont as a whole is performing poorly. The team occupies the penultimate place, 17th, with only nine points in 11 games.

Nicholson is unlikely to return to Spartak. At least with Abascal. Clermont values ​​the forward and success in Jamaica will certainly be an advantage for Shamar. But the rojiblancos, having sold the forward, can recover part of the amount spent on the purchase. Transfermarkt values ​​Nicholson at €4.5 million.

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