QPR and Stoke City both took effective advantage of Blackburn Rovers’ relegation from the Premier League in 2012.
Rovers were a mainstay in the top flight before they endured a horrific campaign that saw them finish 19th in the table, ending an 11-year stint in the division.
Two players who departed the summer of their relegation were Steven Nzonzi and Junior Hoilett.
The pair were key figures for Blackburn, and their departure from Ewood Park was a blow to their chances of gaining promotion straight back up.
It was reported by the BBC that QPR paid £4 million to sign Hoilett after he departed the Lancashire outfit at the end of his contract, while Rovers agreed a deal worth up to £5 million with the Potters for Nzonzi, via RTÉ.
While the money earned for these fees softened the blow, it still showed Blackburn the consequences of their mismanagement to lose such key players like that.
Blackburn’s loss was QPR and Stoke’s gain
Blackburn missed out on two key players, who contributed 9 goals and 10 assists together in their final Premier League campaign, but QPR and Stoke both gained top quality stars that cemented themselves as important members of their respective squads immediately.
Hoilett spent four years at Loftus Road, and made over 100 league appearances in that time, registering 11 goals.
While QPR suffered relegation in his first year at the club, he helped them turn things around in the following campaign by playing a crucial part in their promotion straight back to the top flight.
He made 35 appearances and scored four times as the team earned their place back in the division with a play-off final victory over Derby County.
Meanwhile, Nzonzi enjoyed three strong years with Stoke, where he helped them finish 13th, ninth and ninth in the Premier League table, playing in all but three fixtures in the top flight during this period.
He was a fan favourite, and is still remembered fondly by supporters for his role in the best Stoke team in generations.
The Frenchman even went on to earn the club a profit when he was sold to Sevilla in 2015 in a deal worth £7 million, according to the BBC, making him one of the club’s best signings during their time in the first division.
Blackburn’s struggles without Hoilett and Nzonzi
Blackburn endured a very difficult first year back in the Championship in the 2012/13 season, with the team ultimately finishing an underwhelming 17th place.
There were only four points separating Rovers from back-to-back relegations to League One, with the gap to the play-offs being a whole 10 points.
The club has yet to earn a top six finish in the Championship since then either, even eventually going into the third tier under Tony Mowbray in 2017, albeit they did come straight back up on the first attempt in that instance.
QPR and Stoke both did damage to Blackburn in the wake of their 2012 promotion, and the Lancashire side are still yet to fully recover from that fateful campaign.
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