Alou Diarra
Encyclopedia
Alou Diarra (born 15 July 1981 in Villepinte
) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille
in Ligue 1
. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder
, but can also deputized as a centre back
if necessary. Diarra is described as a player who is "strong, athletic and very powerful" and possesses a "combative edge" similar to former French international
Patrick Vieira
. Diarra is also known for his leadership ability and has served as captain of both Bordeaux domestically and France
internationally.
Diarra began his career playing for clubs based in Seine-Saint-Denis
, such as CSL Aulnay and hometown club FC Villepinte. In 1997, he joined Louhans-Cuiseaux
and made his professional debut with the club in the 1999–2000 season while the club was playing in the second division
. In 2000, Diarra was recruited by German club Bayern Munich
. He spent two years playing on the club's reserve team, Bayern Munich II. In 2002, he was signed by compatriot Gérard Houllier
as part of the manager's French Revolution to play for English club Liverpool. Diarra's stint at the club was deemed a disappointment as he spent both years at the club on loan in France playing for Le Havre
, Bastia
, and Lens
.
After a successful 2004–05 season with Lens, Diarra made a permanent return to France joining the club from Liverpool on a permanent deal. He spent two seasons at the club amassing over 70 appearances before signing with the then five-team defending champions Lyon
. At Lyon, Diarra struggled for playing time and left the club to join Bordeaux
after one year. He did earn a winner's medal as a result of the club winning the 2006–07 Ligue 1 title. With Bordeaux, Diarra was ever-present within the team under manager Laurent Blanc
. He was a prominent figure on the Bordeaux team that won the league and league cup double
in the 2008–09 season. Diarra has also won two Trophée des champions
while playing for the club.
Diarra is also a France international
. Prior to playing at senior level, he played at under-20
and under-21
level. With the under-20 team, Diarra played on the team that participated in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
. He made his senior international debut in October 2004 in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland
. Diarra has participated in both the 2006
and 2010
editions of the FIFA World Cup
. In the 2006 competition, he appeared in a group stage match against Togo
and the final match
against Italy
as a substitute. In the 2010 edition, Diarra captained France for the first time in the team's final group stage match against South Africa
.
of Villepinte
in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis
to Mali
an parents. He has three younger brothers and one sister. One of his brothers, Zanké, is also a footballer and currently plays for amateur club Viry-Châtillon
in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football, after being released from the reserve team
of professional club Paris Saint-Germain. Another brother, Idrissa, assists in running a social networking site that helps amateur footballers find a club. Diarra and his siblings were raised in the neighborhood of Rose des Vents located in the nearby commune of Aulnay-sous-Bois
, where his parents still reside. He is currently married and has two children. On 28 May 2010, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, Diarra departed the national team's training camp to be beside his wife as she gave birth to his second child.
. Diarra was ultimately denied several opportunities, most notably by Le Mans and, according to his brother, the struggle made the elder Diarra "very motivated to succeed".
In 1997, Diarra was signed to an amateur contract by professional club CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
who were playing in Ligue 2
, the second level of French football
, and was inserted into the club's youth academy. In the 1998–99 season, Diarra was promoted to the club's reserve team and spent two seasons playing there. In the latter part of the 1999–2000 season, he was called up to the senior team by manager Philippe Hinschberger
. On 15 April 2000, Diarra made his professional debut in a 2–1 defeat to Toulouse
picking up a yellow card
. Two weeks later, he made his first professional start in the team's 3–2 loss to Niort. In his final appearance with Louhans-Cuiseaux, Diarra received his first red card of his career after incurring two yellow card infractions in a 2–1 defeat to Le Mans. Louhans-Cuiseaux finished the campaign in last place and were relegated to the semi-professional Championnat National
, the third division of French football. After the season, Louhans-Cuiseaux attempted to tie down Diarra on a long-term deal and offered the player a trainee contract. Diarra refused the deal and was subsequently available to sign with any club on a free transfer.
During the summer of 2000, Diarra was signed by German club Bayern Munich
after the club saw him play one match with Louhans-Cuiseaux. Upon his arrival to the club, he was immediately placed onto the club's reserve team, Bayern Munich II, in the Regionalliga Süd
, the fourth level of German football
. Diarra was a regular within the team playing alongside the likes of Owen Hargreaves
, Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger
, and Zvjezdan Misimović
. In his first season with the reserve team, he appeared in 28 matches scoring four goals. Diarra's influence in the team was immediate as he scored his first goal for the team in the first league match of the season against VfR Mannheim
in a 4–2 defeat. His combative style of play also began to take shape as he collected nine yellow cards during the campaign with seven of them coming in the team's first 17 matches. The season was ultimately a success for Diarra partly due to the player being promoted to the senior team for the 2001–02 season by manager Ottmar Hitzfeld
. He was assigned the number 30 shirt.
Diarra began the 2001–02 season by making the bench in several of the team's league matches in August and September, but failing to make an appearance. In October 2001, he was dropped back down to the club's reserve team and appeared in four matches before earning promotion back to the senior team for its 2001 Intercontinental Cup
showdown with Argentine
club Boca Juniors
. Diarra made the bench for the match, but did not feature as Bayern won the match courtesy of an extra time goal from Samuel Kuffour
. The victory gave Diarra his first major honour of his career. Afterwards, he returned to the reserve team and later suffered an injury, which required a lengthy absence. Diarra rejoined the team in March 2002 under new manager Hermann Gerland
and made nine more appearances. Following the season, Diarra was offered a new three-year contract with the club, but rejected it citing his limited playing time. Despite his disappointing stint with Bayern, which included failing to make an appearance with the club's senior team, in 2009, Diarra stated "I have very fond memories of my time in Bayern". Following Diarra's success at Bordeaux
, Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeneß admitted that Diarra's rise to prominence as a footballer is "one of the seven wonders of the world". Hoeneß admitted that he was surprised by Diarra's resurgence stating "If somebody had told me [he would return for a UEFA Champions League game] five years ago and made a bet with me, I would have lost a fortune". Since Diarra departing the club in 2002, due to FIFA
compensation laws, Bayern have recouped over €800,000 as a result of the player's future transfers.
On 3 July 2002, English club Liverpool
confirmed its interest in signing Diarra under the guidance of manager Gérard Houllier
who had likened the player to Patrick Vieira
. Liverpool were also in competition with Italian
club Juventus
and several French clubs. On 9 July, Liverpool confirmed that the club had signed the player from Bayern Munich. Diarra agreed to a five-year contract and made his club debut against Le Havre
during the club's pre-season. A day after the match against Le Havre, it was reported that Diarra was on a verge of a loan move to the same club. On 1 August, the loan was confirmed.
Loan stints in France
Diarra made his debut for Le Havre on 17 August 2002 in the team's 1–1 draw with Strasbourg
appearing as a substitute. He was a frequent starter for the majority of the fall season, but, following the winter break, began appearing primarily as a substitute. In September 2002, Diarra's contract dispute with Louhans-Cuiseaux came into the spotlight after his former club admitted that the player was reportedly banned from playing in France professionally for three years due to moving abroad without Louhans-Cuiseaux receiving a trainers' compensation fee. Louhans-Cuiseaux reported the situation to FIFA
, however, the organization ruled in favor of Diarra who was allowed to continue his career with Le Havre. Diarra scored his first professional goal on 25 January 2003 in a 2–1 defeat to Laval
in the Coupe de France
. He finished the campaign with 28 total appearances.
In the 2003 off-season, Diarra admitted that he would love to return to Liverpool stating "I'm someone who is ambitious and I hope to win my place at Anfield next season". However, in July 2003, Houllier confirmed that Diarra would remain in France on loan, this time with Corsica
n club Bastia
. Upon his arrival to the club, Diarra was inserted as a starter by manager Gérard Gili and paid immediate dividends scoring in back-to-back weeks in a 4–2 win against Guingamp and a 4–1 loss to Auxerre
in September. On 7 March 2004, he scored a goal in Bastia's surprising 4–1 win over Marseille
. Diarra ultimately finished the campaign with 38 total appearances and four goals. After the season, Diarra returned to Liverpool for pre-season training, however, not under the guidance of his recruiter Houllier, but under Spanish coach Rafael Benítez
. As a result, he was, for the third consecutive season, linked with a loan move. His non-inclusion on the club's roster for its North America tour meant a loan move was inevitable and, on 27 July 2004, he was loaned to Lens
.
Similar to his stint at Bastia, Diarra was included in the team as a starter by coach Joël Muller
. The season was a major success for Diarra as he was the only player in the team to start every league match he played for the club. He also served as captain for a majority of the season. His consistent performances led to his call up to the senior national team. Diarra scored his first goal of the campaign in a 1–1 draw with Ajaccio
. He scored the goal in the opening minute of the match. On 6 February 2005, Diarra scored the opener in team's 2–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes
. He finished the campaign with 37 total appearances and two goals. Diarra also collected 11 yellow cards.
Diarra remained a starter at Lens and also retained his consistency appearing in a career-high 44 matches, scoring two goals, and providing four assists. His two goals came in a 2–1 away win over Nancy
and a 2–2 draw with Nice
. Diarra also played European
football for the first time in his career playing in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup
. He made his European debut on 3 July 2005 in a UEFA Intertoto Cup
second round tie against Polish
club Lech Poznań
. Diarra ultimately appeared in ten matches in the club's European campaign as Lens reached the Round of 32 where the club was defeated 3–1 on aggregate by Italian outfit Udinese
.
, Diarra was linked with a move to the then five-team defending champions Lyon
where he could reunite with former manager Gérard Houllier. On 23 August 2006, the move came to fruition following the departure of Diarra's namesake, Mahamadou
, who moved to Spanish club Real Madrid
for a fee of €26 million. The transfer fee was priced at €6.25 million and Diarra was assigned the number 18 shirt. Diarra struggled to make an impact at the club as Houllier preferred the younger Jérémy Toulalan
and Tiago Mendes
as his starting defensive midfielder and box-to-box midfielder, respectively. He made his club debut late in the season on 16 September 2006 in the team's 3–1 away win over Lorient
. Diarra scored his first goal for the club on 6 December 2006 in the club's final UEFA Champions League
group stage match against Romania
n club Steaua Bucureşti. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Two weeks later, he scored his second goal in the team's 3–1 win over Nancy in the Coupe de la Ligue
quarterfinals.
Following the winter break, Diarra struggled with a thigh injury and didn't appear with the team for almost three months. In March 2007, he finally returned to the team in its 3–1 win over Derby du Rhône
rivals Saint-Étienne
appearing as a substitute. During the season, Diarra complained twice with regards to playing time, which led to Houllier equivocally questioning Diarra's ego. The feud culminated on 6 April when Houllier dropped Diarra from the squad to face Valenciennes
the following day and then ordered him to play for the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
. Diarra refused the orders and Houllier responded by reportedly threatening not to play him for the rest of the season. The Lyon manager later stated the Diarra should issue an apology to him and the team. The defensive midfielder did not budge and, subsequently, missed the team's next four league matches, as well as the 2007 Coupe de la Ligue Final. Diarra returned to the team on 28 April playing the entire match in a 3–1 win over Le Mans. He repeated this feat in three of the team's last five matches as Lyon were crowned champions for the sixth consecutive season. Included in one of those three matches was Diarra's first league goal for the club, which came in a 3–0 victory over his former club Lens.
and Portsmouth
. In July 2007, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas
confirmed that the club had accepted a bid of £5 million from Portsmouth. However, Aulas also revealed that Diarra refused the move and preferred to stay in France and join Bordeaux. On 20 July, after a week-long negotiation, Bordeaux confirmed the signing of Diarra. The midfielder signed a four-year contract and the transfer fee was priced at €7.75 million. Diarra stated his primary reason for joining Bordeaux over Portsmouth was because Bordeaux "wants to play for the first positions in Ligue 1 and I am attracted to that". Diarra was signed as a replacement for the departed Rio Mavuba who ventured to Spain. His arrival to the club also coincided with the insertion of former football player Laurent Blanc
as manager.
Diarra was assigned the number 4 shirt and made his competitive debut for the club on 4 August 2007 in a 1–0 league win over his former club Lens receiving a yellow card. On 29 August, he scored his first goal for the club in its 1–0 win over Metz
. Diarra was a regular within the starting lineup for the entire season starting all 36 league matches he appeared in. He formed excellent midfield partnerships with box-to-box midfielders Alejandro Alonso and Fernando Menegazzo
who gave Diarra the freedom to distribute the ball and dismantle impending attacks from the opposition. On 2 December, Diarra scored a goal in Bordeaux's 4–3 win over Derby de la Garonne
rivals Toulouse.
Diarra also participated in European competition with Bordeaux during the season. He played in four matches during the club's UEFA Cup campaign. Bordeaux reached the Round of 32 where the club was eliminated by Belgian
club Anderlecht
on a 3–2 aggregate scoreline. In the Coupe de France
, Bordeaux reached the quarter-finals. Diarra appeared in all four matches the team contested, which included playing 120 minutes in back-to-back rounds. He scored two more goals for the club; both of which came in the league in wins over Metz and Rennes. Bordeaux finished the season in second place; four points behind the champions Lyon. It was the closest gap Lyon had endured since the 2003–04 season when the club won the league by three points over Paris Saint-Germain. Diarra finished the season with 44 total appearances and four goals.
In the 2008–09 season, Diarra remained a starter as Bordeaux was boosted by the arrival of the influential Yoann Gourcuff
. He appeared in Bordeaux's 5–4 win on penalties in the 2008 Trophée des Champions
. Bordeaux capitalized on the momentum by going undefeated in eight of its nine opening league matches. Included in those matches was Diarra's first red card for the club, which came in a 1–0 win over Grenoble after he collected two yellow cards. The two infractions came within a span of five minutes. On 21 December 2008, Diarra scored the second team goal in Bordeaux's 4–3 comeback win over Monaco
at the Stade Louis II
. Bordeaux had trailed 3–0 with 40 minutes to go in the match. In the Coupe de la Ligue
, Bordeaux won the competition. Diarra missed the final match due to injury, but did play in the semi-final match, a 3–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, that resulted in Bordeaux qualifying for the final. In the 2008–09 edition of the UEFA Champions League, Diarra appeared in all six group stage matches Bordeaux played in and scored a goal against English club Chelsea
in a 1–1 draw. The club's third place finish in its group meant a return to the UEFA Cup where Bordeaux was eliminated in the Round of 32 for the second consecutive season.
On 19 April 2009, Diarra scored the only goal in Bordeaux's 1–0 win over title rivals Lyon at the Stade de Gerland. The victory helped the club create a gap between itself and Lyon. Bordeaux, subsequently, went on a six-match winning streak to close out the season, which resulted in the club capturing the sixth title in its history and its first since 1999. Bordeaux also recorded its second ever double
, as a result of its league cup title. Diarra finished the season with a career-high 45 total appearances and three goals.
, following the replacement of captain Ulrich Ramé
as the starting goalkeeper, Blanc tipped Diarra as his replacement to wear the armband. He began the season claiming his fourth silverware with Bordeaux on 25 July 2009, winning the 2009 Trophée des Champions
title in a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. In the third match of the league, Diarra scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Nice. Diarra appeared frequently in the starting lineup during the first half of the campaign, but struggled with injuries through January–March. He missed the first leg of the team's Round of 16 tie with Greek
club Olympiacos
. In the second leg, Diarra returned to the team, but was ejected from the match in the second half after receiving two yellow card infractions. The ejection meant Diarra would miss the first leg of the team's quarter-final tie with league rivals Lyon. Bordeaux lost the tie 3–2 on aggregate. Diarra returned to league play on 13 March 2010 and played the rest of the league campaign missing only one match. Due to injuries to Gourcuff and the declining form of Marouane Chamakh
, Bordeaux suffered a dip in form in the spring season, which resulted in Bordeaux failing defend its title or qualify for European competition
.
Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season
, Diarra was heavily linked with a move to the champions Marseille
. On 14 July, Marseille manager Didier Deschamps
confirmed that the club was negotiating with both Diarra and Bordeaux for a transfer. A week later, Bordeaux president Triaud stated that Marseille had failed to meet the player's €7.75 million release clause and that Diarra was likely not going to be leaving the club. Despite Marseille remaining hopeful a deal could go through, on 30 July, a deal was declared dead. Diarra later stated that he was happy to remain at Bordeaux and see out the rest of his contract. The defensive midfielder opened the new campaign scoring two goals in the first six matches of the season in wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.
On 16 October 2010, Diarra was involved in a controversial dispute, which resulted in the player being banned from playing league football for six matches. After receiving a yellow card booking from referee Wilfriend Bien in the team's 1–0 win over Auxerre, Diarra responded by pushing the referee with both hands. He was immediately shown a red card and dismissed from the match. After walking off the field, Diarra turned back, walked over to Bien and apologized for the confrontation. After the match, Diarra apologized again for the incident. He was supported by his former coach Laurent Blanc who stated that Diarra made a simple mistake that he immediately regretted as soon as he realized what he did. Diarra was initially suspended for three matches, however, following a November tribunal by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
, his suspension was upgraded to six matches. Diarra returned to the team on 27 November playing only the first half in the team's 1–1 draw with Lille.
agreeing to a three-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed, but is reported to be in the region of €5 million.
having earned caps at under-20
and under-21
level. He earned his first international youth call up in 2001 by coach Raymond Domenech
ahead of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
. Diarra played in the first group stage match; a 5–0 hammering of Iran
. In the 30th minute of the match against Iran, Diarra was substituted out due to an injury. The injury was deemed severe and Diarra missed the rest of the tournament. France ultimately crashed out of the competition in the quarter-finals losing 3–1 to a Javier Saviola
-led Argentina
. Diarra's only other confirmed appearance with the under-20 team was in a 1–0 win over Egypt
in April 2002.
Diarra earned his first call up to the under-21 team in August 2002 for a friendly match against Cyprus
. He made his debut in the match as France cruised to a 1–0 victory. Diarra featured regularly within the team as France attempted to qualify for both the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
and the football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. France failed to qualify for both competitions, which resulted in the end of Diarra's youth career. He appeared in 10 competitive matches with the team and scored his only goal in a 3–1 UEFA U21 tournament qualification win over Israel
. In December 2003, Diarra was called up to the Mali national team
to participate in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. Diarra turned down the opportunity to represent the nation of his parents in order to continue his career with his home country France.
for the first time by Domenech to participate in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
. He did not make his debut in the match, but was named to the team again in October for 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches against the Republic of Ireland
and Cyprus
. Diarra earn his debut cap in the match against Ireland appearing as a substitute for Olivier Dacourt in a 0–0 draw. He featured with the team heavily in World Cup qualification primarily as a substitute for either Patrick Vieira or Claude Makélélé
and, following France's qualification for the tournament, was named to the team to participate in the competition. In the competition, Diarra appeared in two matches. He appeared as a substitute for Vieira in the team's final group stage match against Togo
and repeated this in the final match
against Italy
. France lost the final 5–3 in a penalty shootout, which Diarra did not participate in.
After appearing in a November 2006 friendly match against Greece
, Diarra was absent from the national team for nearly two years, partly due to his struggle for playing time in Lyon
. As a result, he missed UEFA Euro 2008, although he was named to the competition's preliminary squad. After regaining his form at Bordeaux, Diarra began making his way back into the team and participated in seven 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He was later selected to participate in his second consecutive FIFA World Cup. France endured a disastrous campaign as the players went on strike in response to its disagreement over the expulsion of striker
Nicolas Anelka
from the team. In the team's final group stage match against hosts South Africa
, with several veteran players missing from the squad, Diarra was rewarded with the captaincy for the first time in his international career and led the team to a 2–1 loss, which resulted in its elimination from the competition.
Diarra was one of several players retained by incoming coach Laurent Blanc
, his former manager. After missing the August 2010 friendly due to suspension, he returned to the team in September playing the entire match in 2–0 wins over both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania
. Diarra served as captain in both matches. On 9 February 2011, he captained the team for the fifth time in his career in their 1–0 victory over Brazil
. Though, Blanc has yet to declare a permanent captain, Diarra has been declared the favorite to land the armband by several French news publications.
Lyon
Bordeaux
Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis
Villepinte is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Heraldry:-Transport:Villepinte is served by three stations on Paris RER line B: Villepinte, Parc des Expositions, and Vert-Galant....
) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, but can also deputized as a centre back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
if necessary. Diarra is described as a player who is "strong, athletic and very powerful" and possesses a "combative edge" similar to former French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
. Diarra is also known for his leadership ability and has served as captain of both Bordeaux domestically and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
internationally.
Diarra began his career playing for clubs based in Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
, such as CSL Aulnay and hometown club FC Villepinte. In 1997, he joined Louhans-Cuiseaux
CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
Club Sportif Louhans-Cuiseaux is a French football club.-History:Founded in 1970 after the unification of "Club Sportif Louhannais" and "Club de Cuiseaux" , based in the villages of Louhans and Cuiseaux...
and made his professional debut with the club in the 1999–2000 season while the club was playing in the second division
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. In 2000, Diarra was recruited by German club Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. He spent two years playing on the club's reserve team, Bayern Munich II. In 2002, he was signed by compatriot Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
as part of the manager's French Revolution to play for English club Liverpool. Diarra's stint at the club was deemed a disappointment as he spent both years at the club on loan in France playing for Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
, Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
, and Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
.
After a successful 2004–05 season with Lens, Diarra made a permanent return to France joining the club from Liverpool on a permanent deal. He spent two seasons at the club amassing over 70 appearances before signing with the then five-team defending champions Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
. At Lyon, Diarra struggled for playing time and left the club to join Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
after one year. He did earn a winner's medal as a result of the club winning the 2006–07 Ligue 1 title. With Bordeaux, Diarra was ever-present within the team under manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
. He was a prominent figure on the Bordeaux team that won the league and league cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
in the 2008–09 season. Diarra has also won two Trophée des champions
Trophée des champions
The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
while playing for the club.
Diarra is also a France international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Prior to playing at senior level, he played at under-20
France national under-20 football team
The France national under-20 football team is the national under-20 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years and the Toulon Tournament, which is held every May when football league...
and under-21
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
level. With the under-20 team, Diarra played on the team that participated in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
. He made his senior international debut in October 2004 in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. Diarra has participated in both the 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
editions of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. In the 2006 competition, he appeared in a group stage match against Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
and the final match
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
as a substitute. In the 2010 edition, Diarra captained France for the first time in the team's final group stage match against South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
.
Personal life
Diarra was born in the communeCommunes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Villepinte
Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis
Villepinte is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Heraldry:-Transport:Villepinte is served by three stations on Paris RER line B: Villepinte, Parc des Expositions, and Vert-Galant....
in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
to Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
an parents. He has three younger brothers and one sister. One of his brothers, Zanké, is also a footballer and currently plays for amateur club Viry-Châtillon
ES Viry-Châtillon
L'Entente Sportive Viry-Châtillon is a French Association football team, based in Viry-Châtillon, Paris. It currently plays in Championnat de France amateur Group D, the fourth tier in the French football league system, holding home games at the Stade Henri Longuet, which has a capacity of...
in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football, after being released from the reserve team
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Reserves and Academy
The Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and academy of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The Camp des Loges serves as the home facility for the club's Reserves and Academy sides , which play their home matches at the Stade Georges Lefèvre...
of professional club Paris Saint-Germain. Another brother, Idrissa, assists in running a social networking site that helps amateur footballers find a club. Diarra and his siblings were raised in the neighborhood of Rose des Vents located in the nearby commune of Aulnay-sous-Bois
Aulnay-sous-Bois
Aulnay-sous-Bois is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.In October and November 2005, it gained national and international attention as one of the focuses of the French suburb riots.-Name:...
, where his parents still reside. He is currently married and has two children. On 28 May 2010, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Diarra departed the national team's training camp to be beside his wife as she gave birth to his second child.
Early career
Diarra began his football career at hometown club CSL Aulnay. After six years in Aulnay, Diarra moved back to his birth city to join FC Villepinte. While in the youth academy of Villepinte, he struggled to attract the attention of professional clubs often personally contacting clubs in order to earn trialsEvaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
. Diarra was ultimately denied several opportunities, most notably by Le Mans and, according to his brother, the struggle made the elder Diarra "very motivated to succeed".
In 1997, Diarra was signed to an amateur contract by professional club CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
Club Sportif Louhans-Cuiseaux is a French football club.-History:Founded in 1970 after the unification of "Club Sportif Louhannais" and "Club de Cuiseaux" , based in the villages of Louhans and Cuiseaux...
who were playing in Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
, the second level of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
, and was inserted into the club's youth academy. In the 1998–99 season, Diarra was promoted to the club's reserve team and spent two seasons playing there. In the latter part of the 1999–2000 season, he was called up to the senior team by manager Philippe Hinschberger
Philippe Hinschberger
Philippe Hinschberger is a retired French football player who played with FC Metz.After retiring as a player Hinsberger has managed CS Louhans-Cuiseaux, Chamois Niortais and Le Havre; he has been manager of Laval since 2007.-References:...
. On 15 April 2000, Diarra made his professional debut in a 2–1 defeat to Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
picking up a yellow card
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
. Two weeks later, he made his first professional start in the team's 3–2 loss to Niort. In his final appearance with Louhans-Cuiseaux, Diarra received his first red card of his career after incurring two yellow card infractions in a 2–1 defeat to Le Mans. Louhans-Cuiseaux finished the campaign in last place and were relegated to the semi-professional Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
, the third division of French football. After the season, Louhans-Cuiseaux attempted to tie down Diarra on a long-term deal and offered the player a trainee contract. Diarra refused the deal and was subsequently available to sign with any club on a free transfer.
Germany and England
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
after the club saw him play one match with Louhans-Cuiseaux. Upon his arrival to the club, he was immediately placed onto the club's reserve team, Bayern Munich II, in the Regionalliga Süd
Regionalliga Süd
The Regionalliga Süd is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany...
, the fourth level of German football
Football in Germany
Association football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 26,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the 1. and 2. Bundesliga on top, and the winner of the first...
. Diarra was a regular within the team playing alongside the likes of Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
, Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
, and Zvjezdan Misimović
Zvjezdan Misimovic
Zvjezdan Misimović is a German-born Bosnian footballer who plays for FC Dynamo Moscow...
. In his first season with the reserve team, he appeared in 28 matches scoring four goals. Diarra's influence in the team was immediate as he scored his first goal for the team in the first league match of the season against VfR Mannheim
VfR Mannheim
VfR Mannheim is a German association football club based in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg formed in 1911 out of the fusion of Mannheimer FG 1896, Mannheimer FG 1897 Union, and FC Viktoria 1897 Mannheim...
in a 4–2 defeat. His combative style of play also began to take shape as he collected nine yellow cards during the campaign with seven of them coming in the team's first 17 matches. The season was ultimately a success for Diarra partly due to the player being promoted to the senior team for the 2001–02 season by manager Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
. He was assigned the number 30 shirt.
Diarra began the 2001–02 season by making the bench in several of the team's league matches in August and September, but failing to make an appearance. In October 2001, he was dropped back down to the club's reserve team and appeared in four matches before earning promotion back to the senior team for its 2001 Intercontinental Cup
2001 Intercontinental Cup
The 2001 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 27 November 2001 between Bayern Munich, winners of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, and defending champions Boca Juniors, winners of the 2001 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo...
showdown with Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
club Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Diarra made the bench for the match, but did not feature as Bayern won the match courtesy of an extra time goal from Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Osei Kuffour is a retired Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a defender.Known for his great physical power, he is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 17 major titles, and playing in nearly 250 official...
. The victory gave Diarra his first major honour of his career. Afterwards, he returned to the reserve team and later suffered an injury, which required a lengthy absence. Diarra rejoined the team in March 2002 under new manager Hermann Gerland
Hermann Gerland
Hermann Gerland is a German former football player and manager. He is currently the manager of the reserve team of the German Bundesliga side FC Bayern Munich.- Career :...
and made nine more appearances. Following the season, Diarra was offered a new three-year contract with the club, but rejected it citing his limited playing time. Despite his disappointing stint with Bayern, which included failing to make an appearance with the club's senior team, in 2009, Diarra stated "I have very fond memories of my time in Bayern". Following Diarra's success at Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
, Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeneß admitted that Diarra's rise to prominence as a footballer is "one of the seven wonders of the world". Hoeneß admitted that he was surprised by Diarra's resurgence stating "If somebody had told me [he would return for a UEFA Champions League game] five years ago and made a bet with me, I would have lost a fortune". Since Diarra departing the club in 2002, due to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
compensation laws, Bayern have recouped over €800,000 as a result of the player's future transfers.
On 3 July 2002, English club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
confirmed its interest in signing Diarra under the guidance of manager Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
who had likened the player to Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
. Liverpool were also in competition with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and several French clubs. On 9 July, Liverpool confirmed that the club had signed the player from Bayern Munich. Diarra agreed to a five-year contract and made his club debut against Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
during the club's pre-season. A day after the match against Le Havre, it was reported that Diarra was on a verge of a loan move to the same club. On 1 August, the loan was confirmed.
Loan stints in France
Diarra made his debut for Le Havre on 17 August 2002 in the team's 1–1 draw with Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
appearing as a substitute. He was a frequent starter for the majority of the fall season, but, following the winter break, began appearing primarily as a substitute. In September 2002, Diarra's contract dispute with Louhans-Cuiseaux came into the spotlight after his former club admitted that the player was reportedly banned from playing in France professionally for three years due to moving abroad without Louhans-Cuiseaux receiving a trainers' compensation fee. Louhans-Cuiseaux reported the situation to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, however, the organization ruled in favor of Diarra who was allowed to continue his career with Le Havre. Diarra scored his first professional goal on 25 January 2003 in a 2–1 defeat to Laval
Stade Lavallois
Stade Lavallois Mayenne Football Club is a French association football club based in Laval. The club was formed on 17 July 1902 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Laval plays its home matches at the Stade Francis Le Basser located in the city and is managed by...
in the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. He finished the campaign with 28 total appearances.
In the 2003 off-season, Diarra admitted that he would love to return to Liverpool stating "I'm someone who is ambitious and I hope to win my place at Anfield next season". However, in July 2003, Houllier confirmed that Diarra would remain in France on loan, this time with Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
n club Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. Upon his arrival to the club, Diarra was inserted as a starter by manager Gérard Gili and paid immediate dividends scoring in back-to-back weeks in a 4–2 win against Guingamp and a 4–1 loss to Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
in September. On 7 March 2004, he scored a goal in Bastia's surprising 4–1 win over Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. Diarra ultimately finished the campaign with 38 total appearances and four goals. After the season, Diarra returned to Liverpool for pre-season training, however, not under the guidance of his recruiter Houllier, but under Spanish coach Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
. As a result, he was, for the third consecutive season, linked with a loan move. His non-inclusion on the club's roster for its North America tour meant a loan move was inevitable and, on 27 July 2004, he was loaned to Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
.
Similar to his stint at Bastia, Diarra was included in the team as a starter by coach Joël Muller
Joël Müller
Joël Müller, born January 2, 1952, in Donchery, France, is a former football player and manager, currently working as a technical director for FC Metz.-References:...
. The season was a major success for Diarra as he was the only player in the team to start every league match he played for the club. He also served as captain for a majority of the season. His consistent performances led to his call up to the senior national team. Diarra scored his first goal of the campaign in a 1–1 draw with Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...
. He scored the goal in the opening minute of the match. On 6 February 2005, Diarra scored the opener in team's 2–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
. He finished the campaign with 37 total appearances and two goals. Diarra also collected 11 yellow cards.
Return to France
After establishing himself as a premier player in France and an international during the 2004–05 campaign, Benítez declared that Diarra still had a future at Liverpool stating "I think it's still early days for him, but it's good news for us to see a young player doing so well. If he continues to play well for his club and is in the national team, we will be reminding everyone he is our player". However, in April 2005, Diarra revealed that he wanted to stay with Lens for the long-term. After finishing the season, on 24 June 2005, Liverpool granted his request after Lens reached an agreement with the club on a transfer fee, purported to be €3.2 million. Diarra finished his Liverpool career with no first-team appearances and only one club appearance, which came in a pre-season friendly.Diarra remained a starter at Lens and also retained his consistency appearing in a career-high 44 matches, scoring two goals, and providing four assists. His two goals came in a 2–1 away win over Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
and a 2–2 draw with Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. Diarra also played European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
football for the first time in his career playing in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. He made his European debut on 3 July 2005 in a UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
second round tie against Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
club Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...
. Diarra ultimately appeared in ten matches in the club's European campaign as Lens reached the Round of 32 where the club was defeated 3–1 on aggregate by Italian outfit Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
.
Lyon
Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Diarra was linked with a move to the then five-team defending champions Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
where he could reunite with former manager Gérard Houllier. On 23 August 2006, the move came to fruition following the departure of Diarra's namesake, Mahamadou
Mahamadou Diarra
Mahamadou Diarra is a Malian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Mali national team. He is captain of the national team.-Early career:Diarra started his career with Greek side OFI Crete...
, who moved to Spanish club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
for a fee of €26 million. The transfer fee was priced at €6.25 million and Diarra was assigned the number 18 shirt. Diarra struggled to make an impact at the club as Houllier preferred the younger Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan is a French footballer who currently plays for Málaga CF in La Liga. His usual position is as a defensive midfielder, but he can also be utilized as a central defender. He is best known for his shy and humble demeanor, simple distribution, good technique, and effective...
and Tiago Mendes
Tiago Mendes
Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A...
as his starting defensive midfielder and box-to-box midfielder, respectively. He made his club debut late in the season on 16 September 2006 in the team's 3–1 away win over Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
. Diarra scored his first goal for the club on 6 December 2006 in the club's final UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage match against Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n club Steaua Bucureşti. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Two weeks later, he scored his second goal in the team's 3–1 win over Nancy in the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
quarterfinals.
Following the winter break, Diarra struggled with a thigh injury and didn't appear with the team for almost three months. In March 2007, he finally returned to the team in its 3–1 win over Derby du Rhône
Derby du Rhône
The Derby du Rhône is a football match contested between French clubs Olympique Lyonnais and AS Saint-Étienne. Both clubs situate themselves in the region of Rhône-Alpes along the Rhône river, which is where the rivalry's name is derived from....
rivals Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
appearing as a substitute. During the season, Diarra complained twice with regards to playing time, which led to Houllier equivocally questioning Diarra's ego. The feud culminated on 6 April when Houllier dropped Diarra from the squad to face Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
the following day and then ordered him to play for the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
. Diarra refused the orders and Houllier responded by reportedly threatening not to play him for the rest of the season. The Lyon manager later stated the Diarra should issue an apology to him and the team. The defensive midfielder did not budge and, subsequently, missed the team's next four league matches, as well as the 2007 Coupe de la Ligue Final. Diarra returned to the team on 28 April playing the entire match in a 3–1 win over Le Mans. He repeated this feat in three of the team's last five matches as Lyon were crowned champions for the sixth consecutive season. Included in one of those three matches was Diarra's first league goal for the club, which came in a 3–0 victory over his former club Lens.
2006–2009
After the 2006–07 season with Lyon, Diarra sought to play for another club and was linked primarily to English clubs Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. In July 2007, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...
confirmed that the club had accepted a bid of £5 million from Portsmouth. However, Aulas also revealed that Diarra refused the move and preferred to stay in France and join Bordeaux. On 20 July, after a week-long negotiation, Bordeaux confirmed the signing of Diarra. The midfielder signed a four-year contract and the transfer fee was priced at €7.75 million. Diarra stated his primary reason for joining Bordeaux over Portsmouth was because Bordeaux "wants to play for the first positions in Ligue 1 and I am attracted to that". Diarra was signed as a replacement for the departed Rio Mavuba who ventured to Spain. His arrival to the club also coincided with the insertion of former football player Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
as manager.
Diarra was assigned the number 4 shirt and made his competitive debut for the club on 4 August 2007 in a 1–0 league win over his former club Lens receiving a yellow card. On 29 August, he scored his first goal for the club in its 1–0 win over Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
. Diarra was a regular within the starting lineup for the entire season starting all 36 league matches he appeared in. He formed excellent midfield partnerships with box-to-box midfielders Alejandro Alonso and Fernando Menegazzo
Fernando Menegazzo
Fernando Menegazzo is a footballer from Brazil who currently plays as a central midfielder for Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab Riyadh.-Football career:...
who gave Diarra the freedom to distribute the ball and dismantle impending attacks from the opposition. On 2 December, Diarra scored a goal in Bordeaux's 4–3 win over Derby de la Garonne
Derby de la Garonne
The Derby de la Garonne is a football match contested between French clubs FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Toulouse FC. The name of the derby derives from the fact that Bordeaux and Toulouse are the two major clubs that play in cities that situate themselves along the Garonne River...
rivals Toulouse.
Diarra also participated in European competition with Bordeaux during the season. He played in four matches during the club's UEFA Cup campaign. Bordeaux reached the Round of 32 where the club was eliminated by Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
club Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
on a 3–2 aggregate scoreline. In the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
, Bordeaux reached the quarter-finals. Diarra appeared in all four matches the team contested, which included playing 120 minutes in back-to-back rounds. He scored two more goals for the club; both of which came in the league in wins over Metz and Rennes. Bordeaux finished the season in second place; four points behind the champions Lyon. It was the closest gap Lyon had endured since the 2003–04 season when the club won the league by three points over Paris Saint-Germain. Diarra finished the season with 44 total appearances and four goals.
In the 2008–09 season, Diarra remained a starter as Bordeaux was boosted by the arrival of the influential Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished...
. He appeared in Bordeaux's 5–4 win on penalties in the 2008 Trophée des Champions
2008 Trophée des Champions
The 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...
. Bordeaux capitalized on the momentum by going undefeated in eight of its nine opening league matches. Included in those matches was Diarra's first red card for the club, which came in a 1–0 win over Grenoble after he collected two yellow cards. The two infractions came within a span of five minutes. On 21 December 2008, Diarra scored the second team goal in Bordeaux's 4–3 comeback win over Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
at the Stade Louis II
Stade Louis II
The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...
. Bordeaux had trailed 3–0 with 40 minutes to go in the match. In the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
, Bordeaux won the competition. Diarra missed the final match due to injury, but did play in the semi-final match, a 3–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, that resulted in Bordeaux qualifying for the final. In the 2008–09 edition of the UEFA Champions League, Diarra appeared in all six group stage matches Bordeaux played in and scored a goal against English club Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in a 1–1 draw. The club's third place finish in its group meant a return to the UEFA Cup where Bordeaux was eliminated in the Round of 32 for the second consecutive season.
On 19 April 2009, Diarra scored the only goal in Bordeaux's 1–0 win over title rivals Lyon at the Stade de Gerland. The victory helped the club create a gap between itself and Lyon. Bordeaux, subsequently, went on a six-match winning streak to close out the season, which resulted in the club capturing the sixth title in its history and its first since 1999. Bordeaux also recorded its second ever double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, as a result of its league cup title. Diarra finished the season with a career-high 45 total appearances and three goals.
2009–2011
Ahead of the 2009–10 season2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
, following the replacement of captain Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Ramé is a French footballer who plays for CS Sedan Ardennes as a goalkeeper.In a professional career which spanned two decades, he played mainly for Bordeaux , appearing in more than 500 official games and winning six major titles.A French international during four years, Ramé represented...
as the starting goalkeeper, Blanc tipped Diarra as his replacement to wear the armband. He began the season claiming his fourth silverware with Bordeaux on 25 July 2009, winning the 2009 Trophée des Champions
2009 Trophée des Champions
The 2009 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that was played on 25 July 2009. The match contested the winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France, En Avant Guingamp, and the 2008–09 Ligue 1 champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux...
title in a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. In the third match of the league, Diarra scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Nice. Diarra appeared frequently in the starting lineup during the first half of the campaign, but struggled with injuries through January–March. He missed the first leg of the team's Round of 16 tie with Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
club Olympiacos
Olympiacos CFP
----Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, , , transliterated Olympiakos Sindesmos Filathlon Pireos, is the most popular multisport club and the most successful in Greece, based in Piraeus....
. In the second leg, Diarra returned to the team, but was ejected from the match in the second half after receiving two yellow card infractions. The ejection meant Diarra would miss the first leg of the team's quarter-final tie with league rivals Lyon. Bordeaux lost the tie 3–2 on aggregate. Diarra returned to league play on 13 March 2010 and played the rest of the league campaign missing only one match. Due to injuries to Gourcuff and the declining form of Marouane Chamakh
Marouane Chamakh
Marouane Chamakh is a French-Moroccan footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the Moroccan national team as a striker. He is described as a prototypical target man and is noted for his "tall stature" and "excellent heading ability".Chamakh started his career...
, Bordeaux suffered a dip in form in the spring season, which resulted in Bordeaux failing defend its title or qualify for European competition
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
.
Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 in French football
The 2010–11 season is the 78th season of competitive professional football in France. The league season began on 6 August 2010 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 7 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur. The season concluded on 26 May 2011 for Ligue 2, 27 May for the...
, Diarra was heavily linked with a move to the champions Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. On 14 July, Marseille manager Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
confirmed that the club was negotiating with both Diarra and Bordeaux for a transfer. A week later, Bordeaux president Triaud stated that Marseille had failed to meet the player's €7.75 million release clause and that Diarra was likely not going to be leaving the club. Despite Marseille remaining hopeful a deal could go through, on 30 July, a deal was declared dead. Diarra later stated that he was happy to remain at Bordeaux and see out the rest of his contract. The defensive midfielder opened the new campaign scoring two goals in the first six matches of the season in wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.
On 16 October 2010, Diarra was involved in a controversial dispute, which resulted in the player being banned from playing league football for six matches. After receiving a yellow card booking from referee Wilfriend Bien in the team's 1–0 win over Auxerre, Diarra responded by pushing the referee with both hands. He was immediately shown a red card and dismissed from the match. After walking off the field, Diarra turned back, walked over to Bien and apologized for the confrontation. After the match, Diarra apologized again for the incident. He was supported by his former coach Laurent Blanc who stated that Diarra made a simple mistake that he immediately regretted as soon as he realized what he did. Diarra was initially suspended for three matches, however, following a November tribunal by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, his suspension was upgraded to six matches. Diarra returned to the team on 27 November playing only the first half in the team's 1–1 draw with Lille.
Marseille
On 4 July 2011, Diarra completed his much-anticipated move from Bordeaux to league rivals MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
agreeing to a three-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed, but is reported to be in the region of €5 million.
Youth
Diarra is a former French youth internationalFrance national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
having earned caps at under-20
France national under-20 football team
The France national under-20 football team is the national under-20 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years and the Toulon Tournament, which is held every May when football league...
and under-21
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
level. He earned his first international youth call up in 2001 by coach Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
ahead of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
. Diarra played in the first group stage match; a 5–0 hammering of Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
. In the 30th minute of the match against Iran, Diarra was substituted out due to an injury. The injury was deemed severe and Diarra missed the rest of the tournament. France ultimately crashed out of the competition in the quarter-finals losing 3–1 to a Javier Saviola
Javier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, as a striker....
-led Argentina
Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
. Diarra's only other confirmed appearance with the under-20 team was in a 1–0 win over Egypt
Egypt national under-20 football team
The Egypt national under-20 football team , nicknamed The Pharaohs , is the national team of Egypt Under-20 and is administered by the Egyptian Football Association.- African Youth Championship record :* African Youth Championship - 1979 - 1st Round...
in April 2002.
Diarra earned his first call up to the under-21 team in August 2002 for a friendly match against Cyprus
Cyprus national under-21 football team
The Cyprus national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team for Cyprus and like the senior team, is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association....
. He made his debut in the match as France cruised to a 1–0 victory. Diarra featured regularly within the team as France attempted to qualify for both the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2004 was the 14th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Germany between 27 May and 8 June 2004.Italy U-21s won the competition for the fifth time...
and the football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. France failed to qualify for both competitions, which resulted in the end of Diarra's youth career. He appeared in 10 competitive matches with the team and scored his only goal in a 3–1 UEFA U21 tournament qualification win over Israel
Israel national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
. In December 2003, Diarra was called up to the Mali national team
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
to participate in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. Diarra turned down the opportunity to represent the nation of his parents in order to continue his career with his home country France.
Senior
On 13 August 2004, Diarra was named to the senior national teamFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
for the first time by Domenech to participate in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. He did not make his debut in the match, but was named to the team again in October for 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...
matches against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
. Diarra earn his debut cap in the match against Ireland appearing as a substitute for Olivier Dacourt in a 0–0 draw. He featured with the team heavily in World Cup qualification primarily as a substitute for either Patrick Vieira or Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
and, following France's qualification for the tournament, was named to the team to participate in the competition. In the competition, Diarra appeared in two matches. He appeared as a substitute for Vieira in the team's final group stage match against Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
and repeated this in the final match
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. France lost the final 5–3 in a penalty shootout, which Diarra did not participate in.
After appearing in a November 2006 friendly match against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, Diarra was absent from the national team for nearly two years, partly due to his struggle for playing time in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. As a result, he missed UEFA Euro 2008, although he was named to the competition's preliminary squad. After regaining his form at Bordeaux, Diarra began making his way back into the team and participated in seven 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He was later selected to participate in his second consecutive FIFA World Cup. France endured a disastrous campaign as the players went on strike in response to its disagreement over the expulsion of striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
from the team. In the team's final group stage match against hosts South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, with several veteran players missing from the squad, Diarra was rewarded with the captaincy for the first time in his international career and led the team to a 2–1 loss, which resulted in its elimination from the competition.
Diarra was one of several players retained by incoming coach Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
, his former manager. After missing the August 2010 friendly due to suspension, he returned to the team in September playing the entire match in 2–0 wins over both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
. Diarra served as captain in both matches. On 9 February 2011, he captained the team for the fifth time in his career in their 1–0 victory over Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. Though, Blanc has yet to declare a permanent captain, Diarra has been declared the favorite to land the armband by several French news publications.
Club
(Correct as of 28 August 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... , Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... , Trophée des Champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... , FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... , Football League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... , FA Community Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... , DFB-Pokal DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga... , DFB-Ligapokal DFB-Ligapokal The DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Louhans-Cuiseaux CS Louhans-Cuiseaux Club Sportif Louhans-Cuiseaux is a French football club.-History:Founded in 1970 after the unification of "Club Sportif Louhannais" and "Club de Cuiseaux" , based in the villages of Louhans and Cuiseaux... |
1999–2000 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2000–01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
2002–03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| → Le Havre Le Havre AC Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France... (loan) |
2002–03 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 25 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 0 | |
| → Bastia SC Bastia Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2... (loan) |
2003–04 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 35 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 4 | 1 | |
| → Lens RC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... (loan) |
2004–05 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 34 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 1 | |
| Lens RC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... |
2005–06 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 32 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 2 | 5 | |
| Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
2006–07 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 1 | |
| Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
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| 2007–08 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Ligue 1 The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... |
30 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
32 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 133 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 152 | 12 | 4 | |
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
2011–12 2011–12 Ligue 1 The 2011–12 Ligue 1 season is the 74th since its establishment. Lille are the defending champions. The league schedule was announced on 31 March 2011 and the fixtures were determined on 10 June. The season began on 6 August 2011 and will end on 20 May 2012... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 281 | 20 | 8 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 343 | 24 | 12 | |
International
- (Correct as of 11 November 2011)
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
2004–05 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 0 | 0 | |
Club
Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20012001 Intercontinental CupThe 2001 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 27 November 2001 between Bayern Munich, winners of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, and defending champions Boca Juniors, winners of the 2001 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo...
Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
: 2006–07
Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
: 2008–09 - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
: 2009Coupe de la Ligue Final 2009The 2009 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 15th final in this young cup's history. The final was played at the Stade de France in Paris on 25 April 2009 was contested between FC Girondins de Bordeaux of Ligue 1 and Vannes OC of Ligue 2. This was the first meeting between the two clubs... - Trophée Des ChampionsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
: 20082008 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...
, 20092009 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2009 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that was played on 25 July 2009. The match contested the winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France, En Avant Guingamp, and the 2008–09 Ligue 1 champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux...
International
FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 2006 Silver Medal2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...