El Hadji Diouf
Encyclopedia
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (born 15 January 1981 in Dakar
, Senegal
) is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers
. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.
. He made his debut appearance in a 2–1 win against Bastia
on 12 November 1998, before moving to Rennes for the 1999-00 season. He moved to Lens
the following season, spending two years at the Pas-de-Calais club before moving to English club Liverpool
in 2002 for a fee of £10millon.
bought Diouf from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee at the start of the 2005/06 season
, after they had loaned
the player for the 2004/05 season
. On 15 September 2005, Diouf scored Bolton's first ever goal in a European competition against Lokomotiv Plovdiv
in a UEFA Cup match at the Reebok Stadium
. Bolton went on to win the game 2–1. He was largely successful at Bolton and became a fans' favourite due to his flair and direct running. Diouf confirmed in an interview with the BBC that he would be leaving Bolton at the end of the 2007/08 season and that his goal against Sunderland
on 3 May marked his last appearance at the Reebok Stadium.
on 28 July 2008, after Bolton agreed to a transfer fee of £2.6 million. He signed a four year contract at the Stadium of Light
after undergoing a medical. Diouf said that he was happy to join Sunderland. Then-manager Roy Keane
said he was happy that a player who "teams and supporters hate" had joined Sunderland: "El Hadji has always been the kind of player opposition teams and supporters hate, a thorn in the side. That's why we're delighted to now have him in our squad."
for an undisclosed fee on 30 January 2009, signing a three-and-half-year deal after just six months at the Stadium of Light, rejoining former Bolton manager Sam Allardyce
at the club. He was given the number 18 shirt and scored his first goal for the club against Fulham
at Craven Cottage
on 11 March 2009 in a 2–1 win. During the summer transfer window, Rovers manager Sam Allardyce revealed that Diouf was acquired for only £1 million.
Diouf scored his first home goal for Rovers at Ewood Park
in the club's 3–1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 12 September 2009. On 2 January 2010, he was sent off in a 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa
in the third round of the FA Cup
. On 21 March 2010, Diouf scored the equalising goal against Chelsea in a 1–1 draw at Ewood Park which opened up the 2010 title race, with Chelsea dropping vital points. He started the next two Premier League games against Birmingham and Burnley; he then made his fortieth appearance for the club at Fratton Park
playing against bottom-of-the-league side Portsmouth
in a 0–0 draw on 3 April. By the end of the 2009-10 season, he had made 27 appearances, scoring three goals. He was given number 10 for the 2010-11 season.
On 20 August 2011, Rovers manager Steve Kean
confirmed that Diouf wasn't in his first-team plans, and that he expected him to leave before the end of the 2011/12 transfer window.
On 31 August 2011 Blackburn terminated Diouf's contract by mutual consent. He had fallen out with manager Kean after returning late for pre-season training.
champions Rangers
on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season
. He made his debut on 2 February, coming on as a 20th minute substitute for injured team-mate Lee McCulloch
during a 1-0 win over Hearts
at Ibrox
. He made his first start for Rangers four days later in a 2-2 draw with Celtic
in the Scottish Cup
. Diouf scored his first goal for Rangers on 24 February in a 2-2 draw against Sporting CP in the Europa League, netting the opening goal of the game with a header in the 20th minute. He then scored his second goal for Rangers on 13 March in a Scottish Premier League match with Kilmarnock
, again scoring the first goal as Rangers won 2-1. In March 2011 Diouf was part of the Rangers team that won the Scottish League Cup
after a 2-1
win over rivals Celtic
.
Diouf also collected an SPL winners medal as Rangers performed a comeback from two points behind Celtic to win the league by one point.
and their manager, Sam Allardyce, his manager at both Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. On 28 October it was announced that Diouf would not be joining the club due to a lack of fitness and his bad reputation. Allardyce later confirmed that the depth of feeling amongst fans was taken into account in his decision not to sign the player.
on a three month contract. He scored his first two goals for Doncaster against Ipswich
at Portman Road
on 5 November 2011, earning Man of the Match honors and a shock 3-2 victory.
. He has earned 69 international caps
and scored 21 goals for his country. He played for Senegal
in their 2002 FIFA World Cup
campaign and was elected to the World Cup All-Star team, after leading Senegal to the quarter-finals and victories over France
(1–0) and Sweden
(2–1). Senegal eventually lost 1–0 in extra time
to Turkey
. He was also part of the Senegal team who were the runners-up in the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Diouf was banned from international football for four matches in 2004 for a verbal assault on referee Ali Bujsaim
.
In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100
, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé
in conjunction with FIFA
's centenary celebrations. In October 2007, Diouf retired from international football, stating he had been frustrated by organisational problems with the side. However, Senegal coach Henryk Kasperczak
announced later in the month that he would name Diouf in the next squad.
On 3 April 2009 he re-confirmed his retirement after 41 further games.
Diouf has twice been named the African Footballer of the Year
.
Rangers F.C.
|1998–99||Sochaux-Montbéliard
||Ligue 1
||16||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|1999-00||Stade Rennais||Ligue 1
||28||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||1
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Lens
||rowspan="2"|Ligue 1
||28||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||28||8
|-
|2001–02||26||10||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||26||10
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="2"|Liverpool
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||29||3||3||0||5||3||9||0||46||6
|-
|2003–04||26||0||1||0||2||0||4||0||33||0
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="4"|Bolton Wanderers
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||27||9||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||32||9
|-
|2005–06||20||3||colspan="2"|-||1||0||6||1||27||4
|-
|2006–07||33||5||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||35||5
|-
|2007–08||34||4||1||0||1||0||6||2||42||6
|-
|2008-09||rowspan="1"|Sunderland
||rowspan="1"|Premier League||14||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||16||0
|-
|2008-09||rowspan="3"|Blackburn Rovers
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||14||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||14||1
|-
|2009-10||26||3||1||0||0||0||0||0||27||3
|-
|2010-11||20||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||21||0
|-
|2011-12||rowspan="1"|Doncaster Rovers
||rowspan="1"|Football League Championship
||4||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||2
|-
|-
|2011||rowspan="1"|Rangers
(loan)||rowspan="1"|Scottish Premier League
||15||1||2||0||1||0||4||1||22||2
|-
98||19||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||99||19
247||30||12||0||13||3||25||3||294||46
360||50||15||0||14||3||29||4||418||67
fans whilst warming-up as a substitute for Liverpool during a game at Anfield
. After investigation by Merseyside Police
there was no evidence that an offence had been committed, but that Diouf had spat on the ground. On 13 March 2003, whilst playing for Liverpool, he was involved in an incident when he spat at Celtic
fans during a televised UEFA Cup quarter-final. His club fined him two weeks' wages, UEFA gave him a two-match ban, and Diouf was charged with assault. Although Diouf initially pled not guilty, he later changed his plea to guilty, and was fined £5,000.
Whilst he was on loan at Bolton, Diouf was charged by the police for spitting at an 11-year-old Middlesbrough fan during a 1–1 draw in November 2004. Then, on 27 November 2004, Diouf spat in the face of Portsmouth
player Arjan de Zeeuw
. He was fined two weeks' wages by Bolton and was banned for three games by the FA after pleading guilty to a charge of improper conduct. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce
later revealed that he considered sending Diouf to see a sports psychologist.
On 20 September 2009, Diouf was questioned by police after allegations that he had made a racist slur to a ball-boy during a match at Everton
, telling him to "fuck off, white boy". Diouf defended his actions by saying that the ball-boy had thrown the ball to him "like a bone to a dog" and that Everton fans were racially abusing and throwing bananas at him; police found no evidence of this.
In April 2010, Diouf was arrested and charged with motoring offences in Manchester.
On 8 January 2011, following Blackburn's 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers
in the FA Cup third round, QPR manager Neil Warnock
accused Diouf of taunting Jamie Mackie
whilst the latter lay on the pitch injured with a broken leg and referred to Diouf as "lower than a sewer rat".
On 14 July 2011, it was reported that Diouf had not joined Blackburn Rovers for a pre-season tour of Austria and that his whereabouts were
unknown. It was later revealed that disciplinary measures would probably be taken against him.
, after an altercation at the touchline with Neil Lennon
and dissent to the referee at full time. Diouf was fined £5000 in April 2011 and warned over his future conduct by the Scottish Football Association.
and the United Kingdom
- Diouf's country of birth and adopted home country, respectively. The captain of the Senegalese national football team conceived The Dioufy Foundation "to repay some of the help and good fortune he himself received as a youngster in Senegal". Diouf wants to use his high-profile football career as a platform for his charity, which was launched officially on January 3, 2008 during a launch event, followed by a press conference.
is a retired professional footballer.
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
) is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.
Early career
Diouf started his career in France with Sochaux-MontbéliardFC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
. He made his debut appearance in a 2–1 win against 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...
on 12 November 1998, before moving to Rennes for the 1999-00 season. He moved 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...
the following season, spending two years at the Pas-de-Calais club before moving to 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...
in 2002 for a fee of £10millon.
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
bought Diouf from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee at the start of the 2005/06 season
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
, after they had loaned
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
the player for the 2004/05 season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
. On 15 September 2005, Diouf scored Bolton's first ever goal in a European competition against Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv...
in a UEFA Cup match at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
. Bolton went on to win the game 2–1. He was largely successful at Bolton and became a fans' favourite due to his flair and direct running. Diouf confirmed in an interview with the BBC that he would be leaving Bolton at the end of the 2007/08 season and that his goal against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 3 May marked his last appearance at the Reebok Stadium.
Sunderland
Diouf signed for SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 28 July 2008, after Bolton agreed to a transfer fee of £2.6 million. He signed a four year contract at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
after undergoing a medical. Diouf said that he was happy to join Sunderland. Then-manager Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
said he was happy that a player who "teams and supporters hate" had joined Sunderland: "El Hadji has always been the kind of player opposition teams and supporters hate, a thorn in the side. That's why we're delighted to now have him in our squad."
Blackburn Rovers
Diouf signed for Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
for an undisclosed fee on 30 January 2009, signing a three-and-half-year deal after just six months at the Stadium of Light, rejoining former Bolton manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
at the club. He was given the number 18 shirt and scored his first goal for the club against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
on 11 March 2009 in a 2–1 win. During the summer transfer window, Rovers manager Sam Allardyce revealed that Diouf was acquired for only £1 million.
Diouf scored his first home goal for Rovers at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
in the club's 3–1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 12 September 2009. On 2 January 2010, he was sent off in a 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the third round of the 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...
. On 21 March 2010, Diouf scored the equalising goal against Chelsea in a 1–1 draw at Ewood Park which opened up the 2010 title race, with Chelsea dropping vital points. He started the next two Premier League games against Birmingham and Burnley; he then made his fortieth appearance for the club at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
playing against bottom-of-the-league side 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 a 0–0 draw on 3 April. By the end of the 2009-10 season, he had made 27 appearances, scoring three goals. He was given number 10 for the 2010-11 season.
On 20 August 2011, Rovers manager Steve Kean
Steve Kean
Stephen "Steve" Kean is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.-Playing career:...
confirmed that Diouf wasn't in his first-team plans, and that he expected him to leave before the end of the 2011/12 transfer window.
On 31 August 2011 Blackburn terminated Diouf's contract by mutual consent. He had fallen out with manager Kean after returning late for pre-season training.
Loan to Rangers
On the last day of the 2011 January transfer window, Diouf joined Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
champions Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Scottish Premier League
The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...
. He made his debut on 2 February, coming on as a 20th minute substitute for injured team-mate Lee McCulloch
Lee McCulloch
Lee Henry McCulloch is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers.He has been capped on 18 occasions by the Scotland national football team. During his career McCulloch has played for Motherwell, Wigan Athletic and Rangers as club level...
during a 1-0 win over Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
. He made his first start for Rangers four days later in a 2-2 draw with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
. Diouf scored his first goal for Rangers on 24 February in a 2-2 draw against Sporting CP in the Europa League, netting the opening goal of the game with a header in the 20th minute. He then scored his second goal for Rangers on 13 March in a Scottish Premier League match with Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, again scoring the first goal as Rangers won 2-1. In March 2011 Diouf was part of the Rangers team that won the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
after a 2-1
2011 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:...
win over rivals Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
Diouf also collected an SPL winners medal as Rangers performed a comeback from two points behind Celtic to win the league by one point.
West Ham United (trial)
In October 2011, he was handed a trial by West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and their manager, Sam Allardyce, his manager at both Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. On 28 October it was announced that Diouf would not be joining the club due to a lack of fitness and his bad reputation. Allardyce later confirmed that the depth of feeling amongst fans was taken into account in his decision not to sign the player.
Doncaster Rovers
On 31 October 2011, Diouf signed for Doncaster RoversDoncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
on a three month contract. He scored his first two goals for Doncaster against Ipswich
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
on 5 November 2011, earning Man of the Match honors and a shock 3-2 victory.
International career
Diouf's international career started in April 2000 against BeninBenin national football team
The Benin national football team, nicknamed Les Écureuils , is the national football team of Benin and is controlled by the Fédération Béninoise de Football. They were known as the Dahomey national football team until 1975, when Dahomey became Benin. They have never made the World Cup but have...
. He has earned 69 international caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored 21 goals for his country. He played for Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
in their 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
campaign and was elected to the World Cup All-Star team, after leading Senegal to the quarter-finals and victories over 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...
(1–0) and Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
(2–1). Senegal eventually lost 1–0 in extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
to Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. He was also part of the Senegal team who were the runners-up in the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Diouf was banned from international football for four matches in 2004 for a verbal assault on referee Ali Bujsaim
Ali Bujsaim
Ali Mohamed Bujsaim is a retired football referee from the United Arab Emirates, best known for supervising at three FIFA World Cups: 1994 , 1998 and 2002 .-References:*...
.
In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
in conjunction with 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...
's centenary celebrations. In October 2007, Diouf retired from international football, stating he had been frustrated by organisational problems with the side. However, Senegal coach Henryk Kasperczak
Henryk Kasperczak
Henryk Wojciech Kasperczak is a Polish football manager and a football player.As a player, Kasperczak took part in two FIFA World Cups with Poland, achieving third place in 1974, as well as a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.As a manager, Kasperczak enjoyed most...
announced later in the month that he would name Diouf in the next squad.
On 3 April 2009 he re-confirmed his retirement after 41 further games.
Diouf has twice been named the African Footballer of the Year
African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
.
Club
Liverpool F.C.- Football League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
(1): 20032003 Football League Cup FinalThe 2003 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2002–03 Football League Cup, a football tournament for teams in the Premier League and the Football League. The match was contested by Liverpool and Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 2 March 2003...
Rangers F.C.
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(1): 20112011 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:... - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(1): 20112010–11 Scottish Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...
Career statistics
|-Durham County Cricket|1998–99||Sochaux-Montbéliard
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
||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....
||16||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|1999-00||Stade Rennais||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....
||28||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||29||1
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|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...
||rowspan="2"|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....
||28||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||28||8
|-
|2001–02||26||10||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||26||10
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="2"|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...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||29||3||3||0||5||3||9||0||46||6
|-
|2003–04||26||0||1||0||2||0||4||0||33||0
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="4"|Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||27||9||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||32||9
|-
|2005–06||20||3||colspan="2"|-||1||0||6||1||27||4
|-
|2006–07||33||5||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||35||5
|-
|2007–08||34||4||1||0||1||0||6||2||42||6
|-
|2008-09||rowspan="1"|Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
||rowspan="1"|Premier League||14||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||16||0
|-
|2008-09||rowspan="3"|Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||14||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||14||1
|-
|2009-10||26||3||1||0||0||0||0||0||27||3
|-
|2010-11||20||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||21||0
|-
|2011-12||rowspan="1"|Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
||rowspan="1"|Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||4||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||2
|-
|-
|2011||rowspan="1"|Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(loan)||rowspan="1"|Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||15||1||2||0||1||0||4||1||22||2
|-
98||19||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||99||19
247||30||12||0||13||3||25||3||294||46
360||50||15||0||14||3||29||4||418||67
In France
Diouf's professional career has at times been overshadowed by controversy. During his time at Sochaux, he was involved in a succession of minor transgressions. This resulted in the move to Rennes, where he was convicted for driving without a licence, and was involved in a car crash. Taking into account his age and evident remorse, the French courts sentenced Diouf to community service.In England
During his early Premier League career, Diouf was involved in several incidents where he spat, or allegedly spat, at fans and opposition players. In 2002 he was accused of spitting at West HamWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
fans whilst warming-up as a substitute for Liverpool during a game at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. After investigation by Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
there was no evidence that an offence had been committed, but that Diouf had spat on the ground. On 13 March 2003, whilst playing for Liverpool, he was involved in an incident when he spat at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
fans during a televised UEFA Cup quarter-final. His club fined him two weeks' wages, UEFA gave him a two-match ban, and Diouf was charged with assault. Although Diouf initially pled not guilty, he later changed his plea to guilty, and was fined £5,000.
Whilst he was on loan at Bolton, Diouf was charged by the police for spitting at an 11-year-old Middlesbrough fan during a 1–1 draw in November 2004. Then, on 27 November 2004, Diouf spat in the face of 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...
player Arjan de Zeeuw
Arjan de Zeeuw
Adrianus "Arjan" de Zeeuw is a retired Dutch footballer, who played as a centre-back.-Club career:...
. He was fined two weeks' wages by Bolton and was banned for three games by the FA after pleading guilty to a charge of improper conduct. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
later revealed that he considered sending Diouf to see a sports psychologist.
On 20 September 2009, Diouf was questioned by police after allegations that he had made a racist slur to a ball-boy during a match at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, telling him to "fuck off, white boy". Diouf defended his actions by saying that the ball-boy had thrown the ball to him "like a bone to a dog" and that Everton fans were racially abusing and throwing bananas at him; police found no evidence of this.
In April 2010, Diouf was arrested and charged with motoring offences in Manchester.
On 8 January 2011, following Blackburn's 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in the FA Cup third round, QPR manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
accused Diouf of taunting Jamie Mackie
Jamie Mackie
James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers...
whilst the latter lay on the pitch injured with a broken leg and referred to Diouf as "lower than a sewer rat".
On 14 July 2011, it was reported that Diouf had not joined Blackburn Rovers for a pre-season tour of Austria and that his whereabouts were
unknown. It was later revealed that disciplinary measures would probably be taken against him.
In Scotland
On 2 March 2011, Diouf was one of three Rangers players sent off in the Old Firm DerbyOld Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
, after an altercation at the touchline with Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the current manager and former captain of Celtic....
and dissent to the referee at full time. Diouf was fined £5000 in April 2011 and warned over his future conduct by the Scottish Football Association.
The Dioufy Foundation
Diouf is the founder and chairman of The Dioufy Foundation whose stated goal is to help disadvantaged children in SenegalSenegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Diouf's country of birth and adopted home country, respectively. The captain of the Senegalese national football team conceived The Dioufy Foundation "to repay some of the help and good fortune he himself received as a youngster in Senegal". Diouf wants to use his high-profile football career as a platform for his charity, which was launched officially on January 3, 2008 during a launch event, followed by a press conference.
Personal life
Diouf is married and has a daughter named Kenza. His older brother Dame DioufDame Diouf
Dame Diouf is a retired Senegalese footballer, who aside from three seasons with Hannover 96, spent his entire career in the lower leagues of German football.-External links:...
is a retired professional footballer.