“I was unlucky…” Sekou Sanogo smiles a bit sadly. The 34-year-old Ivorian international, the only rookie in the January transfer window, could never have imagined that his Parisian adventure would take such a turn. But the middle lent (without purchase option) by Red Star Belgrade (D1 Serbia) only has four games left to give it a slightly happier note. After playing 66 minutes in Le Havre on February 3, three days after signing for Paris FC, he injured his knee in the 18th minute against Annecy in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France on February 8. One can nevertheless wonder why he had been aligned so quickly after three months without competition…
Sanogo, who was still a starter last September with Red Star against Monaco in the Europa League group stage, has fallen from a very high position since his arrival at Paris FC. “Coming here to Paris was like a dream,” he explains. I am realistic, PSG is very far and out of reach for me. But in October, I discussed it with my wife who is French. I told him : Wouldn’t it be a good idea to go back to France? There is Paris FC where there is a beautiful story that can be written and I would like to play there. »
“Signing at Paris FC was not for tourism”
His wife’s family lives in Bobigny and he already had an apartment in Yvelines. “We often came to Paris so sign at Paris FC, it was not for tourism,” he says. I am an adventurer and after three intense seasons at the Red Star, I wanted to discover something else. »
With two titles of Swiss Champion with the Young Boys of Bern and two of Serbia with the Red Star decorated with 76 European Cup matches (Champions League and Europa League), the Ivorian has a big CV. An experience and a physical impact that he will therefore not have been able to put to the service of Paris FC. A small task on a very rich journey since his arrival in Europe in January 2011.
“I am proud of my career. I started in my neighborhood of Abobo in Abidjan playing without shoes. My mother was a trader and my father was a do-it-yourselfer. They wanted me to study. It’s hard to get out of my neighborhood. But thanks to football, I got out of it like one of my brothers who plays in Thailand. At the start, I was playing in the 1st division at Africa Sport, I didn’t necessarily have a plan to go to Europe. But there was the war and it was time. My president told me: if you leave, it has to be for something better, otherwise it’s not worth it”. I kept my word. Each time I signed in a club, it was to take a higher step.
In January 2011, he landed in Switzerland at FC Thun before joining Lausanne Sport and then the Young Boys. “I stayed 9 years in Switzerland. I was fine, I had no reason to change. It’s a beautiful country, pleasant to live with straight people. With the Young Boys, my best memory is a preliminary round of the Champions League in 2016 where we eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk on penalties. »
In the European Cup, he also faced clubs like Manchester United, Juventus, AC Milan, Valence or Naples… “It was the Valence stadium that marked me the most. It is not very big but you can hear the public shouting in all directions. »
After a short freelance in Saudi Arabia at Al-Ittihad Club, he discovered the warm atmosphere of the Belgrade derbies with the Red Star. “Compared to Switzerland, it was a radical change. The Red Star is a mythical club. There, football is passion exacerbated to the maximum. In the street, we recognize you. I have never experienced racism. Fortunately, because I don’t know how I would have reacted… For the derbies, there were almost more police than supporters in the streets. This tension, this heat, we feel it on the ground. But that’s why we play football. It gives strength. »
For the rest of his career, Sanogo is waiting. It seems unlikely that he will continue the adventure at Paris FC. He had already had a bad memory with the Charléty stadium. On March 27, 2017, the Ivory Coast – Senegal match which was taking place in the Parisian enclosure was stopped because of an invasion of the field. As already a bad omen for him… “It was my 1st selection but suddenly, it was not counted”, he prefers to smile today.
Match sheet
RODEZ-PARIS FC, Saturday (7 p.m.), Paul Lignon stadium. Referee: Mr. Petit.
Paris FC: Demarconnay -Bernauer, Kanté, Lefort – Maçon, Mandouki (cap), Lasne, Chahiri – Guilavogui, Boutaïb, Lopez. Rempl.: Filipovic, Gardies (g.), Dabila, Nengoue, Sanogo, Phiri, Hamel. Enter: Laurey.
Absent: Chergui, Hanin, Kebbal, Gory (blessed), Nkambadio, Gueho, Core, Caddy, Mbala, Mendy, Oualengbe (N3).
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