Alou Diarra facts for kids
Diarra with France at the UEFA Euro 2012
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alou Diarra | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 July 1981 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Villepinte, France | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Queens Park Rangers (assistant manager) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1993 | Aulnay-sous-Bois | |||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Villepinte | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Louhans-Cuiseaux | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Louhans-Cuiseaux | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Bayern Munich II | 41 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Bayern Munich | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | → Le Havre (loan) | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | → Bastia (loan) | 35 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | → Lens (loan) | 34 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Lens | 32 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Lyon | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Bordeaux | 133 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Marseille | 34 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | West Ham United | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Rennes (loan) | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Charlton Athletic | 44 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Nancy | 18 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 432 | (30) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | France U20 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | France U21 | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2012 | France | 44 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Lens B (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Lens (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Troyes B | |||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Queens Park Rangers (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Alou Diarra, born on July 15, 1981, is a French professional football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant manager at the English club Queens Park Rangers. Diarra was known for his strong leadership skills. He even served as captain for both Bordeaux and the French national team.
He mainly played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense. He could also play as a centre-back if needed. People described him as a "strong, athletic, and very powerful" player. He had a "combative edge," which means he was very determined and fought hard on the field.
Diarra started his football journey playing for local clubs in France. He later joined bigger teams like Bayern Munich in Germany and Liverpool in England. However, he spent most of his time at Liverpool on loan to French clubs. He found great success playing for Lens and Bordeaux in France.
Contents
Early Football Steps
Alou Diarra began his football career in his hometown of Aulnay. After six years, he moved to Villepinte, his birth city. During his time in youth academies, it was tough for him to get noticed by professional clubs. He often had to contact clubs himself to try out. This challenge made him very determined to succeed.
In 1997, Diarra signed an amateur contract with Louhans-Cuiseaux. This club played in Ligue 2, which is the second division of French football. He joined the club's youth academy. By the 1999–2000 season, he was playing for the senior team. He made his first professional appearance on April 15, 2000. Louhans-Cuiseaux finished last that season and moved down to a lower league. After this, Diarra decided to look for a new club.
Playing in Germany
In the summer of 2000, Bayern Munich, a big German club, signed Diarra. He spent two years playing for their reserve team, Bayern Munich II. He played alongside famous players like Owen Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm. In his first season, he played in 28 matches and scored four goals. He was known for his tough style of play, earning many yellow cards.
For the 2001–02 season, Diarra was promoted to the senior team. He was on the bench for some league matches but did not play. In October 2001, he returned to the reserve team. He later joined the senior team for the 2001 Intercontinental Cup final against Boca Juniors. Bayern won the match, giving Diarra his first major trophy. He then returned to the reserve team and faced an injury. After the season, he turned down a new contract because he wanted more playing time.
Time with Liverpool
On July 3, 2002, the English club Liverpool showed interest in signing Diarra. Their manager, Gérard Houllier, thought Diarra was similar to the famous player Patrick Vieira. Liverpool signed Diarra on July 9, and he agreed to a five-year contract. He played his first game for Liverpool in a pre-season match against Le Havre.
Loan Spells in France
Soon after joining Liverpool, Diarra was loaned back to France. He played for Le Havre for the 2002–03 season. He made his debut for Le Havre on August 17, 2002. He often started games but later became a substitute. He scored his first professional goal on January 25, 2003.
In 2003, Diarra hoped to play for Liverpool, but he was loaned out again. This time, he joined Bastia. He quickly became a starter and scored goals in his first few weeks. He finished the season with 38 appearances and four goals. After this, Diarra returned to Liverpool for pre-season training. However, the club had a new coach, Rafael Benítez. Diarra was loaned out for a third time, joining Lens on July 27, 2004.
His time at Lens was very successful. He started almost every league match and even served as captain for much of the season. His strong performances led to him being called up to the French national team. He scored two goals for Lens that season.
Returning to France with Lens
After his successful loan spell, Diarra wanted to stay with Lens permanently. On June 24, 2005, Liverpool agreed to sell him to Lens. He had not played any first-team games for Liverpool.
Diarra continued to be a key player for Lens. He played in 44 matches, scored two goals, and made four assists. He also played in European competitions for the first time, in the UEFA Cup. Lens reached the Round of 32 in that competition.
Moving to Lyon
After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Diarra joined Lyon, who were the French champions. He reunited with his former manager, Gérard Houllier. The transfer happened on August 23, 2006.
Diarra found it hard to get regular playing time at Lyon. Houllier preferred other players in midfield. Diarra made his debut for Lyon on September 16, 2006. He scored his first goal for the club in a UEFA Champions League match on December 6, 2006. He also scored in a Coupe de la Ligue quarter-final.
He later had a thigh injury and missed several months. Diarra also had disagreements with his coach about playing time. He even refused to play for the reserve team once. Despite these issues, Lyon won the league title for the sixth year in a row. Diarra scored his first league goal for Lyon against his former club, Lens.
Success with Bordeaux
After one season with Lyon, Diarra wanted to move to another club. He joined Bordeaux on July 20, 2007. He signed a four-year contract. Diarra said he chose Bordeaux because they wanted to compete for top spots in the league. His arrival also coincided with Laurent Blanc becoming the new manager.
Diarra quickly became a regular starter for Bordeaux. He played in all 36 league matches he appeared in. He formed strong partnerships in midfield, helping the team defend and attack. He scored his first goal for Bordeaux on August 29, 2007. Bordeaux finished the season in second place, just four points behind champions Lyon. Diarra played in 44 matches and scored four goals that season.
Winning Titles with Bordeaux
In the 2008–09 season, Diarra continued to be a starter. Bordeaux won the 2008 Trophée des Champions, a super cup match. The team started the league season very well. Diarra received his first red card for the club in a match against Grenoble.
Bordeaux also won the Coupe de la Ligue (League Cup) that season. Diarra played in the semi-final, which helped them reach the final. In the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, he played in all six group stage matches and scored a goal against Chelsea.
On April 19, 2009, Diarra scored the only goal in Bordeaux's 1–0 win over Lyon. This victory helped Bordeaux create a lead in the league. Bordeaux then won their last six matches, securing their first league title since 1999. They also won the league and league cup double. Diarra played in a career-high 45 matches and scored three goals that season.
For the 2009–10 season, Diarra became the team captain. He helped Bordeaux win another trophy, the 2009 Trophée des Champions. He scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Nice. Diarra faced some injuries during this period. Bordeaux's form dipped, and they could not defend their title.
Before the 2010–11 season, there were talks about Diarra moving to Marseille. However, the transfer did not happen, and Diarra stayed with Bordeaux. He started the new season by scoring two goals in the first six matches. In October 2010, Diarra was involved in a controversial incident where he pushed a referee. He was given a red card and later banned for six matches. He apologized for his actions.
Moving to Marseille
On July 4, 2011, Diarra completed his move from Bordeaux to Marseille. He signed a three-year contract. The transfer fee was not officially announced but was reported to be around €5 million. With Marseille, he won the 2011–12 Coupe de la Ligue and the 2011 Trophée des Champions.
Playing in England Again
On August 10, 2012, Diarra returned to England to join West Ham United. He signed a three-year contract. He was excited to play in the Premier League. Diarra made his debut for West Ham on August 25. His playing time became limited after he suffered a thigh injury.
In January 2013, Diarra asked to leave the club. He felt his time at West Ham was not productive. He later claimed he was misled by his agent about joining the club. Despite his comments, Diarra returned to West Ham for the 2013–14 season. In a League Cup game, he suffered a serious knee injury that was expected to keep him out for the whole season. However, he recovered faster than expected and returned to play in December 2013. On July 9, 2014, he left West Ham by mutual agreement.
Loan to Rennes
On January 31, 2013, Diarra joined Rennes on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut for Rennes a few days later, providing an assist. Diarra played twelve matches for Rennes before returning to West Ham.
Later Career
On February 23, 2015, Diarra signed with Charlton Athletic, a club in the Championship league. He scored his first goal for Charlton in a match against Millwall. He later extended his contract. On September 1, 2016, his contract with Charlton was ended by mutual agreement, as he wanted to return to France with his family.
On September 1, 2016, Diarra joined Nancy, a team that had just been promoted to Ligue 1. He signed a one-season deal. On October 15, 2016, Diarra scored Nancy's only goal in a match against Paris Saint-Germain. This was his first Ligue 1 goal since 2012. He left the club at the end of the season.
International Career
Alou Diarra played for the French national youth teams before joining the senior team. He played for the under-20 and under-21 teams. In 2001, he was called up for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. He played in one match but got injured and missed the rest of the tournament.
He made his debut for the under-21 team in August 2002. He played regularly as France tried to qualify for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and the 2004 Summer Olympics. France did not qualify for either. In December 2003, Diarra was invited to play for the Mali national team, the country of his parents. However, he chose to continue playing for France.
Playing for France's Senior Team
On August 13, 2004, Diarra was called up to the senior national team for the first time. He made his debut in October 2004 in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. He often came on as a substitute for key players like Patrick Vieira.
Diarra was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in two matches, including the final against Italy, where France lost in a penalty shootout.
After 2006, Diarra was not called up to the national team for almost two years. This was partly because he struggled for playing time at Lyon. After he regained his form at Bordeaux, he returned to the team. He played in seven matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He was then chosen for his second World Cup.
The 2010 World Cup was difficult for France. In their final group stage match against South Africa, Diarra was made captain for the first time. France lost the match and was eliminated from the competition.
Diarra continued to play for France under the new coach, Laurent Blanc, who was his former manager at Bordeaux. He served as captain in several matches, including wins against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. On February 9, 2011, he captained the team for the fifth time in a victory over Brazil.
Coaching Career
In 2018, Diarra started his coaching career at French club Lens. He became an assistant coach for the club's under-19 team. He later became an assistant for the reserve team and then for the senior team in 2020. Diarra left Lens in 2022.
He then joined Troyes as the manager of their under-19 team in 2023. As of July 2025, Diarra was appointed assistant manager to Julien Stéphan at Queens Park Rangers.
Honours and Achievements
Alou Diarra won several trophies during his playing career:
- Lens
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005
- Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2006–07
- Bordeaux
- Ligue 1: 2008–09
- Trophée des Champions: 2008, 2009
- Marseille
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2011–12
- Trophée des Champions: 2011
- France
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006
See also
In Spanish: Alou Diarra para niños
