Djibril Cissé facts for kids
Cissé with Kuban Krasnodar in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 August 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Arles, France | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1996 | Arles-Avignon | ||
| 1996 | Nîmes | ||
| 1996–1998 | Auxerre | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–2004 | Auxerre | 128 | (70) |
| 2004–2007 | Liverpool | 49 | (13) |
| 2006–2007 | → Marseille (loan) | 21 | (8) |
| 2007–2009 | Marseille | 37 | (16) |
| 2008–2009 | → Sunderland (loan) | 35 | (10) |
| 2009–2011 | Panathinaikos | 61 | (47) |
| 2011–2012 | Lazio | 18 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Queens Park Rangers | 26 | (9) |
| 2013 | → Al-Gharafa (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2013 | Kuban Krasnodar | 15 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Bastia | 23 | (2) |
| 2015 | Saint-Pierroise | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Yverdon | 29 | (23) |
| 2018–2019 | AC Vicenza 1902 | ||
| 2021 | Panathinaikos Chicago | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 452 | (205) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2002 | France U21 | 4 | (6) |
| 2002–2011 | France | 41 | (9) |
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Djibril Cissé (born 12 August 1981) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a forward, known for his speed and powerful shots.
Cissé started his football journey in 1989 at his local club, Arles-Avignon. He then joined the youth teams of Nîmes and Auxerre. After two years in Auxerre's youth system, he joined their main team in 1998. He played for Auxerre for six seasons, scoring 90 goals in 166 games. In 2004, he moved to the English club Liverpool.
At Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, Cissé played 79 games and scored 24 goals. He helped Liverpool win the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League and the 2005–06 FA Cup. He also played for clubs in Greece, Italy, Qatar, Russia, and Switzerland. Cissé also had more time in English football with Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers. He also played in France for Marseille and Bastia. In 2015, Cissé played one game for Saint-Pierroise before stopping his professional football career. During his career, Cissé faced two serious leg injuries, one in 2004 and another in 2006.
Cissé played for the France national football team. He took part in the 2002 and 2010 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He was also part of the French team that won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Contents
Club Career: Djibril Cissé's Football Journey
Auxerre: Early Success and Top Scorer
Djibril Cissé joined Auxerre when he was 15 years old. In 1999, he won the Coupe Gambardella with the youth team. This is a big youth cup in France, similar to the FA Youth Cup in England.
He made his first team debut at 17 against Paris Saint-Germain in March 1999. His first goal came in the 2000–01 season. In the 2001–02 season, Cissé was the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 22 goals. Auxerre finished third, which meant they could play in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. His great form led to his first call-up for the French national team. He also earned a spot in the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In 2002–03, Cissé scored 14 league goals. He also scored six goals in six matches during Auxerre's successful Coupe de France run. This included two goals in the semi-final and the tying goal in the final against PSG, which Auxerre won.
The 2003–04 season was Cissé's best for scoring goals. He scored 30 goals in all competitions, with 26 in Ligue 1. This made him the top scorer for the second time. Overall, Cissé scored 70 goals in 128 league games for Auxerre. He then moved to Liverpool in 2004 for a large transfer fee.
Liverpool: Champions League Glory and Tough Injuries
At Liverpool, Cissé scored five goals in 24 games during the 2004–05 season. On 30 October 2004, he suffered a very serious leg injury while playing against Blackburn Rovers. His leg got caught in the grass and broke. Doctors thought he would be out for six to nine months. Cissé later said that if the trainers hadn't helped him quickly, he might have lost his leg.
However, Cissé made an amazing and quick return. He came on as a substitute in a Champions League quarter-final against Juventus in April 2005. He then scored two goals in Liverpool's last league match of the season. He also scored a penalty in Liverpool's win over AC Milan in the Champions League final.
In the 2005–06 season, Cissé played on the right wing often. He scored two goals as Liverpool won the 2005 UEFA Super Cup. Cissé also scored Liverpool's first goal in the 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham United. Liverpool won the FA Cup after a penalty shootout. He finished the 2005–06 season with 19 goals.
Marseille: Return to France
In July 2006, Cissé moved to Marseille on a loan deal. This happened after he broke his leg again during a warm-up match for France. Despite this injury, Marseille still wanted him.
Cissé returned to training in October 2006. He scored his first goal for Marseille in December 2006. Even with a slow start due to his injury, Cissé scored 8 goals in 21 league games. This helped Marseille finish second in the 2006–07 season. In May 2007, he scored two goals in the French Cup Final, but Marseille lost on penalties. In July 2007, Marseille signed Cissé permanently. In January 2008, Cissé scored three goals in Marseille's big 6–1 win against Caen.
Sunderland: Loan Spell in England
On 20 August 2008, Cissé joined Sunderland in the Premier League on loan. He scored the winning goal on his debut against Tottenham. Cissé quickly said he wanted to stay at Sunderland permanently. He scored his third Sunderland goal in the Tyne-Wear derby in October 2008. He finished his loan spell with 10 league goals. Sunderland decided not to sign him permanently, and he went back to Marseille.
Panathinaikos: Greek League Star
On 25 June 2009, Cissé signed a four-year contract with Panathinaikos in Greece. He quickly became a key player. He was the top scorer in the Greek Superleague for the 2009–10 season. He helped his team win both the league title and the Greek Cup. In his first year in Greece, Cissé scored 23 goals in 28 matches.
Panathinaikos fans loved him. He said he was not just a player but also a fan. In the next season, he scored 18 goals in 20 league matches. He was also the team captain and the most valuable player. In February 2011, he reached 50 goals for Panathinaikos in all competitions.
Lazio and Queens Park Rangers
Cissé moved to Serie A club Lazio in Italy on 12 July 2011. He scored two goals on his debut in a UEFA Europa League match. He scored his only league goal for Lazio on his league debut against Milan.
On 31 January 2012, Cissé joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in England. He scored on his debut against Aston Villa. However, he was sent off in his second game for reacting strongly to a challenge. He was sent off again in his first five games for a strong tackle. Despite this, he scored six goals in eight matches for QPR. In January 2013, he went on loan to Al Gharafa in Qatar. Cissé left QPR in June 2013.
Later Career: New Adventures
After QPR, Cissé signed with Kuban Krasnodar in Russia in July 2013. In January 2014, he moved to Bastia in France.
In June 2015, Cissé joined Saint-Pierroise in Réunion for a month. On 20 October 2015, Cissé announced he was retiring from football at age 34 due to injuries. However, he returned to football in July 2017, signing with Swiss club Yverdon.
In August 2018, Cissé signed with "A.C. Vicenza 1902" in Italy. In May 2020, he said he wanted to play again to score four more goals in Ligue 1 and reach 100 goals. In April 2021, Cissé joined American team Panathinaikos Chicago. In 2023, he joined a Spanish seven-a-side team called Los Troncos in the Kings League.
International Career: Playing for France
Youth Teams
Cissé played for the France under-19 team in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored six goals in five games, helping his team reach the quarter-finals. This included three goals against Iran and two against Germany.
He also played for the France under-21 team. He scored two goals against Portugal in a qualifying match for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. However, he was sent off in the second leg and received a five-match ban. This meant he missed UEFA Euro 2004.
Senior Team: World Cups and Confederations Cup
Cissé made his debut for the France national football team at age 21, in May 2002. The team manager included him in the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played in all three group matches as a substitute, but France was eliminated early. His first goal for the senior team came in September 2002 during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Cissé was part of the team that won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a penalty in France's 1–0 win against Colombia in that tournament.
Cissé was set to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. But in France's final warm-up match against China in June 2006, he suffered another broken leg. He needed immediate surgery and could not play in the tournament. His teammates were very sad for him.
After showing great form with Panathinaikos, Cissé was called back to the French squad in March 2010 for a friendly game against Spain. He made a good impact as a substitute. On 11 May 2010, he was chosen for France's final squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He started in France's last group stage game against South Africa.
Life Outside Football
Family and Other Interests
Djibril Cissé was born in France to parents from Ivory Coast. He also has roots in Guinea. He grew up as a Muslim and became a Catholic at age 15. His father, Mangué, was also a professional footballer and captained his country. Djibril is the youngest of seven children.
In 2005, after joining Liverpool, Cissé bought a large house in Frodsham, England. This made him the "Lord of the Manor" of Frodsham. He gained attention for not allowing fox hunting on his land. In June 2005, Cissé married Jude Littler, a hairdresser. They later divorced in 2014. They have three children, and Cissé also has a daughter from a previous relationship. One of his sons, Prince Kobe, plays in the Liverpool academy.
Beyond the Pitch
Cissé has also explored other areas. He had a small role in a French action comedy film called Taxi 4. He also has his own clothing line and fragrance, called "Mr Lenoir".
In 2015, he took part in the French version of Dancing with the Stars, called Danse avec les stars. In 2021, he was on the French TV show Mask Singer, disguised as a skeleton.
Honours: Trophies and Awards
Auxerre
- Coupe de France: 2002–03
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
Panathinaikos
- Super League Greece: 2009–10
- Greek Football Cup: 2009–10
France
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Youth Championship Silver Shoe: 2001 (awarded to the second-highest scorer)
- Ligue 1 top scorer: 2001–02
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: December 2003
- UNFP Division 1 Young Player of the Year: 2001–02
- Super League Greece Best Foreign Player: 2010
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See also
In Spanish: Djibril Cissé para niños
