Mahamadou Diarra facts for kids
Diarra in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 May 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Bamako, Mali | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Centre Salif Keita | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | OFI | 21 | (2) |
| 1999–2002 | Vitesse | 69 | (9) |
| 2002–2006 | Lyon | 123 | (7) |
| 2006–2011 | Real Madrid | 90 | (3) |
| 2011 | Monaco | 9 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Fulham | 23 | (1) |
| Total | 335 | (22) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2012 | Mali | 72 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mahamadou Diarra (born May 18, 1981) is a former professional football player from Mali. He was known for playing as a defensive midfielder, a position that focuses on protecting the team's defense. He was also the captain of the Mali national team.
Contents
Club Career
Starting in Europe
Diarra began his professional journey in Europe when he was just 17 years old. He joined the Greek club OFI, where his older brother Harouna was already playing. After only one season in Greece, big clubs like Barcelona and Milan noticed his talent. However, he chose to move to the Dutch club Vitesse.
At Vitesse, Diarra's powerful style of play was compared to the famous player Ruud Gullit. He played 69 league games and scored nine goals for the team. His skills attracted many top European clubs. In 2002, he was sold to the French team Lyon for €4 million.
Winning with Lyon
At Lyon, Diarra became a key player in the midfield. He played alongside other great players like Michael Essien and Juninho Pernambucano. Together, they helped Lyon win the French Ligue 1 championship for four years in a row.
Moving to Real Madrid
In 2006, the famous club Real Madrid wanted to sign Diarra. Their coach, Fabio Capello, was so impressed with him that he reportedly told the club president to sign "Diarra, Diarra and Diarra." After some negotiations, Real Madrid paid €26 million to bring him to Spain.
In his first season, Diarra was an important part of the team. He helped Real Madrid win the Spanish La Liga title for the first time in four years. In a crucial final match against Mallorca, Diarra scored a key goal with a header to give his team the lead.
The next season, under coach Bernd Schuster, Diarra continued to be a star player. He helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title again. This meant Diarra had won a league championship for six straight seasons, including his four wins with Lyon.
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Unfortunately, in October 2008, Diarra suffered a serious knee injury while playing for his national team. The injury required surgery and he missed the rest of the season. After he recovered, he found it hard to get back into the starting lineup.
Later Career
In January 2011, Diarra left Real Madrid and joined Monaco in France. He later moved to England to play for Fulham in the Premier League. He scored his first goal for Fulham in a match against Bolton Wanderers in April 2012.
After a few seasons with Fulham, Diarra's contract ended. He later trained with the English club Brentford during the 2016–17 season but did not sign a permanent contract.
Style of Play
Diarra was known for being a tough and smart player. The magazine FourFourTwo once described him as aggressive and tactically aware. He brought a level of toughness and discipline to the midfield that made his teams stronger.
Personal Life
Diarra is a Muslim. He follows his faith's traditions, including fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. He has said that his coaches always respected his religious beliefs.
Honours
Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
- Trophée des Champions: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08
- Supercopa de España: 2008
Mali
- FIFA World Youth Championship third place: 1999
See also
In Spanish: Mahamadou Diarra para niños
