Mohamed Sissoko facts for kids
Sissoko in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 January 1985 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mont-Saint-Aignan, France | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Troyes | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Auxerre | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Auxerre | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Valencia | 45 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Liverpool | 51 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Juventus | 71 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Paris Saint-Germain | 28 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Levante | 31 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Shanghai Shenhua | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | Pune City | 13 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Ternana | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Mitra Kukar | 26 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Atlético San Luis | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | Kitchee | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Sochaux | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 310 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2013 | Mali | 34 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Mohamed Lamine "Momo" Sissoko (born 22 January 1985) is a former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense. Mohamed was born in France. He played for France's youth teams before choosing to play for the Mali national team.
Contents
Mohamed Sissoko: A Football Journey
Mohamed Sissoko had a long and exciting career in football. He played for many famous clubs around the world. He was known for his strong tackles and energy on the field.
Starting Out: Auxerre and Valencia
Sissoko began his youth career at the French club Auxerre. He played as a second striker there.
In 2003, Sissoko moved to the Spanish club Valencia. He joined them for free. At Valencia, he started playing in the midfield.
Valencia had a great year in 2004. They won the 2003–04 La Liga title, which is Spain's top football league. They also won the UEFA Cup, a big European competition. Sissoko played in nine matches during their UEFA Cup win.
Playing for Liverpool in England
In 2005, Sissoko moved to the English club Liverpool. He joined them for about £5.6 million. His first game for Liverpool was in July 2005.
In February 2006, Sissoko had a serious eye injury. It happened after he collided with another player during a game.
Sissoko was a key player when Liverpool won the FA Cup in 2006. This is one of England's oldest football competitions. In 2007, he decided to stay at Liverpool. He turned down offers from other big clubs like Barcelona and Juventus.
He scored his only goal for Liverpool on 25 August 2007. It was a powerful shot from far away against Sunderland. Liverpool won that game 2–0.
Moving to Italy: Juventus
In January 2008, Sissoko moved to the Italian club Juventus. He joined them for €11 million. He played his first game for Juventus in February 2008.
Sissoko scored his first goal for Juventus on 2 March 2008. It was the goal that made the score equal against Fiorentina. He played regularly in the team during the 2008–09 season. He often played in the middle of the field with another young player, Claudio Marchisio.
However, Sissoko had some bad luck with injuries. In March 2009, he broke his foot. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of that season. His injury problems continued in the next seasons. He had issues with his thigh, leg, and Achilles tendon. He even needed knee surgery in March 2011.
Playing in France and Beyond
On 28 July 2011, Sissoko moved back to France. He joined the club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for €7 million. He scored his first goal for PSG in November. It was a header from a cross in a 1–1 draw.
In April 2012, he was the captain for a game against rivals Marseille. He was sent off (given a red card) near the end of the game. PSG still won 2–1.
In January 2013, Sissoko went on loan to Fiorentina in Italy. Later that year, he left PSG.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving PSG, Sissoko joined La Liga side Levante in Spain in January 2014. He played there for six months.
He then moved to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua in June 2015. He left that club in February 2016.
In October 2016, he joined Indian Super League team Pune City. He then had a very short time at Ternana in Italy in 2017.
Later in 2017, he played for Mitra Kukar in Indonesia. He then moved to Atlético San Luis in Mexico.
In July 2018, Sissoko joined Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee. He left after less than four months to care for his father.
His last club was Sochaux in France, where he signed in January 2019.
In January 2020, Mohamed Sissoko announced that he was retiring from playing football.
Playing for His Country: Mali
Mohamed Sissoko was born in France. He played for France's youth teams when he was younger. However, he chose to play for the senior national team of his family's home country, Mali.
He first played for the Mali national team in 2004. He played in many African Cup of Nations tournaments and qualifiers. He also played in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Sissoko played 34 official games for Mali and scored 2 goals. With Mali, he finished fourth in the 2004 African Cup of Nations. He also helped them win a bronze medal (third place) in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Sissoko's Playing Style
Sissoko was known as a strong and fast defensive midfielder. His main job was to win the ball back from opponents. He would then pass it to his teammates who were better at attacking.
People often compared him to the famous French midfielder Patrick Vieira. This was because of his strong tackling, lots of energy, and smart play. During his time at Juventus, he was nicknamed "La Piovra," which means "the octopus." This was because of his long arms and legs and his energetic way of playing.
Besides winning the ball, he was also known for his powerful shots from far away. He was sometimes called "the Black Ninja" because of his strong tackles and hard work.
Personal Life
Mohamed Sissoko has a famous family. His uncle is Salif Keïta, who was a very famous African footballer. Salif Keïta also played for Mali and Valencia, just like Mohamed.
Another famous footballer in his family is Seydou Keita, who played for Barcelona. Seydou is also Salif Keïta's nephew, making him Mohamed's cousin. Both Mohamed and Seydou play similar roles as tough defensive midfielders.
Mohamed is the older brother of Abdou Sissoko, who is also a footballer. He is also the cousin of footballer Oumar Sissoko.
Honours
Valencia
- La Liga: 2003–04
- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004
Liverpool
- FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2012–13
Mali
- Africa Cup of Nations bronze: 2013
Individual
- Community Shield Man of the Match: 2006
Images for kids
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Sissoko playing for Liverpool in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Mohamed Sissoko para niños
