Pape Diouf facts for kids

Mababa Diouf, known as Papa Diouf or Pape Diouf (born 18 December 1951 - died 31 March 2020) was a well-known person in French and Senegalese football. He started as a sports journalist, then became a football agent, and later served as the president of the famous football club Olympique de Marseille from 2005 to 2009. He was the first and only black president of a professional French football club.

Pape Diouf moved to France when he was 18 years old. He first worked as a sports journalist, writing about football for newspapers like La Marseillaise. He focused a lot on the football team Olympique de Marseille. Later, he became a football agent, helping many players with their careers.

In 2004, he joined Olympique de Marseille as a manager. He became the club's president in 2005. During his four years as president, the club became much more stable. Even though they didn't win any major trophies, they consistently finished in the top 5 of the French Championship. He left the club in 2009 after some disagreements. After that, he helped start a journalism school in Marseille. Pape Diouf passed away in Dakar, Senegal, at 68 years old, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pape Diouf's Life Story

Growing Up

Pape Diouf was born in Abéché, which was then a French colony in Chad. His father, Demba Diouf, was from Senegal and worked for the French army. His mother's name was Aminata. Pape was one of eight children. His first name, Mababa, was a tribute to his grandfather.

When he was six months old, his family moved back to Senegal. He lived with his uncle for a few years in Richard Toll and Mauritania, where he went to school. Then he returned to Dakar for elementary and middle school. At 17, his father sent him to Marseille, France, to finish his studies.

Becoming a Sports Journalist

Pape Diouf arrived in Marseille at 18. His father wanted him to join the military, but Pape chose a different path. He studied political science and also started working for the postal services. While working, he began writing for the newspaper La Marseillaise as a freelance writer. He soon got a full-time job there, mainly covering news about Olympique de Marseille.

After 12 years, he joined a national sports newspaper called Le Sport. This newspaper tried to compete with L'Équipe, another big sports paper, but it eventually closed down. This led Pape Diouf to explore new opportunities in his career.

Working as a Football Agent

After Le Sport closed, Pape Diouf started organizing special football matches in Africa to honor famous players. This gave him the idea to become a football agent. His first clients were Basile Boli and Joseph-Antoine Bell, who both played for Olympique de Marseille.

Over the years, he became the agent for many well-known players. Some of his clients included Marcel Desailly, Grégory Coupet, Didier Drogba, William Gallas, and Samir Nasri. He helped these players manage their careers and contracts.

Leading Olympique de Marseille

In 2004, Pape Diouf joined Olympique de Marseille as the general manager, in charge of sports. The next year, in 2005, he became the president of the club. He was the first, and still the only, black president of a professional French football club.

One famous moment during his time was the "Match des Minots" (Match of Kids) in 2006. Olympique de Marseille was supposed to play against Paris Saint-Germain. However, there were disagreements about ticket sales and fan safety. To protest, Diouf decided that Olympique de Marseille would play with a team of young, reserve players instead of the main team. This decision caused a lot of discussion, but it also brought the club's fans closer together. The young team surprisingly managed a 0-0 draw.

Under his leadership, Olympique de Marseille improved a lot in the French league. They finished 5th in 2006, then 2nd in 2007, 3rd in 2008, and 2nd in 2009. This meant they often qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Europe's biggest club competition. They also reached the final of the Coupe de France (French Cup) twice in a row, in 2006 and 2007.

Pape Diouf left Olympique de Marseille in 2009 after more than four years as president. He is remembered for helping the club become strong again and for bringing them back to the Champions League.

Life After Olympique de Marseille

After leaving Olympique de Marseille, Pape Diouf continued to be active. From 2010, he became a shareholder in a journalism school in Marseille. He also gave talks about football in both France and Senegal.

In 2012, he received a high honor from the French government: he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour. This award recognizes great service to France.

He was also asked to run in the local elections for Marseille in 2014. He led a group called "Changer la Donne" (meaning "Be a Game Changer"). His group finished in 5th place.

Passing Away

Pape Diouf became sick with COVID-19 and was hospitalized in Dakar, Senegal. His health got worse, and he passed away on 31 March 2020, at the age of 68. He was buried the next day in the Muslim cemetery of Yoff.

Awards and Honors

• Knight of the Legion of Honour, 13 July 2012.

Books Written by Pape Diouf

• De but en blanc, Éditions Hachette Littératures, (2009).
• C'est bien plus qu'un jeu, Éditions Grasset, (2013).

See also

In Spanish: Pape Diouf (periodista) para niños