Seydou Keita (footballer)

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For the photographer, see Seydou Keïta (photographer).
Seydou Keita

Keita in action for Barcelona
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-01-16) 16 January 1980
Place of birthBamako, Mali
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current clubValencia
Number11
Youth career
1995–1997Centre Salif Keita
1997–1999Marseille
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999–2000Marseille6(0)
2000–2002Lorient58(1)
2002–2007Lens157(19)
2007–2008Sevilla31(4)
2008–2012Barcelona119(16)
2012–2013Dalian Aerbin37(10)
2014–Valencia0(0)
National team‡
2000–Mali88(24)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 January 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2013

Seydou Keita (born 16 January 1980) is a Malian professional footballer who plays for Valencia CF in Spain. A versatile midfielder, he can operate as both a central or defensive midfielder, and played most notably with Lens (five seasons) and Barcelona (four), winning 14 titles with the latter.

Keita represented Malian national team since the age of 20, appearing with it at six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and also holds a French passport.

Club career

Marseille

Born in Bamako, Mali, Keita finished his football formation in France with Olympique de Marseille, joining the club at the age of 17. He played mainly for the reserve squad during his three-year spell.

Keita made his Ligue 1 debut for L'OM on 19 September 1999 in a 1–0 home win against Troyes AC, adding three games in the season's UEFA Champions League. In the summer of 2000, he left the club.

Lorient / Lens

Keita signed for FC Lorient in Ligue 2, being instrumental (37 games, one goal) as the club promoted to the top level in 2001. He appeared slightly less due to injury in the following season, which ended in immediate relegation back, but brought the conquest of the Coupe de France, the club's first-ever (he played the full 90 minutes in the final against SC Bastia).

In 2002 Keita joined fellow league side RC Lens, eventually becoming team captain, and scoring a career-best 11 goals in the 2006–07 season – his fifth and last – helping Les Sang et Or to the fifth position in the league and the last-16 in the UEFA Cup.

Sevilla

On 11 July 2007 Keita signed for Sevilla FC in Spain, for four years.[1] He appeared in both legs of the season's Supercopa de España, a 6–3 aggregate win against Real Madrid.

Keita was an automatic first-choice for the Andalusians during the 2007–08 season, helping the team to the fifth position in the league. On 3 November 2007 he scored from long-distance in a 2–0 home win also against Real Madrid,[2] and added three in nine games in the Champions League – including one against Arsenal in a 3–1 group stage home success, which was the Gunners' first loss of the campaign.[3]

Barcelona

Keita facing Bayer Leverkusen with Barcelona

On 26 May 2008 Keita signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona, with the Catalan club being believed to have paid the player's buy-out clause, which stood at around €14 million. He became the first Malian Barcelona player ever, and the club set his new release clause at €90 million.[4]

Keita made his official debut for Barcelona in a Champions League qualifier against Poland's Wisła Kraków on 13 August 2008, a 4–0 home win.[5] He made his league debut against CD Numancia on the 31st, coming on as a substitute for Andrés Iniesta midway through the second half of a 0–1 away loss.[6]

Keita scored his first goal for Barcelona on 16 November 2008, in a 2–0 win at Recreativo de Huelva.[7][8] The following week he added another, in a 1–1 home draw against Getafe CF;[9] he finished his first season at Camp Nou with 46 official games as Barça won the treble. He played 20 minutes in the Champions League final, taking the place of Thierry Henry in the 2–0 win against Manchester United.

On 25 October 2009 Keita scored his first career hat-trick, in a 6–1 home win against Real Zaragoza,[10] and contributed with 29 games – 23 starts – as Barcelona renewed its domestic supremacy. In the 2010–11 season he made more appearances than any other outfield player and, on 31 August, aged 31, signed a contract extension that would link him to the club until 2014.

Dalian Aerbin

On 7 July 2012 Keita announced he would be leaving Barcelona after four seasons,[11] invoking a clause in his contract allowing him to leave the club even though he still had two years left. The following day, he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Chinese Super League side Dalian Aerbin FC, being reportedly paid €14 million per year.[12]

Valencia

On 30 January 2014 Keita returned to Spain after signing with Valencia CF, with the 34-year-old agreeing to a six month contract with the option for an additional year.[13]

International career

Keita lining up for Mali

Keita made his debut for Mali on 9 April 2000, in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Libya.[14] He represented the country in six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments: in the 2010 edition in Angola he scored twice, both goals coming in the 4–4 group stage draw against the hosts, who were leading 4–0 with 11 minutes to go;[15] Les Aigles, however, could not make it past the group stage.

Keita also participated in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, scoring in the 1–1 quarterfinal draw against the hosts as Mali eventually won the shootout.[16] Previously, he helped the under-20s finish third at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria, scoring in the last match against Uruguay – the game's only –[17]and being named the tournament's best player.

Honours

Club

Lorient
Sevilla
Barcelona

Country

Individual

Club statistics

As of 7 November 2013[18]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
France League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1999–2000 Marseille Ligue 1 60 1031101
2000–01 Lorient Ligue 2 3711010 391
2001–02 Ligue 1 2105131 292
2002–03 Lens Ligue 1 282311070393
2003–04 220301060320
2004–05 3435131 425
2005–06 3533010131524
2006–07 381141101015313
Spain League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2007–08 Sevilla La Liga 3142020103457
2008–09 Barcelona 29450--122466
2009–10 2961020120446
2010–11 3539220101566
2011–12 2633020111424
China PR League FA Cup League Cup Asia Total
2012 Dalian Super League 124100000134
2013 256300000286
Total France 2212024412239329629
Spain 150202028055723329
China PR 37104000004110
Career total 40850446202941056668

Personal life

Keita's uncle, Salif Keita, was also a footballer. He played, amongst others, for Valencia CF and Sporting Clube de Portugal, and was once voted African Footballer of the Year.[19]

He is married to Zubaida Johnson, who is of Cape Verdean descent. On 12 May 2008 he became the father of a son, Mohammed, who was born in Seville.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "El Sevilla ficha al centrocampista Keita" [Sevilla signs midfielder Keita] (in Spanish). Merca Fútbol. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2011. 
  2. ↑ FC Sevilla 2–0 Real Madrid; ESPN Soccernet, 3 November 2007
  3. ↑ Unbeaten run ends; ESPN Soccernet, 27 November 2007
  4. ↑ Contract details; Barcelona's official website, 26 May 2008
  5. ↑ Barcelona 4–0 Wisla Krakow; ESPN Soccernet, 13 August 2008
  6. ↑ Numancia 1–0 Barcelona; ESPN Soccernet, 31 August 2008
  7. ↑ More leaders than ever (0–2); Barcelona's official website, 16 November 2008
  8. ↑ Recreativo Huelva 0–2 Barcelona; ESPN Soccernet, 16 November 2008
  9. ↑ Barcelona 1–1 Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 23 November 2008
  10. ↑ Sensational Barca rediscover form; ESPN Soccernet, 25 October 2009
  11. ↑ Keita announces he won’t be at Barça next season; Barcelona's official website, 7 July 2012
  12. ↑ Dalian Aerbin confirm Seydou Keita signing; Goal.com, 8 July 2012
  13. ↑ Comunicado oficial (Official announcement); Valencia's official website, 30 January 2014 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ "Match report: Libya – Mali". FIFA.com. 9 April 2000. Retrieved 20 January 2013. 
  15. ↑ Hosts stunned by fightback; ESPN Soccernet, 10 January 2010
  16. ↑ "South Africa 1–1 Mali". BBC Sport. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013. 
  17. ↑ Seydou Keita – FIFA competition record
  18. ↑ Seydou Keita at ESPN FC
  19. ↑ "Seydou Keita se ha forjado un nombre" [Seydou Keita has made a name for himself] (in Spanish). FIFA.com. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2011. 
  20. ↑ Seydou Keita, Barcelona; Muslim Footballers, 26 July 2011

External links

Valencia CF – current squad
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