Aliou Cissé

Aliou Cissé
Personal information
Full nameAliou Cissé
Date of birth24 March 1976
Place of birthZiguinchor, Senegal
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionMidfielder/Full back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1994–1997Lille6(0)
1997–1998Sedan0(0)
1998–2001PSG43(1)
2001–2002Montpellier17(1)
2002–2004Birmingham City36(0)
2004–2006Portsmouth23(0)
2006–2008Sedan21(1)
2008–2009Nîmes7(0)
Total153(3)
National team
1999–2005Senegal35(0)
Teams managed
2012–2013Senegal U23 (assistant)
2013–2015Senegal U23
2015-Senegal
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 November 2009.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 February 2012

Aliou Cissé (born 24 March 1976) is a Senegalese former football player and coach. He has previously played for English Premier League club Birmingham City and later Portsmouth. Cisse was a defensive midfielder who has, on occasion, played at full back.

He currently the head coach of Senegal national football team, having briefly taken charge of them following Amara Traoré's sacking, in a caretaker role in 2012. He was also the assistant coach of the under-23 side from 2012 to 2013, becoming head coach from 2013 to 2015.

Career

Born in Ziguinchor, he began his career with Lille OSC before moving onto CS Sedan and then Paris Saint-Germain. He also spent the majority of the 2001–02 season on loan at Montpellier Herault SC. In the summer of 2002 Cissé captained the Senegal national team which reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, beating holders France en route.

Impressive performances for his country led to a transfer to English club Birmingham City for the 2002–03 season. Cissé made his debut at Arsenal on the opening day of the season, but was sent off. Though the sending-off was rescinded, he went on to pick up five yellow cards in six games, picking up ten yellow cards before the New Year.

Despite this poor discipline, Cissé was impressive for his club, until an injury in February ruled him out for the rest of the season. He was then late in returning to pre-season training in July 2003, leading to manager Steve Bruce placing him on the transfer list.

Cissé got himself back into the first team picture, but his relationship with Bruce continued to go sour, and after Christmas he only played three more games that season. At the end of the season he signed for Portsmouth for £300,000 on a two-year contract, beating off strong competition from Premiership rivals Bolton Wanderers.

In 2002, Cissé lost several members of his family in the MV Le Joola ferry disaster off the coast of Gambia.[1]

His transfer from Birmingham City to Portsmouth in August 2004 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:

“Agent Willie McKay acted for Portsmouth in the transfer of Cisse and, for the same reason as above” (still awaiting clarification) “the inquiry is not prepared to clear these transfers at this stage.”[2]

Cissé signed for French Ligue 2 side Nîmes Olympique, from CS Sedan Ardennes in September 2008.

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
1994–95LilleDivision 160
1995–9600
1996–9700
1997–98Sedan ArdennesChampionnat National00
1998–99Paris Saint-GermainDivision 180
1999-00251
2000–01100
2001–02MontpellierDivision 1171
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2002–03Birmingham CityPremier League210
2003–04150
2004–05PortsmouthPremier League200
2005–0630
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
2006–07Sedan ArdennesLigue 1 11 0
2007–08Ligue 2 10 1
2008–09 0 0
2008–09Nîmes OlympiqueLigue 2 7 0 1 0 8 0
Total France 943
England 590
Career total 1533

References

  1. "Blues fans open their hearts to Senegal's grieving captain". Guardian, The (London). 26 October 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
  2. "What Stevens said about each club". London: www.telegraph.co.uk. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.

External links