Papakouli Diop

Pape Diop
Personal information
Full namePapakouli Diop
Date of birth19 March 1986
Place of birthKaolack, Senegal
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionDefensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Levante
Number23
Youth career
2004–2006Rennes
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006Rennes1(0)
2006–2008Tours36(3)
2008–2009Gimnàstic43(4)
2009–2012Racing Santander76(3)
2012–Levante84(4)
National team‡
2010–Senegal9(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 February 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 January 2015

Papakouli 'Pape' Diop (born 19 March 1986) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Levante UD as a defensive midfielder.

Club career

Born in Kaolack, Diop moved to France at early age, and played youth football for Stade Rennais FC, making his first-team – and Ligue 1 – debut on 5 August 2006, in a 1–2 home loss against Lille OSC. In the 2006 summer he joined Tours FC, being relegated from Ligue 2 in his first season.

On 31 January 2008, Diop signed with Gimnàstic de Tarragona in Spain.[1] After one and 1/2 seasons with the Catalans he moved to La Liga with Racing de Santander, for €1.5 million.[2]

On 12 September 2009 Diop played his first game in the Spanish top level, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Atlético Madrid.[3] His first league goal came on 21 March of the following year, netting the last of a 3–1 success at CA Osasuna.[4]

In the 2011–12 campaign, Diop played all but four matches for the Cantabrians and totalled 2,864 minutes of action,[5] but his team was relegated nonetheless after finishing 20th.[6] Shortly after he joined fellow top-divisioner Levante UD, which paid €100,000 for his services.[7]

On 4 May 2014 Diop appeared to be subjected to monkey chants from a section of Atlético Madrid fans, and provided a unique response by dancing in front of his abusers.[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ El Nástic ficha al senegalés Diop (Nástic signs Senegalese Diop); Marca, 31 January 2008 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Diop se va al Racing y el Nàstic ingresará 1'5 'kilos' (Diop goes to Racing and Nàstic makes 1'5 'kilos'); Diario AS, 24 July 2009 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Atletico remain winless; ESPN FC, 12 September 2009
  4. ↑ Racing rediscover scoring touch; ESPN FC, 21 March 2010
  5. ↑ Diop, el 'fichaje' de enero del Racing (Diop, Racing's January 'signing'); El Diario Montañés, 28 December 2011 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Diop se va al Racing y el Nàstic ingresará 1'5 'kilos' (Diop goes to Racing and Nàstic makes 1'5 'kilos'); Diario AS, 24 July 2009 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ El Levante paga al Racing de Santander 100.000 euros por Pape Diop (Levante pays 100,000 euros to Racing de Santander for Pape Diop); Goal.com, 19 July 2012 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ "Atletico Madrid fans accused of racist chants by Levante's Diop". BBC Sport. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Senegal's Diop complains of racist abuse from Atletico fans". BBC Sport. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.

External links