Mamadou Sakho

Lore & Background

Sakho was born in Paris to Diakhanké Senegalese parents and was the fourth child of a family of seven children. He was raised in the northern neighborhood of Goutte d'Or. He started his football career at age six playing for the juniors of hometown club Paris FC. In 2002, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain's youth system. Originally a striker, he was moved into a defensive role due to the youth team having fewer defenders. He struggled to adapt during his first year at the Camp des Loges, often refusing orders, and was threatened with expulsion. After guidance from his parents and under-13 coach Christian Mas, he curbed his bad behavior. When Sakho was 14, his father died; he considered leaving football but returned after bereavement. He won MVP awards in the youth academy, was part of the Île-de-France team that won the 2004–05 Coupe Nationale, and the PSG under-18 team that won the Championnat National des 18 ans title. He spent nearly six years at the Camp des Loges. A day after his 17th birthday, manager Paul Le Guen called him up for a UEFA Cup match against AEK Athens on 14 February 2007; he started and played 85 minutes in a 2–0 win. He played his second match of the season in the UEFA Cup against Benfica, playing the full match in a 2–1 victory.

Reader's Guide

Sakho signed his first professional contract on 14 June 2007, a three-year deal. He was promoted to the senior side for 2007–08, assigned the number 3 shirt. He made his first start in a 3–0 win over Lorient in the Coupe de la Ligue on 26 September 2007. His league debut was on 20 October against Valenciennes in a 0–0 draw; manager Le Guen named him captain for that match, making him the youngest-ever captain of PSG and the youngest player to captain a side in Ligue 1. He was named captain again against Lyon, tasked with containing Hatem Ben Arfa, but PSG lost 3–2. He picked up an injury against Nancy and was ruled out for two months. He returned on 23 February 2008 in a 1–1 draw with Monaco. On 29 March, he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory over Lens in the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue Final, his first major trophy. He made 16 appearances that season. In 2008–09, he made 34 total appearances as PSG reached 2nd in the league, the Coupe de France semi-finals, and the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. On 30 January 2009, he signed a contract extension until June 2012. On 14 February 2009, he scored his first career goal in a 2–1 win over Saint-Étienne. In 2009–10, he started as incumbent starter. Midway through the season, he was involved in a controversy where he allegedly slapped a Le Parisien journalist at the Camp des Loges after questioning an article; the journalist filed a complaint, and Sakho later apologized by telephone. In 2010–11, he partnered with Camara in defense and was installed as captain in the UEFA Europa League. He scored his first goal of the season on 11 September 2010 in a 4–0 win over Arles-Avignon. He captained the team in a 5–4 aggregate win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League playoff round and in a 2–0 win over Karpaty Lviv. On 16 October, he scored the game-winner against Toulouse. After the winter break, he scored his third goal of the campaign against Sochaux. On 8 March 2011, he signed a two-year contract extension until June 2014. On 20 April, he captained the team to a 3–1 win over Angers in the Coupe de France semi-finals, leading to the final, which PSG lost 1–0 to Lille. On 10 May, he was nominated for the UNFP Young Player of the Year award and won it two weeks later; he was also named to the Team of the Year alongside Nenê. In 2011–12, he began as first-choice captain under Kombouaré.

Did You Know?

• Sakho was originally a striker before being moved to defense because PSG's youth team had fewer defenders.
• He was threatened with expulsion from PSG's youth academy due to bad behavior before being guided by his parents and coach Christian Mas.
• He became the youngest player ever to captain a Ligue 1 club at age 17 years and 8 months.