Lamine Diatta (born 2 July 1975) is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a defender. He works as team coordinator of Senegal, appointed by head coach Aliou Cissé in 2015.

Lamine Diatta
Diatta with Saint-Étienne in 2006
Personal information
Full name Lamine Diatta[1]
Date of birth (1975-07-02) 2 July 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Dakar, Senegal
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Toulouse 25 (0)
1999 Marseille 0 (0)
1999–2004 Rennes 129 (11)
2004–2006 Lyon 30 (0)
2006–2007 Saint-Étienne 25 (1)
2007–2008 Beşiktaş 6 (0)
2008 Newcastle United 2 (0)
2009 Hamilton Academical 0 (0)
2009–2010 Al-Ahli 0 (0)
2011 Étoile Sportive du Sahel 12 (0)
2011–2012 Doncaster Rovers 0 (0)
Total 229 (12)
International career
2000–2008 Senegal 71 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

During his 14-year professional career, Diatta played for clubs in France, Turkey, England, Scotland, Qatar and Tunisia.

Club career

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Born in Dakar, Senegal,[1] Diatta moved to France when he was only one year old.

Before moving to Olympique Lyon in 2004, Diatta played 142 games for Stade Rennais, scoring nine goals in that time. Before his time at Rennes, he was at Marseille, but never actually played a game for them. Diatta's first club was Toulouse FC. He spent one season there and played 25 games without scoring. In his first year (2004–05) with Lyon he played 19 games. During his second year (2005–06) at Lyon, he was troubled with injury and only makes 13 appearances also without goals. In August 2006, he left Lyon on free transfer in search for regular team football, settling at AS Saint-Étienne.

On 7 March 2008, after a week's trial at Newcastle United, Diatta agreed to a short-term deal until the end of the season after buying out his contract at Beşiktaş J.K.[2] The deal was finally confirmed by the club on 14 March after a week of confusion.[3] He made his first team debut for Newcastle as a substitute in a Premier League match against Reading on 5 April but was released on 15 May.

Diatta joined Stoke City on trial in January 2009.[4] On 20 March, however, he signed for Hamilton Academical on a short-term deal until the end of the season.[5][6]

After just one month, on 25 April, the 33-year-old Senegalese defender left Hamilton to join Al-Ahli Sports Club in Qatar.[7]

Without a club since his release from Al-Ahli Sports Club he participated in trials in Singapore without being snapped up by a club.[8]

He then joined Étoile Sportive du Sahel of the CLP-1 in Tunisia.

In December 2011 he signed a short-term deal with Championship team Doncaster Rovers, where fellow countrymen El Hadji Diouf and Habib Beye also played for the club.[9]

International career

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Being the Senegal's captain,[10] he has played 71 games for his national side, scoring four goals.[11] He also played in all of Senegal's matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[12]

Style of play

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Diatta was the holding force in the centre of Senegal's defence, and is also tough in the air, which provides a threat in attacking set-pieces.[citation needed]

Honours

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Lyon

Senegal

References

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  1. ^ a b "Lamine Diatta". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Magpies seal Diatta deal". Sky Sports. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Diatta Determined To Help Toon Fight". Newcastle United F.C. 14 March 2008. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  4. ^ "Defender Diatta on trial at Stoke". BBC Sport. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  5. ^ "Diatta makes Accies move". Sky Sports. 20 March 2009.
  6. ^ Jackson, Keith (19 March 2009). "Exclusive: Hamilton set to sign Senegal World Cup skipper". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Diatta joins Qatar side Al Ahli". BBC Sport. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Missed Opportunity AGAIN..." bolasepako.com.
  9. ^ "Diatta deal completed". Doncaster Rovers F.C. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Diatta and Besiktas part company". BBC Sport. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  11. ^ Mamrud, Robert (22 January 2015). "Lamine Diatta - International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  12. ^ Traynor, Mikey (23 July 2015). "The Superb Senegal Squad From The 2002 World Cup - Where Are They Now?". Balls. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  13. ^ Copnall, James (11 February 2002). "Cameroon are hot from the spot". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
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  NODES
INTERN 4
Note 1