Seydou Keita (footballer)

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Seydou Keita
Keita August 2008 Joan Gamper Trophy.jpg
Keita in action for Barcelona in 2008
Personal information
Full name Seydou Keita
Date of birth 16 January 1980 (1980-01-16) (age 32)
Place of birth Bamako, Mali
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Barcelona
Number 15
Youth career
1995–1997 Centre Salif Keita
1997–1999 Marseille
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1999–2000 Marseille 6 (0)
2000–2002 Lorient 58 (1)
2002–2007 Lens 156 (19)
2007–2008 Sevilla 31 (4)
2008– Barcelona 108 (13)
National team‡
2000– Mali 63 (17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 January 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 October 2011

Seydou Keita (born 16 January 1980) is a Malian footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in Spain and the Malian national team. He also holds a French passport.

A versatile midfielder, he can operate as both a central or defensive midfielder.

Contents

[edit] Club career

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.

[edit] Marseille

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 2000 summer, he left the club.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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, replacing 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.

[edit] International career

Keita made his debut for Mali in 2000, aged 20. He represented the country in five 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.[11] Les Aigles, however, could not make it past the group stage.

Previously, Keita 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,[12] and being named the tournament's best player.

[edit] Club statistics

As of 9 January 2012[13]
Club Season League Cup[14] Europe[15] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Marseille 1999–00 6 0 3 1 9 1
Total 6 0 3 1 9 1
Lorient 2000–01 37 1 37 1
2001–02 21 0 2 1 23 1
Total 58 1 2 1 60 2
Lens 2002–03 28 2 7 0 35 0
2003–04 22 0 6 0 28 0
2004–05 34 3 34 3
2005–06 35 3 6 0 41 3
2006–07 37 11 10 0 47 11
Total 156 19 29 0 185 19
Sevilla 2007–08 31 4 7 2 38 6
Total 31 4 7 2 38 6
Barcelona 2008–09 29 4 5 0 12 2 46 6
2009–10 29 6 3 0 12 0 44 6
2010–11 35 3 11 2 10 1 56 6
2011–12 15 0 4 0 7 1 26 1
Total 108 13 23 2 40 4 172 19
Career totals 359 37 25 3 79 7 464 47

[edit] Honours

[edit] Club

[edit] Lorient

[edit] Sevilla

[edit] Barcelona

[edit] Country

[edit] Individual

[edit] Personal

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.[16]

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ El Sevilla ficha al centrocampista Keita (Sevilla signs midfielder Keita); Merca Fútbol, 11 July 2007 (Spanish)
  2. ^ FC Sevilla 2-0 Real Madrid; ESPN Soccernet, 3 November 2007
  3. ^ Unbeaten run ends; ESPN Soccernet, 27 November 2007
  4. ^ Contract details; FC Barcelona's 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); FC Barcelona's 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. ^ Hosts stunned by fightback; ESPN Soccernet, 10 January 2010
  12. ^ Seydou Keita – FIFA competition record
  13. ^ ESPN Soccernet statistics
  14. ^ Includes Supercopa de España
  15. ^ Includes both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup
  16. ^ "Seydou Keita se ha forjado un nombre [Seydou Keita has made a name for himself]" (in Spanish). FIFA.com. 30 November 2007. http://es.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=648847.html. Retrieved 31 October 2011. 

[edit] External links
FC Barcelona – current squad
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