Abdoulaye Diawara: "I gave everything as a Paris academy player"

On signing for Paris Saint-Germain

"I signed for PSG at the age of 18, which was pretty rare at the time. Luis Fernandez actually scouted me in person at a game between my Red Star FC side and Paris FC at the Stade Déjerine. I put in a complete performance with two assists, and my older brother told me that PSG's first-team head coach was going to call me in the next few days. I didn't believe him for a single second, and yet... Luis phoned me up to say that he was interested in me! I was super impressed, so I didn't hesitate for too long before signing a three-year youth contract, despite interest from several other clubs. Some of my former Red Star teammates, like Youness Bengelloun and Ouassini Jardini, were already playing for PSG, as were others that I'd crossed paths with while playing for France's youth teams, like Jean-Michel Badiane, Mounir Obbadi and Malik Rouag. Their presence massively helped me to settle in."

On life at the academy

"I felt at home there because everything was geared towards progressing with complete peace of mind, and the supervisory staff gave me a really warm welcome and supported me during my first few months at the Camp des Loges. I'd already enjoyed a certain level of independence during my two years at Red Star's academy, which made me less apprehensive. In my second season at PSG, I moved into an apartment in Le Port-Marly, which I shared with my teammate Grégory Rouchon, and in my final year at the club, I moved into an apartment block in Chambourcy. My day-to-day life revolved around my training schedule and my classes, and discipline was the name of the game if I wanted to achieve my aims!"

On his best moments on the pitch

"I remember playing in a friendly against a youth team from Boca Juniors, one of the clubs that the illustrious Diego Maradona had played for. It was a superb home win in which we played some amazing football. That day, we really became aware of our potential, and back then, we rarely came up against that kind of team. We continued our progress at the Bellinzona Under-19 International Tournament, which we won by beating Inter Milan in the final. I then took part in the first team's training sessions led by Luis Fernandez, and I was starstruck! Ronaldinho, Okocha, Anelka... I saw a clear difference between our level and the highest level. I went into those sessions without any particular pressure on my shoulders but with a few butterflies in my stomach because I didn't want to misplace even the slightest pass. The coach was very protective of the young players, though, and when I went back to playing with my mates from the academy, I felt strong but not superior to them. Instead, I saw those promotions as a kind of bonus. Midfielders like Hocine Ragued and Lorik Cana were role models for me because they were in it for the long haul."

On becoming CFA Groupe Nord champions

"In the 2002–2003 season, we showed exceptional team spirit as reserve players. We were a real group of mates! We seemed to be unbeatable; whenever we got knocked down, we managed to pick ourselves up again. The team was made up of some exceptional players, like Ibrahima Diedhiou, Mounir Obbadi and Lorik Cana in midfield. They helped me to raise my game, as did our elder Lahcen Chakir, who had given me some good advice in the previous two years. There was never any animosity between us, only healthy competition, and playing in CFA [N.B.: the French fourth tier] was a vital step on our journey towards the first team. We came up against fathers, hugely experienced players and teams that wanted to beat PSG at all costs! A number of players from the first team would come down and give us a hand, like Talal El Karkouri, André Luiz, Laurent Leroy, Didier Domi and Alioune Touré. It was really informative to play alongside them. In the semi-finals of the league's knockout stage, we lost 2-1 at home to Troyes after completely dominating the game. They had two shots and scored two goals."

On what he learned at Paris

"Although I came to Paris late, my three years at the club's academy turned me from a boy into a man. The coach, Antoine Kombouaré, helped me to mature very quickly, as did my teammates, who gave me some very good advice. My hard work meant that I got better and addressed some of my shortcomings. Unfortunately, I didn't get to achieve my childhood dream because the club released me from my contract; I would have loved to step onto the Parc des Princes pitch in a PSG shirt! In hindsight, though, I should have done more during and after training and rested more between sessions. Injuries to my knee and ankle also slowed down my progress. That's fate, but it didn't stop me from enjoying myself, which is the main thing. I was obviously gutted at the time, but I don't have any regrets because I gave everything as a Paris academy player."

On what he makes of the current PSG team

"I have mixed feelings about last season's PSG team because there were two sides to it. In the first half of the season, the results weren't quite matching the performances, which were decent. The coach, Luis Enrique, asked people to trust him, and his patience and hard work ended up paying off. The squad gained momentum in the second half of the season and went on a fantastic run, which filled me with joy. I watched every game, even the ones against so-called weaker teams in the Coupe de France. Paris showed huge respect regardless of their opponents' level. They went all out in every competition and won the Champions League, which had been long awaited by the club's fans. We'll always remember that season, and here's to the next one!"

On his career change

"Since last season, I've been in a full-time assistant manager role at SR Colmar. Almost exactly a year after experiencing the nightmare of relegation on the final day of the season, the team won promotion back up to the fourth tier by winning their final game of the National 3 campaign, and after a well-deserved break, the squad returned to training on 7th July. The new signings have settled in well, while the team's key players are set to stay at the club. Our primary aim is to stay up, but it'll then be to get promoted to Ligue 3 when that comes into existence. Last season, I did get to play in a Coupe de France game, and I'm still signed up as a player for the upcoming campaign because I'm finding it hard to let go. While I've got my health, I'm really enjoying training with the players. I'm also taking my coaching diploma on the side so that I can gain the skills required to pass my expertise on. My life revolves around football, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my wife, who has supported me for the last 17 years and who encourages me in my various projects. It can never be said enough that a sportsperson's entourage is their main guarantee of success!"

PROFILE

Date of birth: 26th January 1983
Place of birth: Paris, France
Position: Midfielder

Career: Pierrefitte FC (1990–1995), Red Star FC (1995–2001), Paris Saint-Germain (2001–2004), Sint-Truiden VV (2004–2005), CS Visé (2005–2007), Paris FC (2007–2013), AS Beauvais (2010–2011, loan), SR Colmar (2013–2015), CA Bastia (2015–2016), SAS Épinal (2016–2018), C'Chartres Football (2018–2019), FCSR Haguenau (2019–2020), SR Colmar (2020–present)

Honours with Paris Saint-Germain's youth teams: CFA Groupe Nord (2003)