Lassana Diarra is perhaps one of the more underrated midfielders of early 21st century football. Whilst he is destined never to be held in as high a regard as some elite household names, the Frenchman fought hard in grafting his way towards the summit of the European game and is still fondly celebrated to this day.
Early Days
Lassana Diarra was born in the French Capital of Paris in 1985. He displayed a passion for football from an early age, playing regularly at a local sports centre on Rue Julien-Lacroix in the edgy Parisian district of Belleville where he grew up. As a youngster he battled to find his place in France’s youth football system and had a difficult time throughout his early to mid-teens.
Youth Football
Diarra’s youth football career was incredibly sporadic and would see him play for five teams in just six seasons. The French youngster began at Paris FC in 1998 at the age of thirteen. A year later he was presented with an opportunity at Nantes but in less than two seasons was turned away, deemed too “small and lightweight” with Diarra first fearing his “football career was over” before it had even begun.
He made the switch to Le Mans UC’s youth side in 2001 yet the Frenchman insisted that the team “didn’t seem to care” about him. In 2002 and the following campaign he moved to Red Star 93 but his stay was again short – Diarra remaining at France’s fourth oldest side for just a single season.
Settling at Le Havre
In 2003 and at the age of 18, the young Frenchman settled into Le Harve’s youth academy and performed well. He impressed across the campaign and only twelve months later finally made his professional debut for the Ligue 2 side. Diarra’s displays would only highlight his outstanding abilities in the defensive midfield role for which he became renowned. During the 2004/05 season he became a regular first team player and went on to make a total of 31 appearances in all competitions.
Style Of Play
Diarra will be eulogised as a highly effective midfielder who liked to play in deeper positions of the field and act as an engine for any side. He was renowned for his versatility, possessing exceptional tackling capabilities and interception skills that made him a formidable force in breaking up threatening opposition attacks.
Additionally, the Frenchman’s tactical awareness allowed him to indirectly help organise his fellow teammates and create a structured midfield base surrounding him. However, Diarra’s impact extended beyond just his defensive contributions, as with quick-thinking and rapid decision making, he often triggered attacking moves.
Moving To Chelsea
With Claude Makelele ageing, Chelsea’s scouts earmarked Diarra as his replacement whilst playing for France in the 2005 Toulon Tournament. He initially arrived on trial at Stamford Bridge before the Premier League side eventually paid £1 million to secure his services.
Diarra faced limited playing time in London, enjoying his best campaign in a second season, where he made 23 appearances in total winning both the League cup and FA cup. In 2006 he would even go on to win Chelsea Young Player of the Year. Diarra spent two full seasons at Chelsea and featured 31 times for the club.
Yet his reputation was beginning to grow and a host of impressive club performances saw Diarra selected to play for the French under-21 squad. He would win 18 caps for his country’s youth side, but with his steady rise and a growing reputation, there were bigger opportunities to come.
Senior International
Diarra was selected to play for France’s senior team by coach Raymond Domenech, starting their Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania in March 2007, ironically alongside the man he was deemed to have replaced in Claude Makelele. He featured in two European Championships and was also part of the 2010 World Cup squad, earning a total of 34 caps for France before stepping back from international duty nine years later.
Premier League Established
On transfer deadline day 2007, Arsenal announced the arrival of Lassana Diarra from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee. The French international has handed Freddie Ljungberg’s number 8 shirt following the Swede’s departure to West Ham.
He quickly found his footing at the Emirates, playing only 13 times across the season but showcasing consistency and quality during the campaign. However, Diarra’s time in London was short-lived and after six months he made the switch to Portsmouth FC, completing the season having played 24 games and scoring a single goal. He was also part of the famous Portsmouth team that won the FA Cup in 2008.
Becoming A Star In Spain
Midway through the 2008/09 season, Portsmouth reached an agreement with the mighty Real Madrid to sign Diarra for a fee of €20 million. He became a regular starter across most of his time at the Bernabeu, making 117 appearances for Los Blancos over the course of five years.
At the beginning of the 2009/10 season he was given Madrid’s prestigious number 10 shirt following Wesley Sneijder’s move to Inter Milan that summer. Diarra scored his first and only goal for Real during that campaign’s opening game against Deportivo de La Coruna in a 3–2 win.
However, following the arrival of SamI Khedira the next season, Diarra would face tough competition to get into the squad – despite Jose Mourinho claiming his starting spot was secure. During his time in Spain, Diarra won one Copa del Rey, one Supercopa de Espana and the La Liga title in 2012.
The addition of Mesut Ozil and continued rise of Brazilian playmaker Kaka further jeopardised Diarra’s place in the Los Blancos midfield and on deadline day 2012 he agreed to join Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
Later Years
Diarra spent the next five years moving from club to club, applying his trade in Russia with both Anzhi Makhachkala and Lokomotiv Moscow before briefly returning home to France with Marseille. His time in the French league was once again productive and at the close of the 2015/16 season he was named in the Ligue 1 Team Of The Year.
He joined United Arab-Emirates club Al-Jazira in 2017 but his stay was incredibly brief, making only five appearances in the UAE Pro-League before his contract was mutually terminated by December.
Return To Paris
Diarra’s final swansong was a move to Paris Saint-Germain. The French international agreed a one-and-a-half-year contract. Diarra made his debut for the club under coach Unai Emery in January 2018 during their 3–2 Coupe de la Ligue semi-final win versus Stade Rennais.
His return to Paris brought great success towards in terms of trophies, winning the domestic treble as PSG claimed the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue in 2018.
Retirement
Diarra finally announced his retirement from professional football in February 2019 with the Frenchman and PSG mutually terminating his contract. It marked the conclusion of a twenty-year career, playing for nine separate clubs across four different countries including France, England, Russian and the Middle East.
Retiring at the age of 33, Diarra won ten major honours throughout his club career, playing a total of 338 games and scoring only seven times – an average of just one strike every three seasons!
Diarra will be remembered as a reliable and consistent force amongst some of Europe’s elite sides, who battled towards the top of the game through sheer determination and an immense work ethic.
