 Cissokho playing forLamphun Warriors in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aly Cissokho[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-09-15)15 September 1987 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Blois, France | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back,centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Muangthong United | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1999 | AMJ Blois | ||
| 1999–2003 | Blois Foot | ||
| 2003–2004 | Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle | ||
| 2004–2007 | Gueugnon | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Gueugnon | 22 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Vitória Setúbal | 13 | (0) |
| 2009 | Porto | 15 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Lyon | 93 | (1) |
| 2012–2014 | Valencia | 25 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | →Liverpool (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Aston Villa | 55 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Porto (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Olympiacos (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Yeni Malatyaspor | 30 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Antalyaspor | 22 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Lamphun Warriors | 80 | (5) |
| 2024– | Muangthong United | 11 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | France | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:07, 9 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 August 2010 | |||
Aly Cissokho (French pronunciation:[alisisɔko], born 15 September 1987) is a French professionalfootballer who plays forThai League 1 clubMuangthong United. He plays as aleft-back and has been described as a "sprightly left-back with good speed and stamina".[3]
Cissokho began his career playing for local clubs within his hometown, such asBlois Foot 41. In 2004, he signed with professional clubFC Gueugnon and spent three years in the club's youth system before making his debut in the2006–07 season. He spent only one season at the club and, in June 2008, signed with Portuguese clubVitória de Setúbal in thePrimeira Liga. After spending only half a season with the club, Cissokho departed Vitória for the league'sdefending championsPorto, where he won the Portugueseleague andcupdouble and played in theUEFA Champions League for the first time. In July 2009, after a failed transfer attempt to Italian clubA.C. Milan, he signed a five-year contract with French club Lyon for a fee of €15 million. At the beginning of the 2012–2013 season Cissokho was sold toValencia CF and was subsequently loaned toLiverpool for the 2013–14 season.[4]
Cissokho is also aFrench international and earned his first call-up to the team in November 2009. He made his senior debut a year later in August 2010 in afriendly match againstNorway.[5]
Cissokho was born and raised inBlois, the capital city of theLoir-et-Cher département, to Senegalese parents. He grew up learning the sport offootball from his three older brothers who are also football players. Mamadou, the eldest, and Demba remain in Blois playing for local amateur clubs AFM Blois andBlois Foot 41, respectively, whileIssa plays for professional clubNantes inLigue 1.[6][7]
Cissokho began his football career at the age of eight playing for AMJ Blois. He spent four years in the club'sbenjamins section and, in 1999, joined the biggest club in the city, Blois Foot 41. While at the club, Cissokho settled into his role as a left back with his coaches describing him as a player with great potential.[6] Following his move from Porto to Lyon, Blois were compensated €162,500 due to an agreement Blois reached with both Gueugnon and Porto. The payment helped the club achieve some stability after a few years of financial difficulties.[8] After four years at Blois, Cissokho had a year's stint at FCOSaint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle. In 2004, while playing with Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle, Cissokho was spotted by the assistant manager of professional clubFC Gueugnon Jean Acédo who recommended the player join his club, who were playing in the second division ofFrench football,Ligue 2.[6] In July 2004, he signed with the club and was inserted into the club's youth academy.
After two years in the club's academy and another two years in the reserves, Cissokho made his professional debut on 25 May 2007 in a league match againstMetz. He started and played the entire match in a 2–1 victory. Following the season, Cissokho signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal until June 2010. He was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team for the2007–08 season and assigned the number 3 shirt by manager Alain Ravera. Under Ravera, Cissokho struggled for playing time often being utilized as a substitute, however, after the sacking of Ravera in October 2007, he was inserted into the starting lineup by new managerAlex Dupont. He appeared in 22 league matches during the campaign, starting in 15, but could not prevent Gueugnon from finishing dead last in the league, which meant relegation to theChampionnat National.
On 2 June 2008,Portuguesefirst division clubVitória de Setúbal confirmed on its website that the club had signed Cissokho to a three-year contract until 2011.[9] He made his debut for the club on 22 August 2008 in a match againstVitória de Guimarães playing the entire match in a 1–1 draw.[10] Cissokho appeared in 15 league matches for the club and, also, made hisEuropean debut in aUEFA Cup match against Dutch clubSC Heerenveen.
After positive displays for Vitória de Setúbal, on 9 January 2009, thedefending championsPorto announced the club had acquired 60% of Cissokho's rights for a modest fee of €300,000.[11] Upon his arrival, Cissokho was given the number 28 shirt and immediately inserted into the starting lineup by managerJesualdo Ferreira making his debut 17 January in aTaça da Liga match againstAcadémica de Coimbra.[12] In the league, Cissokho appeared in 15 matches with the club going undefeated in that span.[3] The unbeaten streak led to the club winning its fourth consecutive league title and giving Cissokho his first major honour.
In theUEFA Champions League, Cissokho made his debut on 24 February 2009 in the opening leg of the team's first knockout round tie against Spanish clubAtlético Madrid. The match finished 2–2 and Porto won the tie by the same scoreline via the away goals rule.[13][14][15] In the quarter-finals, Porto faced English clubManchester United and Cissokho was tasked with the objective of containing the2008 FIFA World Player of the YearCristiano Ronaldo.[16] Despite putting up a strong effort in the first leg, which ended 2–2 atOld Trafford, Porto were defeated 3–2 on aggregate after losing 1–0 at theEstádio do Dragão.[17][18] On 31 May, Porto completed theleague and cup double after defeatingPaços de Ferreira 1–0 in the 2009 final of theTaça de Portugal. Cissokho played the entire match.[19]
On 14 June 2009, Italian clubA.C. Milan announced the club had signed Cissokho, subject to medical, with a reported deal of €15 million.[20] Cissokho underwent his medical on 16 June, but the next day, it was revealed he had failed it due to a problem with his teeth that could indicate potential spinal problems, and that the move was in jeopardy of collapse.[21] Later that day, Cissokho declared he had passed a second medical he undertook, and that he had subsequently signed a pre-contract. In the meantime, Milan tried to re-negotiate the bid on a loan basis due to Cissokho's health concerns. As the parties failed to reach an agreement, Milangeneral managerAdriano Galliani announced the deal was cancelled.[22]
On 18 July, French clubOlympique Lyonnais announced the club had reached an agreement with Porto for the transfer of Cissokho, in a deal which equaled Milan's €15 million bid.[23] However, Porto remain eligible to receive 20% of the added value/differential value if Lyon sold him for a higher price.[24] Cissokho successfully passed his medical and agreed to a five-year contract. He was presented to the media, along with fellow new signingMichel Bastos, on 20 July and was assigned the number 20 shirt.[25]
Cissokho was immediately inserted to the starting 11 by managerClaude Puel, replacing theItalian internationalFabio Grosso, who departed forJuventus. He made his debut for Lyon in the team's opening league match of the season, a 2–2 draw withLe Mans in which Cissokho played the entire match.[26] On 26 September 2009, Cissokho assisted on theequalizing goal, scored byYannis Tafer, in the 52nd minute of a league match againstToulouse. Lyon later won 2–1 with a goal fromBafétimbi Gomis.[27] On 9 December, he scored his first professional goal in Lyon's 4–0 thrashing of Hungarian clubDebrecen. Two weeks later, he provided his second league assist of the season on Lyon's only goal in the team's 2–1 loss toMontpellier.[28]
On 23 August 2012,Valencia CF announced on their official website they had completed a deal to sign Cissokho for the next four seasons,[29] in exchange for a €5 million and €1 million variable and a portion of future transfer fee Valencia received.[30] He made his official debut againstFC Barcelona, at an eventual 1–0 away loss. On 15 September, Cissokho's 25th birthday, he scored his first goal, which also turned out to be the winning goal, for Valencia in a 2–1 win overCelta de Vigo at theMestalla Stadium.[31]
On 20 August 2013, Cissokho signed for English sideLiverpool on a season-long loan deal.[32] He made hisPremier League debut four days later away toAston Villa, being substituted on in the 69th minute.[33] He was ruled out for six weeks after an injury which caused him to be taken off after ten minutes in theLeague Cup match againstNotts County. He made his first assist forLuis Suárez's second goal in a 4–1 victory overWest Bromwich Albion, via an inadvertent rebound. He soon fell out of favour after making six appearances for the senior team. Cissokho returned to first-team action on 26 December againstManchester City in the absence of injuredJon Flanagan in a narrow 2–1 defeat at theCity of Manchester Stadium. Cissokho made his second and final goal contribution for Liverpool atStoke City in January, when his shot deflected off the groin ofRyan Shawcross for anown goal after five minutes to open a 5–3 win.[34]
On 8 August 2014, Cissokho signed a four-year deal with Premier League club Aston Villa.[35] He impressed during his debut – the first match of the2014–15 Premier League season against Stoke City, which Villa won 1–0. On 23 August 2014, in the match againstNewcastle United, Cissokho suffered an ankle injury, sidelining him for one week. On 20 September 2014, he scored an own goal while attempting to clearArsenal'sKieran Gibbs' shot.[36] On 24 February 2015, he sustained a groin/pelvis injury during training, sidelining him for two months. He made a total of 27 appearances and helped Villa reach theFA Cup final.[37]
On 5 August 2015, Cissokho returned to Portuguese club Porto on aseason-long loan, rejoining the side after a short spell in 2009. However, on 18 December, after only two appearances in thePrimeira Liga, he was recalled to Aston Villa by new Villa managerRémi Garde – who had managed him at Lyon – to cover afterJordan Amavi was ruled out for the season, although Cissokho was not eligible to play until the new year.[38] He was eventually issued squad number 43 and went straight into the starting 11 against fellow relegation candidatesSunderland in a 3–1 defeat on 2 January 2016.
On 14 January 2017,Olympiacos officially announced Cissokho had joined the club on a six-month loan from Aston Villa, with the option of permanently purchasing the player during the summer 2017 transfer window, subject to satisfactory performances.[39][40] At the end of season, Cissokho returned to Aston Villa.
On 2 August 2017, Cissokho signed for TurkishSüper Lig newcomersYeni Malatyaspor.
On 27 July 2018, he signed forAntalyaspor for an undisclosed fee.[41]
On 27 June 2021, Cissokho signed withLamphun Warrior of theThai League 2.[42] Lamphun Warriors have entered as the promoted teams from the2021–22 Thai League 2 as a champions.[43] In the2022–23 Thai League 1, he was appointed captain of the team. On 23 May 2023, Lamphun Warrior announced a contract renewal with Cissokho, Out until the2023-24 season.[44] On 19 June 2024, Lamphun Warriors announced he would be leaving the club in the summer when his contract expires.[45]
On 5 July 2024, Cissokho signed withMuangthong United of theThai League 1.[46]
Due to hovering in thesecond division with Gueugnon, Cissokho never earned call-ups with any ofFrance's international youth teams. However, he did earn the attention of theSenegalese Football Federation ("FSF"), which governs theSenegal national team. The FSF wanted the player to play for the nation of his ancestors, and Cissokho initially accepted; however, he lost confidence in the FSF when it lost his passport and informed him it preferred homegrown player on the national team. After excelling in Portugal, the FSF contacted him again, but Cissokho refused contact, stating he had not made up his mind.[47] On 3 October 2009, Cissokho announced he would be open to representing theFrance national team, but his main focus was currently with his new club.
On 5 November 2009, Cissokho was included in the France squad by coachRaymond Domenech for the team's2010 FIFA World Cup qualification playoff round tie against theRepublic of Ireland to serve as backup toPatrice Evra.[48] Cissokho described the call up as a "childhood dream".[49] He made the substitutes' bench for the first match played atCroke Park,Dublin, but remained unused. In the second leg, he did not make the bench as France nonetheless earned a place in the2010 World Cup. On 25 February 2010, he received his second call-up to the team for thefriendly againstSpain on 3 March, but did not make an appearance. On 11 May, he was named to the 30-man preliminary list by Domenech to play in the 2010 World Cup finals, but failed to make the final 23-man squad.[50][51]
On 5 August 2010, Cissokho was called up to the team by new managerLaurent Blanc for the nation's friendly againstNorway on 11 August. He made his international debut in the match, starting and playing the full match as left-back.[52]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gueugnon | 2006–07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| Vitória Setúbal | 2008–09 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Porto | 2008–09 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Lyon | 2009–10 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 93 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 2 | |
| Valencia | 2012–13 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| Liverpool (loan) | 2013–14 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Aston Villa | 2014–15 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 0 | |
| Porto (loan) | 2015–16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Olympiacos (loan) | 2016–17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Career total | 243 | 3 | 30 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 328 | 5 | |
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Porto
Lyon
Lamphun Warrior
