FC Barcelona | “If they let him, Kessié will end up being a starter at Barça”

The Ivorian journalist Alex Kouadio-Payne, close to the environment of the new Barça player, analyzes the impact of his signing

“Barça here beat Madrid by a landslide; They adore Messi and a lot of people became culé for the Argentine”

The Landing at Barça by Franck Kessié It has led to an increase (even more if possible) in the rates of Barcelona supporters in the Ivory Coast. They were already solid after the passage of Touré Yaya and with the figure of the former Milan they have skyrocketed.

At SPORT we chatted with journalist Alex Kouadio-Payne, a journalist from ‘linfodrome.com’ close to the midfielder’s entourage. He gives us some glimpses of what the signing of Franck has meant and explains a little about what his compatriot is like both on and off the pitch. “It is a great pride for the Ivorians to see a compatriot at Barça. Franck is not talkative, but he is very combative. That he can be at Barça is a symbol of combativeness, he is a born competitor. I wanted a new challenge.” He doesn’t doubt his worth or that he will end up finding a place for himself in Xavi’s schemes: “If he has signed for Barça, it’s because he thinks he has the level, that he can play and be the protagonist. He is competitive. If they leave him, there is no reason to doubt that it will be important, he will play safely and as a starter. When he signs for a club he always plays”.

ORIGINS

The new Barça midfielder made a most unusual leap. From his club in the Ivory Coast, Stella Club d’Adjané, straight to Serie A: “Kessié left Stella Club d’Adjané directly for Atalanta Bergamo. He was on loan at Cesena and then at Milan, who ended up buying him. Thanks to the president of Stella (Salif Bictogo), someone who works for the Ivory Coast League, famous in the country, thanks to him Kessié made the move to Italy. Over time, Kessié presented him with a Range Rover as a thank you.”.

HE DID NOT HESITATE WHEN BARÇA CALLED

One of the greatest prides for the African country would be to have another European champion. After Drogba and Touré Yaya, two legends. “There are only two Ivorians who have won the Champions League. It would be brutal if there was a third. He is not fast, but he can score goals, he is a striker. He could still score more. He has to take a step forward in that sense and he knows it. He has always liked Barça, since he was a child. He has had very good moments at Milan, but he has not hesitated since he received the call from Barça, it is a dream”. Living a reality, Kessié works to convince Xavi that he can be a leading actor in the year of return, to bring Barça back to the fore.