He couldn’t have announced his withdrawal on a better poster. Trained at Paris Saint-Germain after starting football at Paris FC, Mamadou Sakho revealed this Monday evening that he was putting an end to his professional career after being invited to give the fictitious kick-off of the 16th final of the Coupe de France between the two Parisian clubs.
“I was a young kid from Paris, who started at Paris FC between 8 and 12 years old,” commented the person concerned at the microphone of BeIN Sports a few moments after his time on the pitch. “Then I signed for PSG. Paris represents a lot, it was important to me to officially announce it today. It’s just exceptional,” he said, visibly moved.
Without a club since his departure from Torpedo Kutaisi (Georgia), where he played last season, the central defender is retiring at the age of 35, after another unsuccessful experience in Ligue 1 with Montpellier (2021-2023).
The youngest captain in PSG history
Pure Parisian Titi, Sakho therefore formalized his withdrawal from the professional world in the stadium dearest to his heart: the Parc des Princes, an arena that he knew well during his seven seasons spent at PSG between 2006 and 2013. Becoming the youngest captain in the history of the capital club at 17 years and 8 months, on October 20, 2007, the left-hander with an assertive temperament and well-defined crest has known everything at Paris, the fight to maintain the title of champion of France and the Champions League.
Also a French international – 29 caps between 2010 and 2018 – Sakho will forever remain the hero of the return play-off against Ukraine. On November 19, 2013, he scored a double at the Stade de France, allowing the Blues to catch up and qualify for the 2014 World Cup in an indescribable atmosphere (0-2, 3-2).
The 16th final of the Coupe de France between PSG and Paris FC can be followed live with commentary on leparisien.fr
