Before guiding the Lions to another African Cup of Nations final, Sadio Mané inspired many compatriots to follow his route. Because before scoring in the semi-finals of CAN 2025 against Egypt (1-0) and wearing the jerseys of Liverpool or Bayern Munich, the Senegalese international opened the doors to Europe by pushing open those of… Saint-Symphorien.
Thanks to the partnership signed in 2003 with the Génération Foot academy, FC Metz was able to attract Mané to Moselle. His talent has already been detected, yet upon his arrival, it is not seen. The winger was handicapped by an injury whose existence he preferred to keep quiet. “He didn’t put one foot in front of the other, he didn’t show what he could do and I didn’t understand why,” Olivier Perrin, former director of the Metz training center, recalled to AFP. I thought it was the cold, but in fact it was because he had pubalgia. When we discovered him, he had an operation and then he quickly moved up to the pros and has always stayed there. »
His temperature hypothesis was not completely wrong either, according to the main person concerned. “I arrived in the middle of winter, in January,” recalled the native of Bambali for UEFA. For his first training, at the age of 18: sunshine, but -5 degrees. “I was a little behind the others. When I came out, as a new player, with a short outfit, everyone started laughing. I wondered if he found me funny. I introduced myself. After five minutes I couldn’t hold it any longer and I understood why they were laughing, it was so cold. The sun deceived me, my hands were frozen. I will never forget it. »
Already with Kalidou Koulibaly
Once these inconveniences were forgotten, the young Mané became familiar with European terrain and tactics. His speed, his sense of dribbling and his ball handling don’t lie. In less than a year, he climbed from the U19s to the first team, via the reserve. He is helped in his integration by Kalidou Koulibaly, current captain of Senegal, who arrived before him.
After 12 matches and 2 goals in the CFA, he started in Ligue 2 in January 2012. He came on for the last quarter of an hour against Bastia. The match ended with a defeat like the difficult season endured by the Messins (1-0): using the crossbar, Pierre Bouby scored a penalty, unfairly refused by the referee. At the time, the unfortunate shooter would not have predicted such a career for his young teammate. “I told myself that he would end up as a good L1 striker, not necessarily better,” he told L’Équipe.
He was not the only one: if the technical and physical qualities of the Senegalese are obvious, some diagnose him with a tendency towards egocentrism, despite his reserved character. Mané quickly became indisputable, but only scored one goal and provided only one assist in 19 Championship matches. Metz plummets to National at the end of the season.
“They told me: we have to leave”
“Sadio had respect for Duhamel (the starting striker) and for all the others, but he has a lot of pride,” Désiré Segbe Azankpo, Mané’s roommate at the time, told L’Équipe. He wanted to show them that he was above, because he saw himself very high. For example, Sadio already dreamed of winning a title with his selection even though he had not yet been called up to the Senegalese A. »
The finishing is not yet there, the talent is. Specialist in the development of young prospects, RB Salzburg smells a good deal. “The club was in a state of descent, I wanted to stay because it was my first club,” the former Garnet told UEFA. I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else, I wanted to stay and get back with the team. But when the Austrian club made an offer, Bernard Serin said: If you want to take it, it’s 4 million. He didn’t think a club could spend 4 million on a National player. But Salzburg came back and they put in the 4 million. »
Impossible for the president of Metz to sit on what represented at the time the third most important transfer of the club, after those of Robert Pirès and Miralem Pjanic. “They told me: there you have to leave. I cried, I remember it as if it were yesterday, assured Mané. I had just arrived and Metz was like my second home. Finally I accepted and I didn’t regret going there. »
Determined to succeed for his loved ones back home, the former Southampton winger has grown to the point of reaching the podium for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. His personal success has put Metz on the mental map of many Lions. From now on, “you don’t come to Metz by chance. There are players who have paved the way, like Sadio Mané,” summarized sports director Frédéric Arpinon to Ouest-France.
