Sissoko wants to win ISL for FC Pune City fans, return to European football again

Once compared with French legend Patrick Vieira, Mohamed Sissoko had won La Liga with Valencia at a time when Real Madrid and Barcelona were busy organising their star-studded line-ups. He had barged into a Liverpool side which boasted of midfielders likes Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso.

Now in Indian Super League (ISL) as a marquee player for FC Pune City, theFrench-born Malian footballer Mohamed Sissoko talks to Argha Bhattacharya about his career which has its share of highs and lows and his future goals.

Excerpts:

You were playing in the cash-rich Chinese League and at a time when a lot of European players are moving there, why didn’t you pursue a contract extension with Shanghai Shenhua?

See, I have a family and it was difficult for me to stay far away from them. So I took this decision to come a little bit closer to my wife and children.

There were reports that you were trying to move back to England with West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Sunderland keeping a close tab on you. What happened to that?

Well, I have a lot of contacts in England but that didn’t work out. However, I am very happy to be with Pune City. This is a two and half month league, I want to give my best and go back to Premier League again.

At the 31 you are the youngest marquee player of ISL. Why did you choose this league so early in your career even after knowing that it is not officially recognised by FIFA?

See, I know there are a lot of things happening in Europe and I am still 31. I want to play a lot, get back my fitness and quality. After that everybody will realise that I am ready to play in any other league.

Pune had already finalised their marquee star in Eidur Gudjohnsen but just before the tournament, they had to bring you on board due an injury to the Icelander. So how did everything pan out in that short period?

I was in touch with Gaurav Modwel (CEO of FC Pune City) and although in the beginning I wasn’t too keen to come here but the manager (Antonio Lopez Habas) spoke highly of this league, so I decided to give it a go. It’s a totally new experience for me and the goal is to give my best.

Having played a few matches, what do make of this strenuous league?

It’s quite different from Europe, humidity is a big factor. Even in Europe they have Champions League games in mid week but proper medication and recovery time is important. The body needs to get adjusted to the conditions and once everything is in sync it will be easy to have a good stint with Pune City.

Habas has already won ISL with Atletico de Kolkata and is regarded as one of the best coaches of this tournament. How has it been working with him?

I know him from the age of 17. He and (Rafa) Benitez helped me a lot during my Valencia days. He is the one who brought me here and I need to repay his trust.

Pune have lost two of their matches. Is Habas’s four-match touchline ban affecting the team’s performance?

No, I don’t think that’s the reason for our defeats. In football sometimes things don’t go your way. The important aspect is to correct our mistakes.

Pune have played well in patches in the last two seasons but never were they able to reach the semis. Considering the fans’ expectations and being a marquee, does that put you under some pressure?

Absolutely not. I may be the marquee player but unless I get full support from the team, I can do nothing. So everyone has to do their part and guide the team to the trophy.

India aren’t too well placed in the FIFA rankings, what do you think about the local players?

I was really surprised. When I came here I saw that they are very attentive, they want to work together and have a great mentality. Yes, there’s scope for improvement but we need to handle these guys carefully to make them good players.

Going back to your Liverpool days, you had a nasty eye injury which kept you out of the game for some time. Afterwards you had problem sighting the ball. Is that discomfort still there?

No, it’s ok now. I did miss a lot of games, people said that my career is over but here I am still playing football at the age of 31.

Your former club, Liverpool have had a great start to the season. What are your thoughts on that?

Yes, they have begun on a rousing note and have a good manager. For me the league is going Liverpool’s way (laughs).

A word about the Pune fans.

Their support is overwhelming. They keep writing to me on social media and I want to win the trophy for them because they deserve it.

Quick fire

Best Club: It’s very difficult to pick one because I have had great memories with all clubs I played with

Best Manager: Rafa Benitez

Most cherishable moment: Winning La Liga with Valencia

One thing which you like about India: Butter naan

Best player of the world: Cristiano Ronaldo

Know Sissoko

Full name: Mohamed Lamine Sissoko Gillan

National team: Mali

Position: Defensive midfielder

Born in France, although he could have elected to play for France internationally, he chose to play for the country of his descent, Mali.

Born: January 22, 1985 (age 31), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France

Height: 1.91 m

Clubs: Auxerre (1998-2003); Valencia (2003-05); Liverpool (2005-08); Juventus (2008-11); Paris Saint-Germain (2011-13); Fiorentina (2013 loan); Levante (2014-15); Shanghai Shenhua (2015).

Honours

For Valencia: La Liga (2003–04), UEFA Cup (2003–04), UEFA Super Cup (2004)

For Liverpool: FA Cup (2005–06), FA Community Shield (2006), UEFA Super Cup (2005)

For Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1 (2012–13)