6 Djibril Cissé on flashy pants, Liverpool life and being a lord
“Roy Keane screamed at me in the dressing room – really crazy, really loud. It took me back 15 years. But I did love the guy...”
Extravagant. Flashy. Pants. These words don’t usually come up in Fourfourtwo readers’ questions when we put them to players – but then, not every player is Djibril Cissé.
The fashionista and former forward – although maybe not so former; read to the end and then watch this space – enjoyed a career that took him all over Europe and beyond, earning him success in France, Greece and England, including a certain Champions League triumph with Liverpool in 2005.
Fans will recall the colourful haircuts, the fashion sense, the loud cars, the extensive body ink, the luminous facial hair. But they will also remember his goals: 280 of them, across 20 years.
And that’s because, for all of Cissé’s exuberance, he also took football very seriously. After a little more than an hour in the Frenchman’s company, we can sense how devoted, passionate and focused a player he was. A couple of bad leg breaks – injuries that would have finished off a mere showman – may have curtailed the huge potential that he displayed at first club Auxerre, but wherever he went, Cissé wanted to play games and score goals.
Now he wants to answer your posers.
Your father, Mangue Cissé, played for the Ivory Coast. How much of an influence was he on your career?
Morgan Barrett, Birmingham
Yes, my father was quite a big name in Africa. He left the house when I was young, but I always knew what he was doing and I was incredibly proud of his achievements. Being his son certainly developed my ambitions and desire to be a professional footballer myself. No one forced me to be one, but in a way I didn’t really have a choice. There was nothing else for me – it was always football. I guess a lot of that came from my father and his own playing career.
Who was your footballing idol?
ruslanaiman, via Instagram
Jean- Pierre Papin! I’m a Marseille fan and he was my big hero. I liked that it wasn’t easy for him at the beginning of his career – he couldn’t find his form – but he always worked hard and finally it came together for him. He showed people who he was and what he could do. What a player. Do you remember his goals? He was a master at volleys.
How big an impact did the legendary Guy Roux have on your development as a youngster at Auxerre? Why did he never get a big job?
Jonathan Fhager Karlsson, via Facebook
I don’t want to say my entire career was because of him – I had ambition, a work ethic and, of course, talent – but he was everything to me at the start of my career. He was a wonderful coach. He also taught me how to be a footballer. He was really strict. He’d phone nightclubs and then show up to come and find players. He would walk in and calmly ask you to go home. He only found me once, though! Believe it or not, I wasn’t a massive party animal – football was everything to me. Yeah, I might go out from time to time, but I wasn’t the worst around.
I loved my time at Auxerre with Guy. So much that happened to me in the game was because of him; it was the most important time in my career. As for why he didn’t get a bigger job, it’s a hard one. He went to Lens [ in 2007, after more than 2,000 games in charge of Auxerre] but it was a mistake. You know, some managers just belong to one club. He was so good with young players, guiding them onto the right path. Guy was Auxerre. It was his club.
How hard was it to follow France’s golden generation? What was the state of the national team like when you made your debut in May 2002?
@ spursdab, via Twitter
It wasn’t hard at all – we were world and European champions, and France’s squad was full of world- class players who could help a young guy. I knew in my head that I wasn’t the No. 1 choice, as there were so many great strikers around; instead, I had time to slowly make my mark and learn. I was under no pressure, and all of the players were really good with me. It was an exciting time to be coming through.
At the 2002 World Cup, Les Bleus had the top scorers in England ( Thierry Henry), Italy ( David Trezeguet) and France ( yourself), but came bottom of Group A without scoring a single goal. What went wrong?
brightonleccytv, via Instagram
I don’t know what went wrong, is the honest answer. You are right – we had world- class players, not only upfront but throughout the side, so we should have done much better. If I had to put
my finger on just one thing, it would be losing Zinedine Zidane to injury a week before our first game, against Senegal. We should have coped better, but it did seem that collectively we wondered how we were going to win any games without him. He’s the best player we’ve ever had, and any team would miss him, but we should have done better.
How did it feel to move to Liverpool under Rafael Benitez when it was Gerard Houllier who had signed you?
David Diack, via Facebook
Firstly, I was really, really proud to sign for Liverpool and very excited to work with Gerard Houllier, who I knew well from France. Zidane had actually come to my hotel room when we were away with the national team and asked me to join Real Madrid, but by then I knew about Liverpool’s interest and our talks were advanced, so I wasn’t going to change my mind. Tottenham, Milan and a few other huge clubs had been keen, too, but it was always Liverpool.
Then they sacked Gerard just before I arrived, but that’s football. I admired him, but it was up to me to get on with things and prove myself on the pitch: if you’re good, you’re good. I liked Rafa. Friends at Valencia told me very good things about him, so I was excited. He spoke French, too, so that was a help.
How good did it feel to become the Lord of the Manor of Frodsham?
@ mattrichards91, via Twitter
Ah yes, the title. Everyone wants to talk about this! [ Laughs] It came with the house I bought – that’s it. I didn’t walk around with a cane and top hat! It was fun, but I never asked my team- mates to call me ‘ his lordship’ or anything – I don’t think the likes of Carra [ Jamie Carragher] would have done anyway...
What do you remember of your leg break in October 2004? You returned much earlier than anticipated – how?
@ Nickgriffett, via Twitter
It was bad. I didn’t realise at the time how serious it was. It was very painful
– I do remember that – but it was a few months later that the doctors told me how serious it had been. I could have lost a foot, it was that bad. There were complications with the blood flow, but the medical team did amazing things immediately after the incident.
I did come back very quickly, thanks to hard work and brilliant treatment in France. But I wasn’t silly: I wasn’t going to rush things for the sake of it and risk everything. I was so focused on getting better, rather than getting better fast. I got stronger, though, and managed to be back in time for that unbelievable end to the season.
Just how special was the atmosphere at Anfield in the 2004- 05 Champions League semi- final against Chelsea?
Tom Baker, Liverpool
I’d come back for the Juventus game, which was special, but that semi- final was just incredible. We had developed a strong rivalry with Chelsea by that point, and the occasion was probably the best atmosphere I’d experienced. The stadium was literally shaking at the end. Being out on that pitch when the final whistle went and we’d won – it was like being in a mini- earthquake. That was a great, great moment. You have to remember that Chelsea had big players, like John Terry and Didier Drogba, and their manager was Jose Mourinho who thrived on these huge situations. I do think the atmosphere that night played its part in affecting their players. I’m not sure the noise would have been the same had the second leg been at Stamford Bridge.
Talk us through the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul from your perspective. Was it the best match you ever played in?
Ross Hauser, via Facebook
It was unbelievable. I was sat on the bench, and of course we all felt it was over after the first half. Milan had some amazing players and were 3- 0 in front, so how could we come back? But then Stevie [ Gerrard] made his great speech, saying we could still get back in this – and then he scored. I was sat next to my great mate, Harry Kewell, who had come off injured early on, and we both looked at each other. Suddenly it was like, ‘ OK, maybe...’ I grabbed his hand and didn’t let go. Something might be happening. Then Vlad [ Smicer] scored soon after. Wow. We embraced. When Xabi [ Alonso] scored the third goal, the bench was going wild.
I came on with only five minutes of normal time left. I wasn’t at all nervous – because of my injury, everything at the end of that season was a bonus for me. I was barely walking four months earlier, so just to be standing on the sideline, jumping with the anticipation
“AFTER WE’D BEATEN MILAN, I GAVE AWAY MY SHIRT, SHORTS, BOOTS AND SOCKS – EVERYTHING BUT MY PANTS AND MY MEDAL”
of getting on – there couldn’t be any nerves. Rafa told me to provide power. I needed to stretch Milan, so I got on and never stopped running. My job was to make runs – and that’s what I did.
How did you feel in the shootout? Did seeing Serginho and Andrea Pirlo miss change your approach?
shaun1ohara, via Instagram
I was always going to take a penalty. Not being involved wasn’t an option. I told the manager, “I’m taking one.”
I loved that kind of situation – the walk from halfway, the pressure – and was like, ‘ Yeah. Bring it on’. Serginho and Pirlo did miss before me, so there was maybe a bit less pressure, but I never felt I was going to miss. What a night.
Why did you then fall out of favour at Liverpool in 2005- 06? Rafa even put you on the right wing at times...
Joe Moss, Bootle
That was a difficult time. A frustrating time. Remember, I signed for Liverpool in 2003, before playing one last season at Auxerre. Then I got badly injured, so I was impatient to make things happen at Anfield. It was a very long wait. I had to acclimatise and get to know people. I scored at Tottenham in my first game under Rafa, but things slowed down for me and it was tough. I had a five- year contract and wanted to see it out, but Rafa had different ideas and eventually signed Fernando Torres in 2007. That’s football, although I wish I’d been given a bit more time.
How do you feel when fans call the 2006 FA Cup Final the ‘ Gerrard final’? And how did it feel to score in that game against West Ham?
f1np6, via Instagram
I don’t have any problem with that – Stevie was brilliant for us. I don’t have a problem as long as Stevie mentions the team and the work we put in! He scored two amazing goals and got an assist for mine too, so it was a special performance. For me, it was great to score in an English cup final. I often scored in finals, but to get one on this occasion [ Liverpool were 2- 0 down to West Ham after just 20 minutes] was fantastic. I was playing on the left side, which wasn’t ideal, but it was another crazy Liverpool match.
In his book, Peter Crouch says that you turned up at training wearing extravagant glasses that didn’t have any lenses in them, and that you had a 1920s candlestick telephone which you plugged into your mobile phone to make a call in the dressing room. Please tell us both stories are true…
Olivia Shaw, Chester
Yes, of course they’re both true – Peter Crouch isn’t a liar! [ Laughs] At the time, I had a pretty crazy sense of fashion and loved to surprise my team- mates. I used to come to training in my old Trans- Am car with flames on the side, wearing all sorts of mad outfits. I’m much more sensible now – I’m a dad! And I had this old- fashioned phone that I could plug into my mobile. I’d sit inside the dressing room, take out this old thing and make a call. We had so much fun at Liverpool – it was a great bunch of players. Crouchy’s a cool guy.
You suffered a second leg break in June 2006 while playing for France against China, ruling you out of the World Cup. What was going through your head?
Patrick Jones, Chelmsford
It was a blow, of course, but because of my experiences in 2004, I was calm. I knew what I had to do. I knew that I had to work hard and I’d come back. My philosophy is ‘ everything happens for a reason’. While I was desperate to play at the World Cup, it wasn’t meant to be. If you think too much, you can’t move forward.
How did your exit from Liverpool that summer play out?
Danny Chandler, via Facebook
There were mixed feelings. I grew up a big Marseille fan, so of course I was excited to join them [ initially on loan], but I didn’t want to leave Liverpool. By now I had a family, and my kids were settled. As I said, I had waited a long
time to make it there. You can’t stand still, though. I was a goalscorer, I was a No. 9, and they can’t sit on the bench; they have to play. I remember scoring my first goal for Marseille at the Stade Velodrome after returning from injury [ in December 2006]. It was brilliant to be playing in that ground for the team I loved as a boy.
How tough was it to come back from the second leg break? Is it true you requested a return from Marseille to England around that time, too?
Jamie Collins, Manchester
As I said, I already had the experience of a leg break, so it wasn’t hard. I loved being at Marseille, pulling on the shirt and playing in front of all those fans. There was talk of a return to England, though – Manchester City were keen. Sven- Goran Eriksson was the manager and they made contact. I supported Marseille, however, and because they wanted me, I decided to stay.
You signed for Sunderland on loan in 2008. How did you find Roy Keane as a manager, and why did it all go so wrong in his last season at the club?
Louis Marsh, Washington
Oh, I love the guy! Marseille had spent some money on new players by then, so when my agent contacted me and said Roy Keane would like me to join Sunderland on loan, I considered it. I wasn’t getting enough match time at Marseille, so I thought, ‘ Why not?’ Roy was brilliant. I was never nervous around him. We have a lot in common and both take football very seriously – I never forgot how important any club was. Roy was always very straight with me and got the best out of me.
I remember one game: at half- time, we came in and I hadn’t played great; not that bad, but I hadn’t been myself. Roy walked in and went for me. Oh my god, he was screaming at me – really crazy, really loud. It took me back 15 years, when Guy Roux used to shout at me as a kid. I realised what Roy was doing. Like Guy, he was trying to get me going. So, I lifted my head up and smiled. I smiled, knowing what he was doing. Well, Roy just got even angrier. “What the f** k are you smiling for?!” he shouted. Anyway, after 10 minutes I scored and sprinted over to him on the touchline. “Well done, boss,”
I said. “I know exactly what you were doing!” He looked at me like I was mad. But I did love the guy.
I know both Roy and the club were more than happy to have me there.
Roy wanted to sign me, the fans seemed to like me – I still get messages saying I should have stayed there – and I would have signed, for sure, but in the end I think the price was too high. The fee Marseille wanted for me was seen as being expensive. What surprised me was Sunderland then buying Darren Bent from Tottenham for a few more million than I would have cost them, so I don’t really know what happened there.
Do you actually love your designer underwear as much as Sunderland fans used to claim in song?
Well I did! Nowadays, I’m a bit quieter when it comes to my underwear. When I go to a gym I might be more distinct, but today they are usually just black. I love that fans remember me by my underwear – that’s really cool. [ Laughs] I suppose my famous [ pants- related] incident came in Istanbul, but there they were a very boring grey. Liverpool gave us all the same underwear. At the end of that incredible Milan game, celebrating with Liverpool supporters, I gave everything away: shirt, shorts, boots, socks – everything but my grey pants. That would have been too far! Oh, and my medal. I kept that around my neck, too.
You spent time with El Hadji Diouf at both Liverpool and Sunderland – what’s he really like?
George Smith, Preston
I love the lad. He’s a great guy to be around and a very direct person. Some people – and fans – might not be too keen on that, but he’s cool. The thing with him is that if he doesn’t like you, he’s going to tell you. I can’t do that. If I don’t like someone, maybe I’ll avoid them. El Hadji will go up to that person and simply say, ‘ I don’t like you’. He’ll just say everything he’s thinking, so you know where you stand. Some people say he’s arrogant, but I know his good side. You would think that he and Roy Keane would always clash, but I never saw a problem between them.
What’s your favourite hairstyle that you’ve sported?
@ Atpjacob, via Twitter
That would have to be a bleach blond hairstyle I had. It was one of the early ones and probably my favourite. I’ve had a half- mohawk recently, but just black. I told you, I’m a much calmer guy these days!
How did you find your two seasons with Panathinaikos? Is it true you’ve got a tattoo dedicated to your spell, after scoring more than 50 goals?
Alex Halk, via Facebook
Amazing. I love the club – it is full of love and full of passion. It’s a beautiful club. I do have a tattoo of the badge,
“I WOULD SIT IN THE LIVERPOOL DRESSING ROOM, PLUG THIS
OLD- FASHIONED PHONE INTO MY MOBILE AND THEN MAKE A CALL...”
yeah. The only other football- related tattoo I have is five Champions League stars, from Liverpool’s win in Istanbul. Sadly I had a fall- out with the president of Olympiacos, Evangelos Marinakis, after we’d lost a derby match against them. It didn’t get physical, because we were a safe distance apart, but we didn’t really get on.
I also struggled with the refereeing in the Greek league. It’s quite a long time ago now, but I still get annoyed just thinking about it. They gave such bad decisions, and we once lost a key match thanks to a terrible one. I had to go and confront the referee, as I’d scored a perfectly good goal. “Was it offside?” I asked. “No,” he said. “Why did you disallow it?” I asked. “Well, the linesman flagged,” he replied. “Who’s refereeing: you or him?” I said. It was ridiculous. Too much.
What went on in the France squad at the 2010 World Cup? Did you agree with the way the players behaved in South Africa?
Alex Davidson, Bradford
It wasn’t great, and we weren’t in the right. It’s a moment that I would prefer hadn’t happened. I wasn’t around to witness the initial argument between [ Raymond] Domenech and Nicolas [ Anelka], and don’t know what really happened, but looking back on what took place after, it wasn’t right.
What was your experience at Lazio like? You spent only half a season there, in 2011. Having played in so many different countries, how did it feel to play in Italian stadiums?
garghentinomarco, via Instagram
I loved it. I loved all the people there – they welcomed me. Again, they were very passionate, and I loved that. The problem I had was that the manager [ Edoardo Reja] wanted me to play as a right- winger. I liked him, and I loved my team- mates and the supporters, but I had a problem: I wasn’t scoring many goals. Being on the wing really didn’t suit me, so as much as I loved
the club, it wasn’t working. I always enjoyed playing in front of passionate crowds, though: Liverpool, Marseille, Panathinaikos, Lazio, Sunderland and QPR. As a striker running at goal, that is everything. Without that intensity, it’s completely different.
Tell us about that bizarre sequence after you signed for QPR in January 2012: in every match during that half- season, you either scored or were sent off. Pure entertainment!
Matthew Horton, via Facebook
I wasn’t playing enough at Lazio and my agent said Mark Hughes wanted me at Loftus Road. QPR were in danger of relegation, but I had six months to keep them in the Premier League. They were struggling for goals, so I thought, ‘ OK, that’s what I know how to do and that’s what I really want to do’. They had a decent team, so I went for it.
I scored on my debut against Aston Villa and was very happy. It was great, living in London, seeing friends and my family again. But then I got a straight red card in the next game at home to Wolves. I suffered a bad tackle that was dangerous, and after two broken legs I just snapped. I grabbed the guy [ Roger Johnson] by the throat – red card. I came back after the suspension and scored at Bolton, then at home to Liverpool in a massive win for the club. Away at Sunderland, though, I made a very bad tackle and was off again. The big one was our last home game of the season against Stoke. We badly needed to win, and I got a late winner. That was crucial, and I know QPR fans remember that match. It was a crazy atmosphere – brilliant.
How did it feel to net at Manchester City in that dramatic final match of the 2011- 12 campaign? And why did you celebrate so much with Samir Nasri at the final whistle?
admusgrove1, via Instagram
That was another important goal... or it might have been. We only needed a point and it looked like we’d done it, but then there was that famous Sergio Aguero goal. Yeah, I celebrated with Samir at the final whistle, and some people were upset because we’d lost 3- 2. But Samir isn’t my friend; he’s my little brother. He’s so much more than a friend, and people didn’t understand. ‘ Oh, look at Djibril: he’s a City fan,’ they said. What are you on about? I was just happy for my little brother; a guy I grew up with. If Samir hadn’t been there, I’d have gone off for a shower, but to see him achieve so much? Of course I went to him. Also, we stayed up! For one more season, anyway.
It’s difficult to work out what went wrong for QPR. Maybe the very good players we had were all coming to the ends of their careers. It’s a great club with great people, and I’m very proud to have pulled on their famous shirt.
Where does your passion for Djing come from, and when did you decide to take it more seriously?
Callie Harper, Cambridge
My career ended after a few moves to Qatar, Russia and Switzerland, and I’ve always loved Djing, so I concentrated on that. Music has always been a big part of my life. When I was playing, it was what got me going. It was hard to know what my team- mates thought of my music, as we had headphones on, but maybe it wasn’t for everyone! We all have different tastes, after all. I’m now recording and releasing music. I recently released a track called Kiti, with DJ Peet – if you’re into your house music, definitely check it out. I’m very much a musician these days.
Is it true you want to come out of retirement to reach a career total of 100 Ligue 1 goals? How do you plan to make that happen?!
kellylorcan, via Instagram
Yes, that’s true. It’s been bugging me, being on 99 goals, so yes, I’ve been in contact with clubs to make it happen. I feel fit enough, so why not?