“THE PLAYER WHO RACIALLY ABUSED ME WAS BRAINLESS AND An A** HOLE – I WASN’T HAPPY WITH HIM AT ALL”
The midfielder linked up with Rafael Benitez for a second time while at Liverpool – but was the victim of a vile insult
After progressing through the youth ranks at Auxerre, you made your senior debut at Valencia under Rafael Benitez. What was he like as a boss?
It was a huge honour to play under him. He’s one of the greatest managers I’ve ever met. He gave me the opportunity to play in La Liga, and I can only thank him for what he did for me. I was still very young at that time. I was supposed to play for Valencia’s second team and train with the senior squad, but after the first session, Rafa asked me to stay with the senior team permanently.
That was in 2003- 04 – what a campaign it turned out to be...
Absolutely, as we won La Liga and the UEFA Cup. We had two secrets – the stability of the club and the quality of our players. Incredible. It was amazing to play Marseille in the UEFA Cup final. I’m from Paris, so Marseille are one of my fiercest rivals. For me, that first season at Valencia was absolutely stunning.
How did Rafa convince you to join Liverpool in the summer of 2005?
It was easy. He spoke to me and said, ‘ I need you to come here’. For me there was no issue – I was very happy to move to Liverpool, even if the city was different from sunny Valencia!
Was it difficult to settle in Liverpool?
No, the fans were brilliant. They’d stop you in the street for a chat, but they were respectful. If they saw me with my family, they’d wait for the best moment to stop me and ask for an autograph. As soon as I entered Anfield Road
for my first game as a Red, I thought, ‘ Wow, this is incredible’ because of the atmosphere.
Benitez often said you could have become the new Patrick Vieira. How did that make you feel? Was there any pressure?
When a manager like Benitez says something like that about you, it’s an honour. But I didn’t want to be Vieira. I wanted to be Sissoko – to train and play as well as possible, to become the best player I could. I didn’t feel pressure on account of the comparison. It only pushed me to give my best.
You shared a dressing room with some of the finest midfielders in history, including Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard...
I was young and they taught me a lot. They were two masters. Just watching Gerrard in training was a big lesson for me. He was the type of leader who would die for his club and for his city. Ahead of the derbies, he used to speak to the whole squad and say, ‘ We need to win – I was born here and I’ve got to win. This is my jersey, my club and my city. I could die for Liverpool – now let’s go out there and do what we have to’. He didn’t have to raise his voice or get angry with other players. He had that ability to find the right things to say.
You experienced both good and bad times at Liverpool. One of the lows was the racial abuse you received in a Champions League game, from Anderlecht’s Nenad Jestrovic.
He was just brainless and an asshole. I wasn’t happy at all. But you know what? At the end of the day, we won that match, he was sent off and we qualified for the next stage of the Champions League. That was it for me.
In 2006 you suffered a serious eye injury during another Champions League game, against Benfica. How worrying was that?
It was a tough moment, maybe the worst in my career. I was playing at a very high level, and when I arrived at the hospital I was told I might not be able to play football again. It was hard. I was sad, but I didn’t want to give up as I knew things could change. I worked hard, never lost faith and was back out on the pitch a month later. In the long run, it didn’t affect me. I knew I’d have to train a lot, and that’s what I did.
Then there were rumours linking you with Barcelona. Did you reject their offer?
Yes. I received their proposal and we were in advanced talks, but I was happy at Liverpool. I didn’t want to go anywhere and decided to stay. I had a great time with Liverpool – the best game was the FA Cup final against West Ham. We came from 2- 0 down to win and lift the cup. Once again, Gerrard was fantastic!
In January 2008, you signed for Juventus...
I was struggling for game time and wanted to prove my worth. I needed a change, and leaving was the best thing for me. I received an offer from Juve and was more than happy to move to Turin.
You played with two more highly respected pros in Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. What did they teach you?
To love the team and my team- mates – to be a good person before being a good footballer. I quickly understood how important the club was. I’m extremely honoured to have played for Juventus. Everyone who has played there says it’s a special club.
Claudio Ranieri managed you at Juventus, having previously taken over from Benitez for your final campaign at Valencia. What was he like?
An amazing person. He treated me so well at Valencia and Juve – I’m on good terms with him. When he won the Premier League title at Leicester it was weird, but I was very happy for him and also my mates like Riyad Mahrez.
Perhaps your lowest point there was Juve’s 4- 1 Europa League defeat against Fulham. What happened?
Too many injuries, that’s what I think. We had a lot of players out of action, and many were starters. It was a nightmare.
You were one of Paris Saint- Germain’s first recruits after their Qatari takeover in 2011. What did they tell you about their plans?
They said they wanted to create a huge club, world renowned. They did it, and did it well – now they’re among the best clubs in Europe. They still want to win the Champions League, but it’s not easy at all.
Was it bizarre having superstars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham around?
At that time, a lot of my team- mates weren’t used to sharing the dressing room with these big names, and just stared at them like kids. They both brought positive things to the club and helped PSG to grow on and off the pitch. They were great signings for the city and fans.
Do you have any regrets about your career?
No. I believe in God, I’m proud of what I did, and I can only thank God for helping me get to the highest level in football. If I’d had less injuries I may have played longer, but I have no regrets at all. I played at a very high level for many years, and I won trophies. I couldn’t ask for more.