Papakouli Diop

Pape Diop

Diop as a Levante player (2013)
Personal information
Full name Papakouli Diop
Date of birth (1986-03-19) 19 March 1986
Place of birth Kaolack, Senegal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Espanyol
Number 20
Youth career
2004–2006 Rennes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006 Rennes 1 (0)
2006–2008 Tours 36 (3)
2008–2009 Gimnàstic 43 (4)
2009–2012 Racing Santander 76 (3)
2012–2015 Levante 85 (4)
2015– Espanyol 38 (3)
National team‡
2010– Senegal 16 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 November 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 October 2016

Papakouli 'Pape' Diop (born 19 March 1986) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club RCD Espanyol as a defensive midfielder.

After starting out at Rennes, he went on to spend most of his career in Spain.

Club career

Born in Kaolack, Diop moved to France at early age and played youth football for Stade Rennais FC, making his first-team – and Ligue 1 – debut on 5 August 2006, in a 1–2 home loss against Lille OSC. In the 2006 summer he joined Tours FC, being relegated from Ligue 2 in his first season.

On 31 January 2008, Diop signed with Gimnàstic de Tarragona in Spain.[1] After one-and-a-half seasons with the Catalans he moved to La Liga with Racing de Santander, for €1.5 million.[2]

On 12 September 2009, Diop played his first game in the Spanish top level, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Atlético Madrid.[3] His first league goal came on 21 March of the following year, netting the last of a 3–1 success at CA Osasuna.[4]

In the 2011–12 campaign, Diop played all but four matches for the Cantabrians and totalled 2,864 minutes of action,[5] but his team was relegated nonetheless after finishing 20th.[6] Shortly after he joined fellow top-divisioner Levante UD, which paid €100,000 for his services.[7]

On 4 May 2014, Diop appeared to be subjected to monkey chants from a section of Atlético Madrid fans, and provided a unique response by dancing in front of his abusers.[8][9] On 5 June of the following year he left the Granotes, after his contract expired.[10]

On 31 August 2015, Diop signed a three-year deal with RCD Espanyol also in the top tier.[11]

References

  1. ↑ El Nástic ficha al senegalés Diop (Nástic signs Senegalese Diop); Marca, 31 January 2008 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Diop se va al Racing y el Nàstic ingresará 1'5 'kilos' (Diop goes to Racing and Nàstic makes 1'5 'kilos'); Diario AS, 24 July 2009 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Atletico remain winless; ESPN FC, 12 September 2009
  4. ↑ Racing rediscover scoring touch; ESPN FC, 21 March 2010
  5. ↑ Diop, el 'fichaje' de enero del Racing (Diop, Racing's January 'signing'); El Diario Montañés, 28 December 2011 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Diop se va al Racing y el Nàstic ingresará 1'5 'kilos' (Diop goes to Racing and Nàstic makes 1'5 'kilos'); Diario AS, 24 July 2009 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ El Levante paga al Racing de Santander 100.000 euros por Pape Diop (Levante pays 100,000 euros to Racing de Santander for Pape Diop); Goal.com, 19 July 2012 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ "Atletico Madrid fans accused of racist chants by Levante's Diop". BBC Sport. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Senegal's Diop complains of racist abuse from Atletico fans". BBC Sport. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Carta de agradecimiento de Pape Diop tras su estancia en el Levante U.D." [Thankful letter of Pape Diop after his spell at Levante U.D.] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "Pape Diop fitxa per l'Espanyol" [Pape Diop signs for Espanyol] (in Catalan). RCD Espanyol. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
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