Seydou Keita

Seydou Keita is the FC Barcelona defensive midfielder who was back number 15, the player who played in Mali's national team also holds a French passport. He is a versatile midfielder, he jug can operate either as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder.

Personal information
Full name : Seydou Keita
Date of birth : 16 January 1980 (age 32)
Place of birth : Bamako, Mali
Height : 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position : Midfielder

Club information
Current club : Barcelona
Number  : 15

Club Career
Born in Bamako, Mali, Keita completed the formation of football in France with Olympique de Marseille, joined the club at the age of 17. He played primarily for the reserve team for three years of his career

Marseille

Keita made his Ligue 1 debut for L'OM on 19 September 1999 in a 1-0 home win against Troyes AC, adding three games in the season's UEFA Champions League. In the 2000 summer, he left the club.

Lorient / Lens
Keita signed for FC Lorient in Ligue 2, being instrumental (37 games, one goal) as the club Promoted to the top level in 2001. In 2002, Keita joined fellow league side RC Lens, eventually Becoming team captain, and scoring a career-best 11 goals in the 2006-07 season - his fifth and last - Helping Les Sang et Or to the fifth position in the league and the last-16 in the UEFA Cup.

Sevilla

On 11 July 2007, Keita signed for Sevilla FC in Spain, for four years.  He Appeared in Both legs of the season's Supercopa de España, a 6-3 aggregate win against Real Madrid. Keita was an automatic first-choice for the Andalusians During the 2007-08 season, Helping the team to the fifth position in the league.

Barcelona

On 26 May 2008, Keita signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona, with the Catalan club being believed to have paid the player's buy-out clause, the which Stood at around € 14 million. Keita made his official debut for Barcelona in a Champions League qualifier against Poland's Wisła Kraków on 13 August 2008, a 4-0 home win.

Keita scored his first goal for Barcelona on 16 November 2008, in a 2-0 win at Recreativo de Huelva. The following week he added another, in a 1-1 home draw against Getafe CF;  he finished his first season at the Camp Nou with 46 official games as Barça won the treble. He played 20 minutes in the Champions League final, taking the place of Thierry Henry in the 2-0 win against Manchester United.

On 25 October 2009, Keita scored his first career hat-trick, in a 6-1 home win against Real Zaragoza, and Contributed with 29 games - 23 starts - as Barcelona renewed its domestic Supremacy. In the 2010-11 season, he made more than any other Appearances outfield players and, on 31 August, aged 31, signed a contract extension That would link him to the club until 2014.

International Career

Keita made his early career for Mali in 2000, aged 20. He represented his country at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament five. In the 2010 edition in Angola, he scored two goals, two goals coming in the 4-4 group stage draw with the host, who led 4-0 with 11 minutes to go Aigles Les, however, can not

Make it past the group stage.
Previously, Keita helping under-20s finish third at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria, scored a goal in the last game against Uruguay, the game only, and being named the tournament's best player.

Honours

Club

Lorient
    Coupe de France : 2001-02
Sevilla
      Supercopa de España : 2007
      UEFA Super Cup : Runner-up 2007

Barcelona
      La Liga : 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
      Copa del Rey  : 2008-09: Runner-up 2010-11
      Supercopa de España : 2009, 2010, 2011
      Champions League : 2008-09, 2010-11
      UEFA Super Cup : 2009, 2011
      FIFA Club World Cup : 2009, 2011

State
      FIFA U-20 World Cup : Third-place 1999

Individual
      FIFA U-20 World Cup : 1999 Golden Ball

Posted in: Bamako,FC BArcelona,FC Lorient,Mali,Marseille,Sevilla