Sixteen years away, and a 2018 world champion to mark the return
Number 19 on the back, a contract running to 2028 with an extra year in the club’s gift. Le Mans announced Djibril Sidibe on Tuesday morning, the 34-year-old right-back having been a free agent since his Toulouse deal ran out.
The Sarthe club last played in Ligue 1 sixteen years ago. Signing a World Cup winner to mark the comeback tells you their window is not the modest affair many expected.
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Thirty-two league games at 34
He is not coming to wind down. Sidibe started 32 Ligue 1 matches for Toulouse last season. At his age that number matters more than any scouting report, and his final two campaigns at TFC settled the question of whether he could still handle the division.
Other doors were open. Marseille, hunting for cover on the right, had been linked. He picked Le Mans anyway.
“I chose Le Mans because of the project, because of the club’s ambition. We all want the same thing: to make this team grow together,” he told the club’s official website.
Videira wanted a voice in the dressing room
Patrick Videira knows exactly what he is getting. “He will bring us all his experience at the very highest level. He knows Ligue 1 very well, he is a leader who will also bring us maturity. He also offers versatility and, above all, he is a very professional guy,” the Le Mans coach said.
Sidibe is the sixth arrival of the summer, following Billal Brahimi, Louis Mafouta, Yasser Larouci, Rayan Bamba and Daouda Traore. Every one of them has French professional football on their CV. Le Mans are not gambling on projects.
There is no easing-in period. Brest visit on Saturday night.
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