Four divisions down, and still worth a headline
Sanremese Calcio play in Serie D. That is the fourth tier of Italian football, semi-professional, a long way from San Siro. Yann M’Vila signed there on Saturday. Three years.
The former France midfielder had been without a club since leaving SM Caen. At 36 he could have taken one more season somewhere in France, closer to home, on familiar pitches. He picked Liguria instead. Sanremo want promotion to Serie C, and they have started spending like a club that means it.
Try it for $0.99.
Karembeu is building something on the Italian Riviera
New owners arrived at Sanremese, and Christian Karembeu is one of them. The 1998 World Cup winner announced M’Vila’s arrival himself, describing him as central to what the club is trying to build on the pitch.
He is not the only 1998 connection in the squad. Oan Djorkaeff, son of Youri, also plays in Sanremo. Two sons of that France side, or one of them plus a man who lifted the trophy himself, crossing paths four divisions below the top of Italian football. Strange place for that reunion.
Twelve years since his last Italian contract
M’Vila has been here before. He spent 2014-15 on loan at Inter Milan, and almost nothing came of it. A handful of appearances, no lasting impression, then back out again.
His Ligue 1 record is the real story. Rennes produced him, and by the early 2010s he was one of the most trusted holding midfielders in France, 22 caps and a reputation for breaking up play before it became dangerous. Then came Rubin Kazan, Inter, Sunderland, Saint-Etienne, Olympiakos, Caen. Careers rarely move in a straight line, and his moved less predictably than most.
Sanremese get the experience. Whether a 36-year-old body holds up across three Serie D winters is a separate question.
Discover the rest of the FOOT news on our website and mathodds app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply