Fousseni Diabate signs for Partizan!

Former Leicester City and Trabzonspor player Fousseni Diabate signed a three-year deal with Partizan today.

26-year-old Mali international born in France picked shirt number 18.

Fousseni Diabate upon signing:

-It`s a great pleasure to be accepted in this way, by the great club. When sporting director and coach called me, I felt really honoured with their expectations from me. My mother is a football fan and she suggested I agree to come to Belgrade and she blessed me with words “go there”. I had more offers but they didn`t mean as Partizan offer did. Others would send agents, Partizan contacted me directly.

My strengths are pace and technical ability. I believe I`ll be ready to make my debut next week already. I didn`t know much about Serbian league but I know a lot about Partizan, I watched them last season and the team left good impression on me. I`ve seen this move as mutually beneficial – I can help the club and Partizan can help me try myself out in European competition. I don`t feel any pressure. To the contrary, this is having a positive influence on me, motivates me to do my best.

Partizan Sporting Director Ivica Iliev on Diabate:

-I`m extremely pleased we almost finished our summer transfer window before it properly kicked-off around Europe. We were aggressive as soon as transfer window opened and managed to complete important deals. The cherry on the cake is a player I like to call “30 sec player”. I might explain what I mean by that one day, he knows what it is and it`s kind of a joke between us. I`ll just say I expect a lot from Diabate, to be one of the key players and possibly the best foreign player in our history.

I`d also like to thank people from Trabzon and congratulate them on a title. I`m proud how this job was done and I`d like to thank Trabzon once more on a great cooperation regarding this transfer.