Former players: Dabo retires

Aged 34, Ousmane Dabo announced this Monday that he had decided to end his career as a professional footballer. Arrived in the USA last February, the midfielder terminated his contract with the New England Revolution.

«This has been a very hard decision to take, Dabo explained on the official website of his last club. I had physical issues I didn’t manage to heal, so I decided to retire and terminate my contract with the club”. In total, in six months in the Massachusetts, Ousmane Dabo only played three games in the MLS and one in the cup.

This puts an end to a professional career started at Stade Rennes. After starting his training at Stade Lavallois, Dabo entered the Rennes Academy in 1990, before playing his first professional game in October 1995.
On a trainee contract until 1998 despite two full seasons with the professionals, he didn’t manage to agree on financial terms with the club’s management at the time. At the beginning of the Bosman era. He and Mikaël Silvestre eventually ignored the obligation to sign for their training club and exile to Italy. This is where Dabo would spend most of his career.

Recruited by Inter Milan, he failed to break through there and was sent out on multiple loans. Finally, at Atalanta Bergame, Dabo eventually managed to reach his full potential and was called-up to the French national team for the 2003 Confederations Cup. Transferred to Lazio Roma, he would spent nearly all the remainder of his career there, except for a two years spell at Manchester City.