Former teammate of Yoann Gourcuff at the Girondins de Bordeaux, Souleymane Diawara explained that he left the club because of the salary increase from which the Breton player had benefited.
Souleymane Diawara only stayed two seasons in Bordeaux. Arriving from Charlton in the summer of 2007, the Senegalese central defender would indeed leave two years later in the wake of the French champion title won by the Girondins. Interviewed by Smail Bouabdellah for his Kampo podcast, the former Sochaliens returned to the reasons for his departure for Olympique de Marseille.
According to him, the native of Senegal would have resented the difference in treatment of which he would have been the victim after the coronation in Ligue 1, in particular compared to Yoann Gourcuff, whose salary had been doubled by the president of the scapular club, Jean-Louis Triaud.
“ President Triaud did not want me to leave. At the time, I was at €100,000, he told me that they were going to increase me by €20,000 with Chamakh. In the meantime, I learned that Diarra and Gourcuff are double the number. Either you overtake everyone or you overtake no one,” he said.
Souleymane Diawara gave up on a million euros
“I didn’t agree. He told me: “If you want to leave, you have to sit on your bonus.” It was a million, he continued. I told myself I’m going to take the risk, I’m going to go there and I’m going to win more. »
And Souleymane did not regret his choice. Once again crowned champion of France in his first season at OM, the Senegalese international stayed five years in the Marseille city.
For his part, Yoann Gourcuff would leave Bordeaux a year later to join Olympique Lyonnais, again with a very nice salary increase.
