The LFP officially lifted the veil on its device on Friday for its new platform called Ligue 1+, which will be launched on August 15 for the resumption of the French championship. While only Benoît Cheyrou had hitherto been announced as a consultant, the professional football league has muscled its casting by calling on other former players like Johan Djourou, Benjamin Nivet, Ahmed Kantari, Guillaume Hoarau and Souleymane Diawara.
These last two are expected to officer on the spotlight and play a role of troublemaker, at Laurent Paganelli on Canal+. “We want to find a spirit of spontaneity and a little funny. With their character, we know that they will be as well capable of mixing with the public, questioning a player just replaced or going up in a forum to go and speak with a club president “, explains Jérôme Cazadieu, editorial director of Ligue 1+, on a daily basis The team.
Spontaneity and humor, Souleymane Diawara has never failed. This is evidenced by this incredible anecdote told last November by the former Senegalese international (46 years old), crowned champion of France with Bordeaux in 2009 and OM in 2010. The scene takes place before his transfer to Marseille, where the coach then Didier Deschamps absolutely wishes to bring him and a phone call to try to convince him.
Souleymane Diawara to Didier Deschamps: “Go get in*Ler!” »»
“Deschamps calls me. But I do not recognize his voice. I think it's Anthony Le Tallec so I say to him: 'He's going to be in you!'. I insult it, I insult it and I hang upsaid the ex-Girondin on the Angel GR Twitch channel. I had made Anthony Le Tallec. He had to sign in a club so I pretended to be sports director. He was fully in it. After I go in peanut and I laugh. He insulted me but we died laughing. »»
It was his agent who quickly took him off, explaining to him that his interlocutor was none other than the 1998 world champion. “When Deschamps reminds me, I said to him: 'Coach, I'm really sorry …' He laughed and he said to me: 'There is no problem, I understood'. It's an atomic bomb, Deschamps! »» If Souleymane Diawara brings this tone and this freshness to Ligue 1 lawns, the 2025-2026 season should be fun to follow.
