Crystal Palace forward Ismaïla Sarr has admitted he was sorry to see Aliou Cissé depart as Senegal manager, even if they used to argue.
Senegal Direct cover comments from the Crystal Palace man today given in an interview with newspaper SourceA on Friday.
Cissé was released as Senegal manager earlier this year, with the African country deciding not to renew his deal and extend his nine years in charge.
The move was very much a shocking one given Cissé’s successful time in charge had seen them win their first ever African Cup of Nations in 2022 and reach the last sixteen of the World Cup that same year.
It was disappointment after that which eventually led to his departure, with the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) citing a failure to win the 2023 AFCON and a decline in the team’s FIFA ranking as part of the reasons for his dismissal.
Sarr made his debut for his nation under Cissé in September 2016 and has been a regular for him since, managing 13 goals in 64 appearances.
As a result the Crystal Palace forward was sad to see the decision to get rid of Cissé be made, despite a sometime fractious relationship with him at times.
“It was he who brought me to the national team. He gave me the chance by making me play as a starter for the first time,” he said.
“Aliou Cissé is a coach who always defended his players. At the press conference, he took the lead and defended us. We won battles together, difficult matches.
“Sometimes he would shout at me, and I could get angry, but afterwards I understood that he wanted to see me progress.
“He’s been here for 10 years, me with him since 2016! We would really like to continue with him, but the decision is not ours. We wish him well luck and lots of success for his future projects.”
