After three years at Manchester City, including one under Pep Guardiola, Bacary Sagna left the Premier League 10 years after he joined it with Arsenal.
The right-back was, at one point, viewed as one of the better right-backs in the Premier League, earning himself 65 France caps in the process.
After five months with Benevento in Serie A, the now 35-year-old decided to move to Canada, where he now plays in the MLS with Montreal Impact under former Aston Villa manager Rémi Garde.
Contracted there until the end of the year, the defender has an option to extended his deal by an extra season, and he’s determined to carry on playing football until his body tells him it’s time to give up.
He told Foot Mercato: “I want to stay in the world of football. I want to pass my managerial licences because I got the chance to play under Arsène Wenger and Guardiola. Looking at what I learned, I can bring a lot to young kids and players. I would like to transmit my knowledge”.
After running down his contract at the Etihad, the right-back knew one thing, and that’s that he didn’t want to return to France, hence why he turned down the chance to play for Amiens, preferring to wait for an offer that met his requirements.
While the Benevento adventure was only brief, it was one he decided to pursue because his gut told him to.
Sometimes, you just have to do what you feel is right for you, and becoming a manager appears to be next on Sagna’s list.
