Sadio Mane, the star of Senegal and Al Nassr, has invested in a French football club, following in the footsteps of Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and David Beckham.
ESPN reports that Mane purchased Bourges Foot 18, a team in the French fourth division.
Mane had been wanting to buy a football team for a while, and he was able to do so thanks in large part to his friendship with Cheikh Sylla, the president of Bourges Foot 18.
The article claims that Mane has previously given the team some money to help in recruitment.
However, he’s now completely committed after getting the go-ahead from Yann Galut, the local mayor.
Mane released a video statement after the agreement was finalized, stating, “We’ve been working with the city for the past three years.” Our role is to oversee and manage the club. Though it is a great task, I am sure we can succeed provided the Bourges community stays engaged. I think I’ll be going to Bourges shortly.
Despite being in central France, 250 kilometers from Paris, the club has never competed above the French second division (as Bourges 18).
The team is presently ranked second from the bottom in Championnat National Group B. They were just established two years ago as a result of the union of two local clubs.
It also has clubs like Cannes, who have had a sharp drop in success since they gave the legendary Frenchman Zinedine Zidane his professional debut.
After having trouble at Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich, Mane moved to Al Nassr.
During his standout tenure at Liverpool, he was the winner of the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, and Premier League.
