Sadio Mane, the renowned Senegal and Al Nassr player, has followed in the footsteps of football legends such as David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes by investing in the football industry.
Mane recently acquired the French fourth division club, Bourges Foot 18, which has been a long-time ambition for him.
Mane’s close relationship with Bourges Foot 18 president, Cheikh Sylla, played a crucial role in sealing the deal.
Initially, Mane had provided financial assistance to the club for their recruitment efforts, but now he is fully immersed in the club’s operations, having secured the approval of the city mayor, Yann Galut.
Following the completion of the deal Mane posted a video message in which he said: “We’ve been working with the city for the past three years. We’re here to nurture and organise the club. The challenge is immense, but if the people of Bourges remain involved, I’m confident we can achieve our goals. I believe I’ll be visiting Bourges very soon.”
Notably, Bourges Foot 18 is situated 250 kilometres away from Paris in central France and has never competed beyond the French second tier.
They currently find themselves second to last in Group B of the Championnat National. The club was established a mere two years ago after the merger of two local teams.
It also boasts teams like Cannes, who have endured a steep decline since giving French great Zinedine Zidane his professional debut.
Mane joined Al Nassr after struggling at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
He had a memorable spell at Liverpool where he won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
