Formal or informal? It reveals much about Habib Diarra that his delight at being promoted from the youth ranks at Strasbourg to the senior squad was tempered by worry over the two distinct words for “you.”
Was it appropriate to address new, established teammates by using “tu” be seen as too familiar? Ultimately, the promising talent played safe and chose the more formal “vous”. This prompted widespread amusement from the older players who told him not to be so ridiculous; he was part of the group now.
“After I had the first call with the coach, I reflected and said to my parents: ‘Sunderland’s where I want to be; that’s where I want to play.’ England's top flight was always a ambition of mine and the coach outlined for me a well-defined and appealing project.”
Almost five years later, Diarra is sitting in an office at the club's training ground explaining why he ignored overtures from, among others, several top European clubs. His natural politeness remains but it is apparent that the young Senegal international and doubt are practically unacquainted. Diarra conducts himself with the self-assurance befitting a player who captained Strasbourg at the age of 20 and, only last month, returned from Morocco holding an AFCON winners’ medal.
A Clear Project
With the groin injury that kept him out for much of the opening months of the domestic season resolved, Diarra is on a mission to demonstrate precisely why he agreed to become Sunderland’s most expensive acquisition last summer. Analysts in France and Senegal queried Diarra’s surprising decision but he knew all about Régis Le Bris’s standing as a talented youth coach.
“It came as no shock by the coach’s ability because I already knew what he’s capable of,” says Diarra. “Facing his teams I understood he was very good, very strong in terms of strategy. He’s someone I know is aiding my development. And although our first objective is reaching 40 points, European qualification is certainly a achievable goal this season.”
A Unified Environment
Externally, the cold winter gusts and driving rain makes Wearside look as bleak as it is often stereotyped. Internally, things are considerably warmer. The atmosphere is free of the type of tension found in certain clubs where office workers are deliberately segregated from first-team players. Diarra portrays the environment as “really natural” and commends Le Bris’s role in its formation.
“The coach always says to us that we have a familial bond here and we all fight for each other,” he says. “We’re all proud of each other.”
Freedom Within a Framework
If the structure, rigor and sheer hard yards underpinning Sunderland’s defensive organization are a proof of the head coach’s attention to minutiae, Le Bris also likes his players to think for themselves. He offers his engine room players full freedom to improvise and swap roles.
“The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,” says Diarra, who prefers to be deployed as a box-to-box No 8. “During matches that feels good. That freedom is so important. Granit, our skipper, helps us a lot. He’s a really big player and a fantastic example.”
Journey and Adaptation
Diarra is using a French interpreter but his English has advanced to the point where he can grasp most questions. He is now focusing on acquiring the language skills to also answer them, which would be his third language. He is fluent in Wolof, the language he spoke growing up in his hometown near Dakar.
His precocious maturity helped him deal with the disappointment of needing groin surgery followed by four months out of action last autumn. “Being injured so soon after arriving here was frustrating, for sure,” he says. “But it was up to me to manage myself.”
Diarra is now looking forward to playing in this summer’s global tournament. Given Senegal have been drawn in the same group as France, a emotional matchup awaits the former Les Bleus under-21 midfielder. “I enjoyed representing for France but my inner feeling prevailed,” says Diarra. “There’s no regrets. I was born in Senegal; it makes me proud to play for them.”
Comparable feelings apply to Sunderland. “I've settled very well,” he says. “I feel really comfortable here.”
