Saint-Étienne: Bakary Sako talks about an unexpected and moving return

He left a mark at Saint-Étienne between 2009 and 2012. Ten years later, Bakary Sako returned to the Forez region, almost by chance, to write one final chapter with Les Verts.

A comeback he himself hadn’t planned, as he recently revealed in an interview with Rapunchline. Initially, the Malian international was meant to join Cardiff City in the Championship. But a coaching change scuppered the deal. Free and in the middle of his physical preparation, Sako decided to take a simple initiative: call ASSE and ask if he could train with the reserves:

I came back to ASSE in 2022. Initially, I was supposed to sign for Cardiff in the Championship. But the coach who really wanted me got sacked. I had done my preseason, so I called Saint-Étienne and asked if I could come and train with the reserves. They said, ‘yes, absolutely, come!’ After a few days, they told me, ‘You’re crazy, come train with the first team.’ Claude Puel was the coach. I started training, and all the players were saying, ‘We need to stage a coup, he can’t leave, he has to stay here.’

What happened next? Almost unreal. Impressed by his commitment, Claude Puel invited him to train with the first team. And very quickly, the dressing room pushed for him to stay:

Honestly, I hadn’t planned even for a second to sign for ASSE again. But they said, ‘Come on, please, we’re really struggling, come give us a hand. You’re coming home, ten years later.’ We talked and talked… I spoke with the sporting director. He told me, ‘Everyone’s on board, we’d be really upset if you went to another club.’ So I signed and stayed for six months.

Touched by their support, Sako agreed to sign for six months. A return “home,” ten years later, during a turbulent period for the club that eventually ended in relegation to Ligue 2. A brief but emotional chapter for a player who remains close to the supporters’ hearts.

Aliou Toundé |

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