Roy keane

DJIBRIL Cisse was a member of the Liverpool side that won the 2005 UEFA Champions League.

He also played for Sunderland and QPR , as well as some big European teams. But where is he now and what happened to his career.

Who is Djibril Cisse?

Djibril Cisse is a French former footballer who played as a striker for three Premier League clubs.

Cisse signed for Liverpool from Auxerre in 2004, and scored five goals in 24 appearances over the course of the 2004/05 season.

A freak injury against Blackburn during that season saw him ruled out from October 2004 to April 2005 with a severe broken leg.

He returned to help Liverpool win the 2005 UEFA Champions League , coming on as a substitute and scoring a penalty in the shootout against AC Milan as the Reds won their fifth European Cup.

Eager to make up for lost time, Cisse started the season by scoring two goals against CSKA Moscow as Liverpool beat CSKA Moscow 3-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco .

He scored Liverpool’s first goal in the 2006 FA Cup final with an acrobatic effort from a pass by Steven Gerrard , in a game where they were 2-0 up, but eventually won on penalties.

He joined Marseille initially on loan in 2006, but the deal was made permanent the following summer.

Cisse returned to English football with Sunderland on loan for the 2008/09 season, under then-manager Roy Keane .

Cisse scored 10 league goals for the Black Cats that season, including in a 2-1 win against arch rivals Newcastle in October 2008.

Despite this, Sunderland didn’t take up the option to buy him permanently, and he returned to Marseille.

After spells with Panathinaikos and Lazio , Cisse joined QPR in January 2012.

The Frenchman scored some vital goals for the club, including a goal in a 3-2 comeback victory against former club Liverpool, and a late winner in a 1-0 home victory over Stoke , as the Hoops stayed up by just one point.

Cisse called time on his career in 2015 due to injury, however he returned to football in 2017 with Swiss club Yverdon .

He retired again in 2021 after a spell with American side Panathinaikos Chicago .

He made 41 appearances for France , scoring nine times and appeared at two FIFA World Cup’s .

He also helped them win the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.

What happened to Djibril Cisse?

Cisse has stated that he wants to return to football to reach the 100 goal mark in Ligue 1 .

He played with Marseille, Auxerre and Bastia in the French top division, and is offering his services in order to reach his target.

Despite this, in January 2023 he was still without a club.

Where is Djibril Cisse now?

Cisse became a model for German supermarket Lidl’s clothing range in 2022.

He has also had ventures into the music industry, and has occasionally worked as a DJ and producer.

LIVERPOOL legend Steve Finnan is set to auction off his 2005 Champions League winners medal after racking up £3.6million of debt.

Former Ireland defender Finnan, 44, will pawn off a number of his most prized possessions including a signed jersey from the night.

Finnan started the final in Istanbul, which is regarded as one of the most remarkable games in football history, where Liverpool mounted a comeback from 3-0 down to go on to win the title.

And now Finnan is preparing to say goodbye to the memorabilia as he desperately needs to raise some quick cash.

Finnan’s Champions League winning medal has been listed on Graham Budd Auctions.

It is expected to fetch between £11,800 and £15,400 while the two signed jerseys on the site range between £725 and £2550.

A Champions League replica trophy has been listed between £5000 and £7000.

His Champions League final runner up medal from 2007, which his side lost to AC Milan, is also up for grabs.

The 44-year-old will also be parting ways with a Frank Muller Conquistador wristwatch that was presented to him after the 2005 final and is worth close to £20,000.

Earlier this month it was reported that Finnan was tackling debts of over £3.6m after his London Property development business collapsed.

The former Portsmouth defender was involved in a number of investments based around the Wimbledon area of London.

But he fell out with his business partner and brother Sean over the management of the business and has moved to get him declared bankrupt.

Finnan had an illustrious career at Liverpool where he played five seasons at the club.

Along with starting their two Champions League finals, Finnan played over 200 times for the Merseyside club and also won an FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup.

And Limerick man Finnan will be auctioning off his medals – with his 2006 FA Cup winning medal expected to fetch up to £7260.

Before moving to Liverpool, Finnan became a club legend at London side Fulham.

He was twice included in the PFA Team of the Year in the First and Second Division while also picking up the Club Player of the Year award in 2002.

And the retired right back established himself as one of the best defenders in world football and was named in the Premier League Team of the Year alongside Shay Given and Roy Keane for the 2001-02 season.

After leaving Liverpool, Finnan played for Spanish club Espanyol before heading back to England for a season to play with Portsmouth where his final appearance in football was in the 2010 FA Cup final loss to Chelsea before retiring.

Finnan also went on to play 52 times for Ireland, scoring twice for his country and featured in all four of their World Cup games in 2002.

Coming off the bench against Holland in 2001, Finnan provided the cross that was finished by Jason McAteer in an unlikely 1-0 win that helped earn Ireland a World Cup play-off.

And Finnan follows the same fate as former team-mate David James, who also had to auction off his footballing memorabilia back in 2014.

The former England shot stopper was declared bankrupt six years ago and auctioned 150 signed shirts, match balls and shorts as he looked to clear his debts.

LEICESTER CITY are allegedly demanding at least £40million for James Maddison.

The England international is about to enter the final year of his contract and looks set to depart following relegation.

The Foxes are set for a clearout in order to raise funds and know that the 26-year-old attacker is one of their most-sellable assets.

Maddison has been linked with an exit for months with Newcastle long-term admirers of the star .

Tottenham are also keen while Arsenal have now made him one of their top summer targets.

But any hopes of landing him for a cut-price fee appear to have been dashed.

According to The Athletic , he remains valued at £40m and Leicester hope that they could receive even more if a bidding war ensues.

Despite a dreadful campaign from the 2016 Premier League title winners, the ex-Coventry and Norwich attacker still managed to shine.

Maddison scored ten goals and registered nine assists in the top-flight.

He has been at the King Power since 2018 but after regaining his place in the Three Lions set-up, he knows he needs to be playing at the top level to make next summer’s European Championship squad.

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The versatile playmaker is equally comfortable being deployed as a midfielder or out wide.

And that makes him an attractive proposition for both Mikel Arteta’s Gunners and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle as they prepare for Champions League football next term.

Fellow winger Harvey Barnes could also be another player sold by Leicester.

Aston Villa and West Ham are both interested in the £40m-rated ace.

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ARSENAL have allegedly received a huge Declan Rice transfer boost.

The West Ham captain, 24, looks set to depart the London Stadium this summer.

The Hammers are demanding at least £100million for their academy graduate, despite his current contract expiring in 2024.

And manager David Moyes recently admitted that there is a good chance” his influential skipper could leave the club at the end of this season – with James Ward-Prowse lined up as a possible replacement .

Arsenal and Manchester United have been long-term admirers of Rice, with the Emirates side once the favourites to land him in a club-record transfer .

Bayern were also weighing up a move for the Hammers ace and we reported last week how the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions were preparing to step-up their pursuit of the England midfielder .

However, it then emerged that Rice had snubbed a move to Germany and now The Athletic have claimed that Arsenal are leading the chase.

United have been tracking the midfielder long-term and are still “keeping abreast of Rice’s situation going into the summer”.

But they also claim that “the fee being quoted and manager Erik ten Hag’s priorities lying elsewhere mean a turnaround is required for a formal approach from Old Trafford” to West Ham.

Rice is currently preparing for what is expected to be his last match for the Hammers in Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina .

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Meanwhile, Ten Hag looks to be closing in on landing Mason Mount to bolster his midfield.

The academy graduate looks set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer after reportedly agreeing terms with Man United

The Red Devils will have to pay £70million plus add-ons if they want to sign Mount .

Chelsea are prepared to let the England star run down the final year of his contract rather than sell him for a price below their current valuation.

There have been talks between the two clubs after United agreed personal terms with Mount.

But Chelsea are digging in amid interest from Liverpool, Arsenal , Bayern Munich and other clubs.

SERGEJ MILINKOVIC-SAVIC appeared to wave goodbye to Lazio fans during his last appearance of the season.

The Serbian midfielder came off in the final minute against Empoli in the last game of the Serie A season.

While walking off the pitch the Lazio star took a moment to wave to the fans amid rumours of a move to the Premier League .

After the final whistle, he went over to applaud the fans he has played in front of for eight years.

It comes after another impressive campaign in Italy ‘s capital having helped the club qualify for the Champions League .

He scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 36 appearances in the league.

Milinkovic-Savic, 28, has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool .

Newcastle are also believed to be in the running for his signature after qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.

The midfielder’s contract at the Stadio Olimpico is set to expire at the end of next season.

And clubs are eyeing up a cut-price move for the Serbian, as Italian outlet CalcioMercato claims he could be bought for as little as £22.5million this summer.

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Lazio are willing to let him go this summer in order to avoid losing him for free in 2024.

He has also been linked with a transfer that would see him remain in Italy with Inter Milan and AC Milan both touted with an interest in him.

Fans of the Serie A outfit are aware that is extremely likely that he will be moving on this summer.

During Lazio’s win over Cremonese in May, they held up a banner saying: “Whether here or somewhere else, you will always be in our hearts. Sergej, Laziale for life.”