Dynamo Kyiv has loaned winger Samba Diallo to Hapoel Jerusalem. This is a one-year lease without a buyout option.
Samba Diallo. Photo by Yuriy YurievDiallo's departure from the team did not come as a surprise. The Senegalese winger has no playing time in the first team and was a player in the far rotation. At best, Samba could count on some minutes at the end of the game. Now Oleksandr Shovkovskyi has 4 full-fledged wingers at his disposal - Andriy Yarmolenko, Nazar Voloshyn, Vladyslav Kabaev and Maksym Bragara. When rumors of Bragaru's move to the Ukrainian capital began to circulate at the beginning of the year, it became clear that no one was counting on Diallo.
Samba Diallo came to Kyiv thanks to his agent Vadim Vasiliev. He brought him to the capital of Ukraine for a viewing. The Senegalese had only one training session in March, and then he tested positive for covid. Ihor Kostiuk insisted that he stay. Six months later, Samba made a big splash at the youth level.
Samba Diallo became famous thanks to the UEFA Youth League. The Senegalese legionnaire performed very well at the level of this tournament. Man City and Bayern Munich began to attribute interest to him, and he was called Dynamo's Mane. At the same time, before that, Diallo was a complete unknown even at the level of youth football. Nobody knew him at all.
But Samba was never able to play in the adult team. Another winger, Nazar Voloshyn, made it through, but Diallo was unable to move on to adult football. Although he had very good opportunities to prove himself. "Dynamo had a staff shortage after the war started. There were especially problems at the winger position. Even the central midfielder Volodymyr Shepelev often played as a left midfielder. Mircea Lucescu did not particularly trust Diallo. Nothing changed with the arrival of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi on the coaching bench.
The coach's trust is very important, but a lot depends on the player himself. Samba has no character, no willpower. A new and improved contract after his success in the UEFA Youth League did not do him any good. He never learned the language. African players are always problematic.
I think Diallo can be compared somewhere to Gio Tsitaishvili. He also has speed and creativity, but problems with intensity and defense. This is a kind of youth football that is not specific at the adult level. At the youth level, Tsitaivshili was rated even higher than Kvicha Kvaratskhelia. Today there is a gap between these players.
When the war broke out, all the legionnaires had to find teams. A club takes a player for free, and then, if they wish, they can negotiate a transfer. The risks are minimal. There was no one willing to take Diallo even for free for a year (in fact, 3 years). You need to start your journey from the bottom and prove your right to adult football. If Samba wants to play for Dynamo, he needs to be a player of the appropriate level. All his successes at the youth football level have already been forgotten.
There is no one to blame in this situation. The transition from youth to adult football is not easy. It is almost impossible to guess. At one time, Dinamo Zagreb had Antoni Marin, who was called the "Croatian Ronaldo". Expectations were huge. Today he plays only in the Slovenian championship. Dynamo Kyiv had high hopes for Artem Shuliansky and Vikentiy Voloshyn, but they never fully realized their potential. Character, injuries, professionalism, chance - there are a lot of components.
I don't believe that Diallo will ever play for Dynamo's first team or reach the leading European championships. He will finish his contract with Dynamo through loans, after which he will change teams every season, playing in the lower leagues of the French, Swiss, Turkish, and other championships.
Serhiy Tyshchenko
