Florent Sinama Pongolle

Florent Sinama Pongolle

Sinama Pongolle during a game with Rostov in 2012
Personal information
Full name Florent Stéphane Sinama Pongolle
Date of birth (1984-10-20) 20 October 1984
Place of birth Saint-Pierre, Réunion
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 12 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
Dundee United
Number 54
Youth career
Saint-Pierroise
1995–2001 Le Havre
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2006 Liverpool 38 (4)
2001–2003Le Havre (loan) 42 (7)
2006Blackburn Rovers (loan) 10 (1)
2006–2008 Recreativo 68 (22)
2008–2010 Atlético Madrid 40 (5)
2010–2012 Sporting CP 5 (1)
2010–2011Zaragoza (loan) 24 (4)
2011–2012Saint-Étienne (loan) 23 (4)
2012–2014 FC Rostov 18 (2)
2014 Chicago Fire 7 (1)
2015 Lausanne-Sport 0 (0)
2015– Dundee United 4 (0)
National team
2001 France U17 6 (9)
2002–2006 France U21 37 (11)
2008 France 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 May 2016.

† Appearances (goals)

Florent Stéphane Sinama Pongolle (born 20 October 1984) is a French professional footballer who plays for Scottish club Dundee United as a forward.

He was signed at only 16 by Liverpool, but could never impose himself in the first team. He also spent several seasons in Spain, with Recreativo, Atlético Madrid and Zaragoza.

Club career

Liverpool

Sinama Pongolle was born in Saint-Pierre, Réunion. In 2001 he, along with his cousin Anthony Le Tallec,[1] was signed from Le Havre AC by Liverpool, after some impressive performances in both the UEFA European Under-16 Championship and the FIFA Under-17 World Championship. He was named player of the tournament as France won the latter competition,[2] and would remain – as Le Tallec – two further years at Le Havre, loaned.[1]

After his return, Sinama Pongolle appeared sporadically with the English, with some highlights however: in the club's victorious campaign in the UEFA Champions League, he came from the bench against Olympiacos F.C. and immediately netted Liverpool's equaliser to make it 1–1, in an eventual 3–1 win and qualification to the round-of-16;[3] he was, however, left out of the squad for the final.

Sinama Pongolle also netted in the third round of the 2005–06 FA Cup against Luton Town, as he helped Liverpool come from 3–1 down to a final score of 5–3, with the Reds finally emerging victorious in the tournament, and scoring in the 2005–06 Champions League 2–1 success at Real Betis, with a memorable chip from 20 yards.[4]

In late January 2006, Sinama Pongolle was loaned to fellow Premier League side Blackburn Rovers until the end of the season.[5] He scored once for the club, a 2–3 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.[6]

Spain

On 30 August 2006 Sinama Pongolle signed a one-year contract at Recreativo de Huelva,[7] with an option to sign on for a further two years. On 4 May 2007 the Andalusians confirmed he had agreed to a deal until 2011, for a fee of 4 million.[8] He was Recre's top goalscorer in his two La Liga seasons with the team, at 12 and 10 respectively.

Sinama Pongolle joined Atlético Madrid on 3 July 2008, for a fee believed to be in the region of £8 million.[9] Initially thought of as a backup to Diego Forlán and Sergio Agüero, he benefitted from an injury to the Uruguayan, scoring four goals in his first five league appearances for the Colchoneros, with braces against former club Recreativo[10] and Getafe CF;[11] later in his debut campaign, injury and match bans to Maxi Rodríguez saw him playing several games successfully at right winger, as the side once again finished fourth.

Sporting / Rostov

In the winter transfer market opening in 2010, Sinama Pongolle was transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal for €6.5 million, with the fee possibly raising to €7.5.[12] On 26 March 2010 he scored his first goal for the Lions, but also conceded an own goal in a 2–3 loss at C.S. Marítimo.

Sinama Pongolle spent the following two seasons on loan, with Real Zaragoza and AS Saint-Étienne, the latter in his homeland. On 30 August 2012 he terminated his contract with Sporting, going on to spend two years in the Russian Premier League with FC Rostov where he featured rarely.[13]

Later years

On 9 September 2014, Sinama Pongolle signed with Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire Soccer Club.[14] In November of the following year, after a short spell in Switzerland with FC Lausanne-Sport, he joined Dundee United.[15]

International career

After his under-16 and under-17 exploits, Sinama Pongolle made his France under-21 debut on 21 August 2002. He was a part of the squad that participated in the 2006 UEFA European Championship which took place in Portugal[16] and, at the end of his four-year tenure with this category, ranked first in caps (37) and goals (11).

Sinama Pongolle played his only game with the senior side on 14 October 2008, during a 3–1 friendly win with Tunisia.[17]

Statistics

Club

As of 8 December 2013[18]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2001–02Le HavreLigue 21121011-133
2002–03Ligue 13152100-336
2003–04LiverpoolPremier League152302030232
2004–05162104141254
2005–0670121051143
Blackburn Rovers101000000101
2006–07RecreativoLa Liga3412 --3412
2007–083410 --3410
2008–09Atlético Madrid305 -90305
2009–1010011-30111
2009–10SportingPrimeira Liga5110001071
2010–11ZaragozaLa Liga24400--244
2011–12Saint-ÉtienneLigue 12341010-254
2012–13RostovRussian Premier League10110--111
2013–148130--111
2014Chicago FireMLS710000-71
Country France 65114121-7113
England 48552711227210
Spain 13231 -12013231
Portugal 5110001071
Russia 18240--222
USA 7100000071
Total 275511439225234659

International

France
YearAppsGoals
200810
Total10

Honours

Club

Liverpool
Rostov

Country

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 Bright future ahead for rising French cousins; Bleacher Report, 24 April 2009
  2. Florent Sinama PongolleFIFA competition record
  3. Liverpool through after thriller
  4. Liverpool savour flying start
  5. Sinama seals Rovers loan move; UEFA.com, 31 January 2006
  6. "Tottenham 3–2 Blackburn". BBC Sport. 5 March 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  7. Spain calls for Sinama Pongolle; UEFA.com, 30 August 2006
  8. Sinama Pongolle signs for Recreativo; UEFA.com, 4 May 2007
  9. Sinama Pongolle alights at Atlético; UEFA.com, 4 July 2008
  10. Atlético Madrid 4–0 Recreativo Huelva; ESPN Soccernet, 20 September 2008
  11. Getafe 1–2 Atlético Madrid; ESPN Soccernet, 24 September 2008
  12. "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). CMVM. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  13. "Sinama-Pongolle heads to Russia". FIFA.com. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  14. "NEWS: Chicago Fire announce the signing of French forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle". Chicago Fire. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  15. "Florent Sinama Pongolle signs for Dundee United after trial". BBC Sport. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  16. Goals the goal for Sinama-Pongolle; UEFA.com, 23 May 2006
  17. "Des Bleus à réaction" [Blues react] (in French). Foot 365. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  18. "F. Sinama-Pongolle". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 May 2014.

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