Moussa Dembele has spoken exclusively to Record Sport's Craig Swan about his time at Celtic, his career since leaving Glasgow, and his current life in Saudi Arabia. The French striker, who turns 30, is now in his fourth year at Al-Ettifaq and has also moved into club ownership and investment.
Career after Celtic
Dembele left Celtic for Lyon in 2018 in a £20million deal. He said: “In Lyon, we managed to get to the semi-final of Champions League. It was the first time in history for the club and I scored in the quarter-final against City again.”
He also had a short spell at Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone. He said: “I also had some great time in Spain also, even though it was a short spell. Different culture, different way of seeing football and life in general. The only thing was it was during COVID, so I didn't have the chance to meet the fans at the stadium. But it was a very enjoyable time. And we won the league with another incredible coach in Simeone.”
Life in Saudi Arabia
Three years ago, Dembele joined Al-Ettifaq in Saudi's Pro League. He said: “I'm in my fourth year now. I'm in a good city, Dammam. The only thing is that in the summer it's really hot! Not like Glasgow when it snowed on my first day! It's totally different, the way of life. And I'm enjoying it. Every single day. People are really nice, really kind.”
Investment and future plans
Dembele has ownership with his group Triple M of FK Minija in Lithuania and also invests in AS Mansa in Mali, his motherland. He said: “I invest in two clubs. One in Mali, my motherland. The Second Division club AS Mansa, making sure that we provide everything for players to help the young players progress and be ready to come to Europe, or even there to achieve things in Africa.”
He added: “The other club is FK Minija in Lithuania. We're in the second division of the Lithuanian league. We're doing really well. We're aiming to get a promotion next year into the First Division. We're in the final of the cup, but we don't want to rush.”
Asked about becoming a chairman, he said: “I don't know, maybe one day, we'll see. Why not? Why not? I still have many years to play. I won't say I’m young, but I still have all my capacity, so there's still a lot of years in front of me, I hope.”
Celtic connection remains
Despite his travels, Dembele says Celtic will never leave him. He said: “Yeah, I keep in touch with the results and what's happening in the league and with the team. Obviously, I'm trying to watch the games. If I cannot, I'll see the results and watch the highlights. Everywhere I go, there's always someone speaking to me about Celtic. Even here in Saudi.”
He recalled a recent trip to New York: “During the summer I was in New York. I had a walk in the morning and I came close to an Irish pub and you could see Celtic flags everywhere inside. I was questioning myself about: Should I go in or not? But no, I just passed by. To be fair, I don't drink. It was just to see the people inside.”
He concluded: “I'm still a big fan. I think you can leave Celtic, but Celtic cannot leave you. It never leaves you. And it won’t leave me.”
