Djibril Cisse has revealed he did not want to leave Liverpool when he joined Marseille in 2006, despite growing up a fan of the French club. The former striker, who helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, was keen to stay at Anfield but was sold after manager Rafa Benitez signed Fernando Torres.
Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2020, Cisse said: "I had a five-year contract and wanted to see it out, but Rafa had different ideas and eventually signed Torres. That's football, although I wish I'd been given a bit more time." The 44-year-old initially joined Marseille on loan in 2006, with the move becoming permanent a year later.
Cisse, who netted 24 times in 79 appearances for Liverpool, admitted there were mixed feelings about leaving. "I grew up a big Marseille fan, so of course I was excited to join them, but I didn't want to leave Liverpool. By now I had a family, and my kids were settled," he explained.
Despite his reluctance, Cisse's move to Marseille proved successful as he scored 37 goals in 80 games for the Ligue 1 side. He later returned to the Premier League on loan at Sunderland and had a stint at QPR.
