Abou Diaby

Abou Diaby, born Vassiriki Abou Diaby on 11 May 1986, is a French former professional footballer of Ivorian descent who retired from football in February 2019. He was a box-to-box midfielder, comfortable both in attack and in defence, and was often compared with his Arsenal teammate Patrick Vieira for his physical presence and positional preference. Born in Paris and raised in Aubervilliers, he came through Red Star Paris and the Clairefontaine academy before turning professional with Auxerre in the 2004 to 2005 season. He signed for Arsenal in January 2006, was released in 2015 after persistent injury problems, and then joined Marseille. He played for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and his career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries.