Thanks to the arrival of one of L1's leading players in the very recent past, the first reinforcement wish has come true on Wednesday 1 January 2025. Do we still need to introduce Seko Fofana? Trained at Paris FC, FC Lorient and Manchester City, the Parisian by birth first cut his teeth as a professional footballer with Fulham in the Championship and Bastia, where he discovered the French league. In 2016, Udinese Calcio snapped up the solid and versatile midfielder. In the north of Italy, he not only performed well but was also very consistent, exceeding the 30-game mark in each of his four seasons with Friuli (13 goals, 12 assists).
A successful spell in the French capital attracted the attention of a number of clubs, and in 2020 RC Lens decided to make the biggest transfer in their history. Once again, in northern France this time, Seko showed off his talent. He played a big part in the Artésiens' exceptional season in 2022-2023, which ended just one point behind champions Paris. After making a name for himself in France, the Côte d'Ivoire international took on a new challenge in the summer of 2023, joining Saudi club Al-Nassr FC before being loaned out to Al-Ettifaq six months later. At the same time, he played an active role in the Elephants' triumphant campaign at the 2024 African Cup of Nations.
Eager to return to the French game where he excelled, Seko Fofana has given his preference to Stade Rennais F.C. with the ambition of once again playing in the top flight.
Arnaud Pouille, Executive Chair and Managing Director :
« First of all, I'd like to wish the fans and all the Red and Black staff a happy new year.
As far as Seko's arrival is concerned, it was thought through in the first few days after the arrival of coach Jorge Sampaoli. So we're delighted to welcome him today, as we look forward to 2025. It's a sign of the determination of the owners and the entire board to build something bright for the future of Stade Rennais. In the final analysis, sport is based above all on human relationships and trust. And I'm delighted to see Seko Fofana back here at Stade Rennais. Everyone knows the player, but the man also deserves to be known. He's starting work today with his new team-mates and I'm sure he'll quickly integrate into the group and the Rennes environment. »
Frederic Massara, Sporting Director sportif :
« He's a very good player who's going to help us a lot because he's shown all his qualities since the start of his career. He's got a great personality and a great mentality. He's a player who knows Ligue 1 well and has achieved some great things, and not just in the French league. I've known him for a long time, having watched him a lot when he was playing in Calcio. When I was in Rome and Milan, we always had difficult games against Seko Fofana and Udinese. Seeing him join us today is a great source of satisfaction. We have the utmost confidence in him. We're convinced that he'll be able to make a rapid contribution to the team both technically and in terms of his state of mind. He will embody the mentality we want to develop for the team. »
Seko Fofana :
« I'm very happy to be joining Stade Rennais and starting 2025 with this new challenge. I've always kept a close eye on Stade Rennais, and it's a club that I've met many times. Discussions with Arnaud Pouille and Frederic Massara made all the difference. They told me about the project and the expectations of the shareholders. The message was strong and the decision was very simple after that. I'm very excited at the idea of starting out, there are some talented players at Rennes and I don't think the club is where it should be. We're going to get the chance to play a series of games and show that the start of the season was below the club's potential. I hope we can turn things around very quickly. »
Seko Fofana
Age: 29
Born on 7 July 1995 in Paris (France)
Midfielder
1m85
Right-footed
Trained at Paris FC
Ivory Coast international: 25 matches
Professional career:
Fulham FC, from 2014 to 2015 - 25 matches (1 goal)
SC Bastia, from 2015 to 2016 - 33 matches (1 goal, 2 assists)
Udinese Calcio, from 2016 to 2020 - 119 matches (13 goals, 12 assists)
RC Lens, from 2020 to 2023 - 112 matches (21 goals, 12 assists)
Al-Nassr FC, in 2023 - 19 matches (2 goals, 1 assist)
Al-Ettifaq FC, in 2024 - 29 matches (2 goals, 2 assists)
Honours and awards :
African Cup of Nations with Côte d'Ivoire (2024)
Arab Champion Clubs Cup with Al-Nassr FC (2023)
Voted African Player of the Year in Ligue 1 in 2022-2023
Member of the model team for the 2022-2023 Ligue 1 season at the UNFP trophies
