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Djimi TraoreMalian footballer, defender of Portsmouth and the Mali national team.
Date of Birth: 01.03.1980
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Jimmy Traore
Jimmy Traore is a Malian footballer who has played as a defender for Portsmouth and the Malian national team. He is currently on loan at French club Rennes. Traore is most well-known for his performances with English club Liverpool, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League in 2005.
Early Career
Traore began his career at Laval, a club in his hometown. In February 1999, Gerard Houllier bought Traore's transfer for £500,000, and he moved to Liverpool. However, Traore did not become a regular player in the first team and spent the 2001/2002 season on loan at Lens, filling in for injured Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz.
Time at Liverpool
Under Houllier's management, Traore mainly played for Liverpool's reserves, and in 2004, he nearly joined their rivals Everton but decided to stay. With the arrival of new manager Rafael Benitez, Traore returned to the first team. However, he faced criticism for his poor positioning and silly mistakes. One notable mistake was when he scored an own goal in a match against Burnley in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup in the 2004/2005 season. Despite this, Traore remained a regular player and participated in the Champions League final against AC Milan. Although he made a mistake early in the game, he redeemed himself by preventing a goal from Andriy Shevchenko. Liverpool went on to win the match, and Traore became the first Malian footballer to win the Champions League.
Move to Charlton and Portsmouth
In the 2005/2006 season, Traore found himself pushed out of the team by John Arne Riise and Stephen Warnock. As a result, he decided to leave Liverpool and joined Charlton for £2 million on August 8, 2006. However, his debut for Charlton did not go well as he received two yellow cards and was sent off in a match against West Ham United. Traore's time at Charlton was further hindered by injuries, leading him to seek a new club. He chose to join Portsmouth, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. Traore played in nine matches for Portsmouth in the remaining season but only appeared on the field three times the following year. In January 2008, he was loaned to French club Rennes.
Throughout his career, Traore has achieved success, winning several titles including the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool. He was also a finalist in the League Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Traore's time at Lens saw him become the runner-up in the French league.
Overall, Jimmy Traore's career has seen him represent top clubs and achieve success at both domestic and international levels.
