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Garra DembeleMalian footballer, striker
Date of Birth: 21.02.1986
Country:  Mali |
Content:
Early Career
Mohamed Dembele is a Malian footballer who played as a striker. He began his professional career with French club Auxerre. After leaving Auxerre in January 2007, Dembele had stints with FC Istres and Aarhus Gymnastik Forening before returning to Auxerre six months later.
Journey through Greece and Bulgaria
In July 2008, Dembele terminated his contract with Auxerre and moved to Greece, signing with Pierikos. He played 32 matches for Pierikos over a year and a half, scoring six goals. In January 2010, he joined Bulgaria's Lokomotiv Plovdiv, appearing in 14 games and scoring five goals.
Joining and Success with FC Levski
On June 5, 2010, Dembele signed a three-year contract with the Bulgarian giants FC Levski Sofia for a transfer fee of around €200,000. He made his unofficial debut on July 1, scoring against FC Metalist Kharkiv.
During his time at Levski, Dembele became a prolific goalscorer. He netted a goal in Levski's 6-0 win over Dundalk FC in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. In the return leg, he scored both goals in Levski's 2-0 victory. In the opening round of the Bulgarian championship, he scored the winning goal in Levski's victory over CSKA in the "Eternal Derby." Dembele added another two goals in the next qualifying round of the Europa League against Kalmar FF.
In the play-offs against AIK, Dembele scored another crucial goal for his new club, securing Levski's place in the Europa League group stage. With six goals in six Europa League qualifying games, Dembele emerged as the competition's top scorer. On August 9, 2010, he scored his first hat-trick for Levski in a 3-1 win over Lokomotiv Sofia.
Legal Issues
Despite his success on the field, Dembele faced legal troubles off of it. In December 2010, he was arrested for driving under the influence and using forged documents. He was sentenced to eight months' suspended sentence, a temporary driving ban, and a fine.
