Florent Sinama-Pongolle
Encyclopedia
Florent Stéphane Sinama Pongolle (born 20 October 1984 in Saint-Pierre, Réunion
) is a French
footballer who plays for AS Saint-Étienne
on loan from Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Mainly a striker who can also appear as a winger, pace and mobility are his best attributes.
Anthony Le Tallec
, was signed from Le Havre AC
by Liverpool
, after some impressive performances in both the European Under-16 Championship
and the Under-17 World Championship
. He was named player of the tournament as France won the latter competition, and would remain (as Le Tallec) two further years at Le Havre, loaned.
After his return, Sinama Pongolle appeared sporadically with the Reds, with some highlights however: In the club's victorious UEFA Champions League
campaign, he came from the bench against Olympiacos F.C. and immediately netted Liverpool's equaliser to make it 1–1, in an eventual 3–1 win and qualification to the round of 16; he was, however, left out of the squad for the final
.
Sinama Pongolle also netted in the third round of the 2005–06 FA Cup against Luton Town
, as he helped Liverpool come from 3–1 down to a final score of 5–3, with the Reds finally emerging victorious in the tournament
, and scoring in the 2005–06 Champions League 2–1 success at Real Betis
, with a memorable chip from 20 yards.
In late January 2006, Sinama Pongolle was loaned to fellow Premier League side Blackburn Rovers
until the end of the season. He scored once for the club, a 2–3 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
.
, with an option to sign on for a further two years. On 4 May 2007, the Andalusia
outfit confirmed he signed a permanent deal until 2011, for a fee of €
4 million (£
2.7 million). He was Recre's top goalscorer in his two La Liga
seasons with the team (12 and 10 respectively).
Sinama Pongolle signed a four-year contract with Atlético de Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of €10 million (£8 million), on 3 July 2008. Initially thought of as a backup to Diego Forlán
and Sergio Agüero
, he benefitted from an injury to the Uruguay
an, netting four goals in his first five league appearances for the Colchoneros, with braces against former side Recreativo and Getafe CF
; later in his first season, injury and match bans to team captain Maxi Rodríguez saw him playing several games successfully at right winger, as Atlético once again finished fourth.
, in a 2–3 loss at C.S. Marítimo.
Sinama Pongolle spent the following two seasons on loan, with Real Zaragoza
and AS Saint-Étienne
, the latter in his homeland. He scored his first goal for AS Saint-Étienne from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win away to Nice
.
debut on 21 August 2002. He was a part of the squad that participated in the 2006 European Championship, which took place from 23 May to 4 June in Portugal
. At the end of his four-year tenure with this category, he ranked first in caps
(37) and goals (11).
Sinama Pongolle received his first senior cap
on 14 October 2008, during a friendly match with Tunisia
, in a 3–1 win.
|2001/02||rowspan="2"|Le Havre
||Ligue 2
||11||2||1||0||1||1||colspan="2"|-||13||3
|-
|2002/03||Ligue 1
||31||5||2||1||0||0||colspan="2"|-||33||6
|-
|2003/04||rowspan="3"|Liverpool
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||15||2||3||0||2||0||3||0||23||2
|-
|2004/05||16||2||1||0||4||1||4||1||25||4
|-
|2005/06||7||0||1||2||1||0||5||1||14||3
|-
|2005/06||Blackburn Rovers
||Premier League||10||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||1
|-
|2006/07||rowspan="2"|Recreativo
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||34||12||0||0||0||0||0||0||34||12
|-
|2007/08||34||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||34||10
|-
|2008/09||rowspan="2"|Atlético Madrid||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||30||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||30||5
|-
|2009/10||10||0||||||||||||||10||0
|-
|2009/10||Sporting||Primeira Liga||5||1||||||||||||||5||1
|-
|2010/11||Zaragoza
||La Liga
||24||4||||||||||||||24||4
42||7||3||1||1||1||colspan="2"|-||46||9
48||5||5||2||7||1||12||2||72||10
132||31||0||0||0||0||0||0||132||31
5||1||||||||||||||5||1
226||44||8||3||8||2||12||2||254||51
|}
|2008||1||0
|-
!Total||1||0
|}
Saint-Pierre, Réunion
Saint-Pierre is the third-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the southwest side of the island of Réunion.-External links:*...
) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer who plays for AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
on loan from Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Mainly a striker who can also appear as a winger, pace and mobility are his best attributes.
Liverpool
In 2001, Sinama Pongolle, along with his cousinCousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Anthony Le Tallec
Anthony Le Tallec
Anthony Le Tallec is a French footballer who plays for AJ Auxerre in Ligue 1, as a forward or attacking midfielder.-Liverpool:...
, was signed from Le Havre AC
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, after some impressive performances in both the European Under-16 Championship
2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Quarterfinals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
and the Under-17 World Championship
2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2001 was held in the cities of Port of Spain, Malabar, Marabella, Couva, and Bacolet in Trinidad and Tobago between 13 September and 30 September 2001. Players born after 1 January 1984 could participate in this tournament...
. He was named player of the tournament as France won the latter competition, and would remain (as Le Tallec) two further years at Le Havre, loaned.
After his return, Sinama Pongolle appeared sporadically with the Reds, with some highlights however: In the club's victorious UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
campaign, he came from the bench against Olympiacos F.C. and immediately netted Liverpool's equaliser to make it 1–1, in an eventual 3–1 win and qualification to the round of 16; he was, however, left out of the squad for the final
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
.
Sinama Pongolle also netted in the third round of the 2005–06 FA Cup against Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, as he helped Liverpool come from 3–1 down to a final score of 5–3, with the Reds finally emerging victorious in the tournament
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, and scoring in the 2005–06 Champions League 2–1 success at Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
, with a memorable chip from 20 yards.
In late January 2006, Sinama Pongolle was loaned to fellow Premier League side Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
until the end of the season. He scored once for the club, a 2–3 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
Spain
On 30 August 2006, Sinama Pongolle signed a one-year contract at Recreativo de HuelvaRecreativo de Huelva
Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 23 December 1889, it is the oldest football team in Spain, and currently plays in the second division, holding home games at Estadio Nuevo Colombino, which has a...
, with an option to sign on for a further two years. On 4 May 2007, the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
outfit confirmed he signed a permanent deal until 2011, for a fee of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
4 million (£
Pound sign
The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...
2.7 million). He was Recre's top goalscorer in his two La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
seasons with the team (12 and 10 respectively).
Sinama Pongolle signed a four-year contract with Atlético de Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of €10 million (£8 million), on 3 July 2008. Initially thought of as a backup to Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
and Sergio Agüero
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....
, he benefitted from an injury to the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an, netting four goals in his first five league appearances for the Colchoneros, with braces against former side Recreativo and Getafe CF
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez....
; later in his first season, injury and match bans to team captain Maxi Rodríguez saw him playing several games successfully at right winger, as Atlético once again finished fourth.
Sporting
In the winter transfer market opening in 2010, Sinama Pongolle was transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal for €6.5 million, with the fee possibly raising to €7.5. On 26 March 2010, he scored his first goal for the Lions, but also netted in his own goalOwn goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
, in a 2–3 loss at C.S. Marítimo.
Sinama Pongolle spent the following two seasons on loan, with Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
and AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
, the latter in his homeland. He scored his first goal for AS Saint-Étienne from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win away to Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
.
International career
After his under-16 and 17 exploits, Sinama Pongolle made his under-21France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
debut on 21 August 2002. He was a part of the squad that participated in the 2006 European Championship, which took place from 23 May to 4 June in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. At the end of his four-year tenure with this category, he ranked first in caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
(37) and goals (11).
Sinama Pongolle received his first senior cap
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 14 October 2008, during a friendly match with Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
, in a 3–1 win.
Club
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2004–05 - UEFA Super Cup: 20052005 UEFA Super CupThe 2005 UEFA Super Cup was an association football match between Liverpool of England and CSKA Moscow of Russia on 26 August 2005 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Liverpool were appearing in the Super Cup...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2005–06
Individual
- 2001 U-17 World Championship2001 FIFA U-17 World ChampionshipThe FIFA U-17 World Championship 2001 was held in the cities of Port of Spain, Malabar, Marabella, Couva, and Bacolet in Trinidad and Tobago between 13 September and 30 September 2001. Players born after 1 January 1984 could participate in this tournament...
: Golden Ball, Golden Shoe
Club
|-|2001/02||rowspan="2"|Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
||Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
||11||2||1||0||1||1||colspan="2"|-||13||3
|-
|2002/03||Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||31||5||2||1||0||0||colspan="2"|-||33||6
|-
|2003/04||rowspan="3"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||15||2||3||0||2||0||3||0||23||2
|-
|2004/05||16||2||1||0||4||1||4||1||25||4
|-
|2005/06||7||0||1||2||1||0||5||1||14||3
|-
|2005/06||Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||Premier League||10||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||1
|-
|2006/07||rowspan="2"|Recreativo
Recreativo de Huelva
Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 23 December 1889, it is the oldest football team in Spain, and currently plays in the second division, holding home games at Estadio Nuevo Colombino, which has a...
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||34||12||0||0||0||0||0||0||34||12
|-
|2007/08||34||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||34||10
|-
|2008/09||rowspan="2"|Atlético Madrid||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||30||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||30||5
|-
|2009/10||10||0||||||||||||||10||0
|-
|2009/10||Sporting||Primeira Liga||5||1||||||||||||||5||1
|-
|2010/11||Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
||La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||24||4||||||||||||||24||4
42||7||3||1||1||1||colspan="2"|-||46||9
48||5||5||2||7||1||12||2||72||10
132||31||0||0||0||0||0||0||132||31
5||1||||||||||||||5||1
226||44||8||3||8||2||12||2||254||51
|}
International
|-|2008||1||0
|-
!Total||1||0
|}