Mamadou Sakho: President of the Liverpool Country

As things stand, Mamadou Sakho is without a doubt, the most loved player of Liverpool Football Club. Since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2013, he has stolen the hearts of Liverpool fans with his amusing, humble personality. I remember once he hopped into a stand filled with Liverpool fans, and acted like a ridiculous fan boy, screaming at Skrtel, Lucas, and Adam Lallana for an autograph until the latter finally made his way to him and signed his shirt.

Honestly, there are so many reasons to love the big man, and I do feel for him as he’s just picked up an achilles injury that will keep him out for a month. However when on the pitch, he’s the most passionate player to wear the Liverpool shirt at the moment. The countless times you see him put his body on the line for the club, it’s fans, and his teammates, clearance after clearance, block after block, and interception after interception. His anger when he got subbed off during the Capital One Cup Final, due to a concussion, the passion during the derby at Goodison Park with the intense face-off between himself and Romelu Lukaku, the goal he scored at Anfield against Borussia Dortmund and the State of the Nation’s Address (SONA) he held shortly after that win, the run up to Kolo Toure after his goal in the derby at Anfield, and the silly interview about the Scouse phrases he’s learned.

He looked as if he lacked confidence and would eventually lose the ball or give it away, but he never does, really. It had to come from Joey Barton to make the Liverpool fans and football fanatics around the world believe how good of a footballer the French national really is.

“Mamadou Sakho is the most unorthodox, efficient, unbalanced, effective defender on the planet. Watching him is similar to viewing a clown spin plates. You are just waiting for them to smash on the floor. Yet, somehow he keeps it going. Contradicts the laws of motion with every touch. The man is a genius. A true one off.”

Granted, it’s what he’s paid to do, but it’s not often you see someone like that who goes about his job with such passion. And we absolutely adore him for that.

Off the pitch, the beast of a defender also has the softest of hearts. You can see the importance of helping the community is to him. You can tell that what he does for the people around him isn’t just for public relations purposes. You can really see that he helps the people who aren’t so lucky to have a better chance at life, and that’s what makes him so genuine. Mama has devoted himself to helping children in and out of Merseyside with the charities, the children, building schools in Africa through his own foundation (AMSAK), and has even called himself a Scouser.

A few months ago, Mama was charged by UEFA for allegedly doping with fat burners, which caused him to miss a substantial amount of games for Liverpool, including a European Cup Final, as well as being unable to represent his country for the 2016 European Championship. A few days ago, his case was dismissed by the same governing body after the footballer’s attorneys have cited that the “fat burner” shouldn’t even be on the WADA’s prohibited list of drugs.

Let’s get one thing straight. This is a cut and dry case. Mamadou Sakho pleaded guilty for using the said drug. Therefore, Sakho IS guilty of taking the drug. He is NOT however, guilty of taking a drug that is prohibited. And as a result, UEFA have dismissed the proceedings. So don’t try to force agendas about Sakho and UEFA when the verdict has been given.

Welcome back, Mamadou Sakho. President of the Liverpool Country.