[lfc-news] Diarra shines in France - Official Site

Official LFC Website, 4 Oct 2004
DIARRA SHINES IN FRANCE
By Chahine Benabadji

Liverpool's on-loan midfielder Alou Diarra was on top form as he scored for
Lens on Saturday and had a double celebration as he was called up for
international duty with France.
Diarra played as a defensive midfielder for Lens against Corsican side
Ajaccio and opened the scoring after just 44 seconds with a powerful header.

The early goal couldn't help Lens claim the three points as Ajaccio
equalised only 15 minutes later. The game ended 1-1 and Lens are now 12th
in the French championship.

Diarra, who signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2002, has never played a
first team game for Liverpool, aside 45 minutes in a friendly in Le Havre.
Diarra has established himself as a regular player in the RC Lens first
team since he joined the club on a one-year loan deal in the summer.

His brilliant performances so far this season have seen him rewarded with a
call-up from French national coach Raymond Domenech for the World cup
qualifiers against Republic of Ireland on Saturday and Cyprus next week.

Meanwhile another Liverpool loaned player Bruno Cheyrou returned to action
over the weekend for Marseille.

Since joining Marseille, the player once dubbed the new Zidane by Gerard
Houllier, Cheyrou has had a bad time of it back in France. He missed the
last two games with injury but returned on Saturday and came on as a
substitute 12 minutes before the final whistle against Istres.

He didn't make much of an impact though as Marseille was already cruising
to a 2-0 victory at their neighbour's ground.