Why Bacary Sagna Chose Montreal

Despite receiving offers from England, Turkey and France, Bacary Sagna made the trek to North America to ply his trade for the Montreal Impact. Why was the former Arsenal right-back determined to play in a different continent in spite the enquiries he received closer to home. It was quite clear what his intentions were when he decided to play for Remi Garde’s side.

Bacary Sagna was also in contact with the Atlanta United, however, a deal that suited both parties failed to come to fruition.

-Quote via Montreal Gazette

There’s plenty of attachment within the Impact squad. Rod Fanni, Zakaria Diallo and Rudy Camacho were all born in France.

When Sagna was unveiled last Tuesday, the Auxerre product mentioned that he’s been following Remi Garde for quite sometime. He also pointed out a few parallels between himself and Garde. Speaking the same language and playing ‘soccer approximately the same way’ will undoubtedly make his transition to Canada much easier.

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Additionally, Didier Drogba played a pivotal role in convincing the French international to join the Impact. In an interview with the MLS website, Sagna stated that Drogba made it abundantly clear that ‘the club was a family environment and that he made the right choice by coming here’.

Due to the familiarity with the players, the coaching staff and the city in general, this was a tantalising option that Sagna saw fit.

There were lingering questions surrounding the fitness of Sagna. However, In his Impact debut, he put doubters to rest with a valiant performance in a plucky win against the Chicago Fire. For his efforts, he was voted as man of the match.

That being said, the Impact will now face off against one of the premier teams of the MLS, the New York Red Bulls. This match will be a gigantic test for the Impact. The Red Bulls have scored at a blistering pace whilst conceding the least amount of goals in the Eastern Conference thus far. This outing could possibly kick start a dramatic run of results for Montreal if they are victorious in such heated contest. It only takes one match to put yourself on the right path. The margin for error is extremely slim.

Bacary Sagna will have to bring his A-game to further increase the Impact’s chances of solidifying a playoff position.

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