Senegalese talent El Hadji Malick Diouf, who has been impressing with Slavia Prague since the start of the 2024 season, recently revealed that he turned down offers from two Spanish clubs before making the move to Norway.
At just 20 years old, Diouf has already made a significant impact, playing as a starter in nearly every match and contributing six goals and three assists in 18 league games.
Diouf’s journey to Slavia Prague began earlier in 2024, when he made the move from Tromsø IL in Norway. However, his path to the Czech club could have been much different.
The left-back, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on December 29, shared that he had the chance to join two prominent Spanish sides—Real Betis and Granada—but ultimately decided against the move.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Prague International, Diouf explained the reasoning behind his decision. “Before I even went there (to Norway), I was at Real Betis,” he recalled.
“That’s where I really started playing left-back. They wanted to keep me but I didn’t like it too much. Why? It was with the B team. I was small and young, it’s true, I could wait but I didn’t really know.
They wanted to make me do a medical, but I said no, I didn’t want to. Then I went to Granada, it was the same thing, I wasn’t a fan of playing in the reserve team. That’s how I went to Norway.”
Diouf’s initial stint in Norway was far from easy. Although he made a name for himself with Tromsø IL, the young defender struggled with the cold climate upon his arrival.
“The climate was not good, seriously,” he chuckled. “It was complicated the first day. It had snowed a lot and I told my brother, ‘seriously, I’m not going to stay here.’
I called my uncle and told him it was cold here. But they convinced me. The climate is crazy there, especially in January.”
Despite the chilly reception, Diouf adapted to the conditions and gradually became an integral part of the team.
His patience paid off when he was eventually given the opportunity to showcase his talents in Tromsø’s first team.
“I started training little by little, even if I went 12 games without playing a single minute in the Championship.
Then I played in the Cup, and everyone started saying ‘wow.’ I just needed to adapt to the climate,” Diouf recalled.
After his successful spell in Norway, Diouf was ready for the next step, and he found it in Slavia Prague. Despite interest from multiple clubs, he felt the Czech side was the ideal choice.
“There were a lot of clubs, but Slavia was the right one for me, it was the ideal choice. I needed to play,” he said, reflecting on his decision to join one of the top clubs in the Czech Republic.
With his impressive performances at Slavia, Diouf has proven that trusting his instincts and taking the road less traveled has paid off.
