Coli Saco: Mali-French midfielder leaves Napoli to join Riga FC in Virsliga switch

Mali-French midfielder Coli Saco has joined Latvian champions Riga FC from Napoli, ending a five-year spell with the Italian club’s system to move into the Virsliga. The 24-year-old central midfielder makes the switch after a series of loans away from Naples and will now continue his career in the Latvian top flight.

Saco, a left-footed midfielder born in Creteil, stands at 1.97m and offers Riga a physically imposing option in the centre of the pitch. He arrives with a current market valuation of €200,000 and recent experience in Italian and Swiss football, having spent last season on loan at Casertana in Serie C.

During the Serie C play-offs in the 2025-26 campaign, Saco featured three times for Casertana and scored once, registering a goal involvement in 20% of his team’s play-off goals. Those performances followed earlier loan spells from Napoli at Bari, Ancona, Pro Vercelli and Swiss side Yverdon Sport as he sought regular senior minutes away from Serie A.

Saco initially joined Napoli’s youth ranks in 2021 after leaving Milan’s academy, having previously developed at FC Sochaux and Le Havre at youth level. His pathway has been built through a series of temporary moves, but the transfer to Riga represents a fresh chapter outside Italy’s league system.

Riga have now secured Saco’s registration from Napoli, confirming the Malian-French midfielder’s permanent move to the Virsliga club.