Cheikh N’Doye, now plying his trade at AS Cannes, has delivered a scathing critique of his former club, Red Star, following what he perceives to be disrespectful treatment towards him at the end of his tenure.
The Senegalese international, who enjoyed a successful stint with the club from 2020 to 2024, expressed his disappointment during a candid interview on the RMC Mercato show.
The 39-year-old, who previously played for clubs like Angers, Créteil, and Épinal, was a key figure in Red Star’s promotion to Ligue 2, and was hopeful of finishing his career at the Parisian side.
However, what he envisioned as a long and fruitful relationship with the club soured, and N’Doye now looks back with frustration and bitterness.
“I was supposed to finish my career there and work for the club afterward, that’s what the president (Patrice Haddad) said when he presented the project to me,” N’Doye recalled.
“They brought me and my family to Paris, and then they turned their backs on me,” he added, clearly agitated by the turn of events.
A significant turning point in N’Doye’s time at Red Star came with the acquisition of the club by 777 Partners in May 2022.
This marked a sudden shift in the club’s direction, and it was during this time that N’Doye claims his relationship with the club began to deteriorate.
“When he sold the club, he told me that he was no longer the one who made the decisions,” N’Doye said, referring to his discussions with president Patrice Haddad, which abruptly came to an end when the sale of the club was finalized.
For N’Doye, the change of ownership felt like a betrayal. “For me, it’s a lack of respect. Even though he sold the club, he had a say in the matter,” he explained, emphasising that the abrupt shift in priorities left him feeling sidelined and disrespected.
The player, who has earned 33 caps and scored three goals for the Senegal national team, believes his age was used as a convenient excuse for his exclusion.
“The Americans didn’t want to extend the contract of a player over 35; they said I was too old. When people don’t want to, they look for false excuses,” N’Doye stated.
Despite being dismissed as past his prime by the club, the midfielder has since proved his doubters wrong, continuing his career with distinction.
At AS Cannes, N’Doye has re-established himself as a leading figure. Under the management of Damien Ott, he played a crucial role in the team’s rise to the league, and was instrumental in their remarkable Cup run, which saw the club reach the semi-finals of the Coupe de France.
Their journey ended with a semi-final defeat to Reims, but it was a testament to N’Doye’s enduring quality and leadership.
The veteran’s impressive performances at Cannes have been a resounding response to those who deemed him finished.
As N’Doye continues to lead the team in National 2, his career is far from over, and his success in Cannes has served as a reminder of the value he can still bring to the pitch, despite his years.
Looking back at his time at Red Star, N’Doye’s feelings of betrayal and frustration remain palpable.
However, his resilience and determination to prove himself at AS Cannes show that, despite the challenges he faced, he still has much to offer to the world of football.
