Almost every football fan started playing football as a young boy with only one, albeit unlikely, goal. However, most have to quickly abandon the dream. Only a few actually manage to become a professional footballer. Alieu Darbo was also someone who desperately wanted to become a professional footballer, but just didn't have enough talent. However, his dream did not stop there. Football zone delves into the story of the fraudulent footballer.

By Jasper Keuper

It could easily be an episode of Undercover Netherlands. Alberto Stegeman who confronts the rogue footballer Darbo with a camera crew. A player who has traveled through half of Europe thanks to fake letters of recommendation, grainy YouTube compilations on dilapidated football fields and a good dose of bluff. Moreover, a self-proclaimed international. Guarantee of viewing figures.

In any case, the story starts with the fact that Darbo is a reasonable football player. On August 3, 1992, Darbo was born among a Gambian family in Gothenburg. There, in one of Sweden's larger cities, he learned to play football and was admitted to the youth academy of the local football club Örgryte IS in 2006.

At Örgryte he emerged as a youth international for Gambia. With that country he managed to qualify for the Under 17 World Cup in Nigeria in 2009, in which the African country competed in the group stage against the Dutch team including Joël Veltman, Stefan de Vrij, Luc Castaignos, Adam Maher and Zakaria Labyad. the ranks.

The group stage turns out to be a disappointment for both the Netherlands and Gambia, as both countries are eliminated. Iran advances as the winner of the group, while Colombia advances to the next round as number two. The Netherlands, which only won 2-1 against Gambia thanks to goals from Castaignos and Tom Boere, finished third. Darbo plays in all three group matches, but was unable to achieve a victory with the West African country.

Yet Darbo managed to draw attention to himself with his performances in Nigeria, as evidenced by the move he made to the French Le Mans FC shortly after the tournament. The main team was currently playing proudly in Ligue 1, before being relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2009/10 season.

Darbo, who often plays as a midfielder during his career, is not good enough and is sold after three years by les Mucistes. Yet Darbo does not initially have to complain about interest. Sunderland and Newcastle United let him on trial, but ultimately it seems that Darbo will try his luck at Wigan Athletic.

TheLatics are stunned when they hear rumors of Darbo's impending transfer to Wigan. According to them, the contact was completely invented by the player himself.

Trying to seduce a then Premier League club with a forgery is something that few players have done, but this is only where the story begins. The Croatian record champion Dinamo Zagreb also falls for Darbo's antics.

Hush money

The then 21-year-old midfielder and winger sends a letter of recommendation to the board of the club from the Croatian capital. The sender of the recommendation letter? A Swedish scout from Bayern Munich named Björn Andersson. The letter states that the Bavarian club has decided not to sign Darbo due to an injury. However amateurish it may be, the Croats see merit in it.

Dinamo watches it for a few months, but soon notices that Darbo is not at the desired level at all. The club senses something is wrong and tears up the contract. By terminating the contract, they also send Darbo forty thousand euros in hush money, so that the public does not find out about the blunder of the Croatian top club.

Andersson, the scout whose name is used to provide false references, leaves in Swedish Aftonbladet know that he has complained several times that someone is sending forged documents under his name.

Wigan and Dinamo are not the only clubs to fall victim to his pranks. Darbo moves to Thessaloniki in Greece and also tries to seduce FC Crotone and PAOK with his fraudulent practices.

The southern Italian club gives in to Darbo's smooth talk. On July 12, 2014, just before the PAOK gate, the fraudulent footballer signed a contract in Calabria, as the province where Crotone is located is called. I Rossoblù receives a bunch of dubious letters of recommendation and crappy YouTube compilations showcasing his skills and makes a move. The marriage in the sole of the boot only lasts a week, as the contract will be terminated on July 19, 2014.

PAOK

Not much later, the then sporting director of PAOK, Zisis Vrysas, received a letter of recommendation from Germany. The sender this time? Michael Zorc, sporting director of German superpower Borussia Dortmund. In the letter, Darbo stated that Dortmund wants to purchase the player, but first wants to gain competitive rhythm at a lower level. However, Vrysas was not immediately convinced, no matter how lyrical the forged Zorc was in the letter. Especially because Darbo indicated via Zorc's name that he only wanted to communicate by e-mail and not by telephone.

According to a report from 11Freunde Vrysas still tries to reach Zorc by telephone, but after Vrysas' first attempt is not answered, the director almost decides to offer the midfielder a contract. However, the real Zorc calls back and assures the director of PAOK that he has never heard of the name Darbo. The player is unmasked and ultras from the Greek top club are furious. They threaten Darbo, who is waiting in his hotel room in Thessaloniki for the green light. Darbo leaves the Greek mainland the same day, but his advisor, and therefore accomplice, barricades his hotel room out of fear of the ultras.

After that, Darbo's crazy antics subsided. He still manages to play 'legitimately' for the Finnish Inter Turku, but then the level of the clubs deteriorates rapidly. Nybergsund (Norway), Mosta FC (Malta), MC Oran (Algeria), Ittihad Alexandria (Egypt), Naxxar Lions FC (Malta) and Al-Bidda SC (Qatar) are still to be added to his Transfermarkt page before he starts in 2020 ends up without a contract.

Darbo's response

Darbo himself plays the murdered innocence. According to him, the recommendation letters come from an advisor who tries to misuse his name after a conflict between the two during his time at Dinamo. He is also said to have never been to Greece, except for a holiday.

Darbo, who probably did not have the career he hoped for as a seventeen-year-old talent from Gambia, now has 31,000 followers on his verified Instagram account. He is also a self-proclaimed Gambian international, but for the Scorpions he never made minutes.

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