FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution announced today that the team has signed French midfielder Ousmane Dabo. Dabo will occupy one of the team’s eight international roster spots and will join the team pending his approval for a U.S. P-1 Visa. Per MLS and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dabo, 34, joins the Revs roster already sporting one of the team’s most distinguished resumes. After three years with Stade Rennais to begin his professional career in the mid-1990s, Dabo spent more than a decade playing for some of the top clubs in Italy’s Serie A. He also spent three seasons in the English Premier League with Manchester City earlier this decade.
“We’re pleased to bring Ousmane to the Revolution,” Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. “He has extensive experience at the highest levels in Europe and we’re looking for him to bring that quality to the Revolution.”
Dabo began his club career with France’s Stade Rennais, where he made 40 appearances in three seasons from 1995 through 1998. In July 1998, he signed with Internazional, where he spent six months before being loaned to Vicenza in January 1999. Following his loan, Dabo played the 1999-2000 season at Parma, before returning to France to sign with AS Monaco in the summer of 2000.
He returned to Vicenza in January 2001 to complete the season on loan, and then made a permanent move to Atalanta, where he spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
In the summer of 2003, Dabo signed with Lazio, where he went on to make 79 league appearances during two seasons. In the summer of 2006, he moved to England, signing with Manchester City. After two and a half seasons in Manchester, Dabo re-signed with Lazio in January 2008, where he spent the remainder of the season and the next two through July 2010.
The Revolution will depart for Orlando for an 11-day training trip on Monday, Feb. 14, and is scheduled to play three training matches – against the University of Central Florida, the U.S. Under-17 National Team and FC Dallas – during their stay. For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or follow the team on Twitter at @NERevolution, or on Facebook at facebook.com/NERevolution.
Four-game mini-plans are on sale now for the 2011 season, and start at $68. The four-game plans include tickets to the home opener against D.C. United on Saturday, March 26, and three additional stand-alone games, a 2011 Revolution calendar and a choice of one of four exclusive gifts. Season tickets for the 2011 New England Revolution season are also on sale – including packages for the newly-opened West Side seats – and start at $234 for 18-game packages. Call 1-877-GET-REVS or visit revolutionsoccer.net for more information about these plans or any other ticket option.
Ousmane Dabo
Pronunciation: OOSE-mahn DAH-boe
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160 lbs.
DOB: Feb. 8, 1977 (Laval, Mayenne, France)
Hometown: Mayenne, France
Previous Club: Lazio (ITA)
Nationality: France
Status: International
Jersey Number: TBA
