MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Wednesday that the club has come to terms with French international right-back Bacary Sagna on a contract until the end of the 2018 season, with an option for the 2019 season. He will join the club upon receiving his international transfer certificate and passing his medical.
“I'm very happy of Bacary's arrival,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “He's a player with a great career who's still very motivated to come and help the Impact defy its end of season challenge. His personality, experience, and overall game will be a plus for our team.”
“We are very happy to welcome Bacary to the club,” added Impact technical director Adam Braz. “Bacary brings a wealth of experience at the highest levels of the game and that will be invaluable to the team during our last stretch of games in the regular season and in our quest to make the playoffs.”
Sagna, 35, played 10 seasons in the English Premier League between 2007 and 2017, appearing in 267 games with Arsenal and Manchester City. He recorded four career goals, and 19 assists while helping both teams earn a combined 95 clean sheets. He was named to the Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year twice, in 2007-08 and 2010-11.
He played his first seven Premier League seasons with Arsenal, helping the London club win the FA Cup in 2013-14 under manager Arsène Wenger. He was also a finalist for the Football League Cup in 2010-11. He then joined Manchester City in 2014 for three seasons, finishing runner-up in the standings in 2014-15 before winning the League Cup in 2015-16.
At the international level, Sagna has earned 65 caps with the France national team. He appeared in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and Euro 2016, in which he played every minute of the European tournament, including the final against Portugal. He made his senior debut with Les Bleus on August 22, 2007, against Slovakia. His last appearance was in a World Cup qualification game on October 7, 2016, versus Bulgaria. He also represented France at the youth level.
He had most recently joined Italian club Benevento last February, in Serie A, for the second half of their 2017-18 season, playing 13 games and 954 minutes, including 10 starts. He scored his lone career Serie A goal on April 29 against Udinese.
Born in Sens, France, from Senegalese parents, Sagna made his professional debut with Auxerre in Ligue 1 in 2004, after joining its Academy in 1997 at the age of 14. He played 87 games in three seasons in the French first division and was named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year following the 2006-07 season. He helped Auxerre win the Coupe de France in 2005 and was then a finalist in the Trophée des Champions matchup against Lyon.
Sagna has also appeared in 57 UEFA Champions League games, 11 UEFA Champions League qualification games, 17 UEFA Cup games, 23 FA Cup games, 13 EFL Cup games, five Coupe de France games and seven Coupe de la Ligue games.
Transaction: The Montreal Impact has come to terms with French right-back Bacary Sagna on a contract until the end of the 2018 season, with an option for the 2019 season.
BACARY SAGNA
Position: Right-back
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 160 lbs
Birthdate and birthplace: February 14, 1983, in Sens, France
Citizenships: France & Senegal
Last club: Benevento (Italy)
Date acquired: August 8, 2018
