The club's management is delighted to announce the arrival of Tidiane Diouwara as Director of Football. Here's a look back at his first few days at the club.
First of all, how are you ?
I'm very well, thank you. I'm delighted to take on this challenge and I can't wait for the sporting season to start.
Tell us about yourself in a few words !
I've had a very eclectic career. I wear many hats and have a lot of responsibilities in areas as varied as communications, human rights, management, public relations and events.
I've been in charge of communications for many Swiss and foreign companies. I also worked as a sustainable development project manager for the city of Lausanne. Then I set up my own business, creating an international association active in many fields, including the economy, human rights, sustainable development and culture. I also chair associations such as the International Network of Arab and African Journalists, among others. I'm also active in politics in the canton of Vaud, as I chair the social affairs committee of the PSV (Vaud Socialist Party).
As far as sport is concerned, I played football when I was young in amateur teams but didn't go very far. I was very attracted by my studies, so I played football simply to enjoy myself. This passion led me to get involved in training young footballers. This led to me coaching a Junior E team at Stade Lausanne Ouchy. I also coached juniors E, D, C, B and A at FC Concordia for around ten years, before recently leaving the club to join Lausanne City.
What motivated you to join Lausanne City ?
Firstly, my special relationship with Mario, the club's owner, a young man I watched grow up.
Secondly, the originality of the project he has put in place. He has a real vision that convinced me to help him manage the team. We have great ambitions for this club, and to take it where we want to take it, we're going to give ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions. Firstly, by surrounding ourselves with the right people. And by finding credible partners who will support us. Starting from the bottom is also an extraordinary challenge.
"We want to climb the ladder and make the club, in the medium term, a club where all the young people in the region will want to come".
What are your personal and sporting goals ?
Our objectives are clear. We want to move up the ladder and make the club, in the medium term, a club where all the young people in the region will want to come. We are currently in the 4th league, and we want to move up the leagues year on year. Personally, I'd like to make sure that the young people who come to us find ideal conditions for training and progress. To do that, I'm going to make sure that the people who work with me are motivated, competent and fully committed to the club's development.
Preparations start in a few days' time. What are your expectations for the first few days and for the group (players and staff) ?
Yes, we start training on 17 July and then we'll have a friendly match on Friday 21 July at home, on our magnificent pitch, which, incidentally, we own. This will give our youngsters ideal training conditions. All the staff will be present and the work will be carried out with all the necessary rigour and seriousness.
"We have great ambitions for this club, and to take it where we want to take it, we're going to give ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions."
What do you think of the CITY project ?
We're young on the scene, but we're already starting to get a lot of people talking about us, which means that the Lausanne City project is a credible one. President Mario, myself and the supporting staff believe in the project and are convinced that it is different from other projects by teams in the region. Here's a simple example. We don't charge any fees to the players who play in our first team. We favour sincere human relationships. The players who come to us know that they will be respected and treated well. Few teams in the region can boast of doing what we do, which is to exempt their players from paying an annual fee. That, among other things, is why our project is different.
What can we wish you ?
Success. We are realistic. We still have to prove ourselves. But I think we have a great card to play.
I'm calling on all the young people who want to join us to do so without delay. With them, we'll be building a piece of the club's history.
