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Jonathan White

Back-to-back Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee have confirmed the signing of former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed “Momo” Sissoko for next season.
The club have said that the France-born former Mali international will be an “important player in the midfield” as the club look to return to the AFC Champions League for a second season.
Full details of the transfer will be announced at a press conference in Hong Kong on July 12.
It won’t be his first time in the city. He played in the Barclays Asia Trophy for Liverpool in 2007, losing to Portsmouth in the final at Hong Kong Stadium.
Sissoko, 33, will be the club’s marquee signing, replacing the void left by former Uruguay international Diego Forlan who left the club at the end of last season.
The midfielder has a similarly illustrious CV, having played at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Kitchee clinch Hong Kong Premier League title – but should they stick or twist after Diego Forlan flop?
His career began at Auxerre before he moved to Valencia in 2003. He spent two years under Rafael Benitez and Claudio Ranieri, winning La Liga and the Uefa Cup, before reuniting with Benitez at Liverpool in 2005.
The midfielder became a cult figure at Anfield, as much off the pitch as on, winning the FA Cup in 2006. 
The Liverpool Echo reported that Sissoko claimed to have won the Uefa Champions League with Liverpool, even though he signed two months after their 2005 triumph. He also told Valencia he was off to play an international friendly for Mali when he was actually visiting his ill father. On returning to the Spanish club he told a journalist that Mali had won the non-existent game and he had scored the decisive goal.
History made as Kitchee become first Hong Kong club to earn victory in the AFC Champions League
He left Liverpool for Juventus in 2008 to reunite with Claudio Ranieri and spent four seasons in Turin, his longest period at any club.
It was an injury-plagued period for the combative midfielder, who left for Paris Saint Germain in 2011.
He would win the Ligue 1 title in Paris but was loaned out to Fiorentina and then left the French side in 2013.
A brief stint back in Spain with Levante followed before he moved to the Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua for the 2015 season.
Diego Forlan, the ‘witch’ who cast his spell on Hong Kong, points to powers of perseverance after Kitchee swansong
Pune City of the Indian Super League came next, then a month at Italian second-tier side Ternana, and six months or so in Indonesia with Mitra Kukar.
Most recently Sissoko was at Mexican second division side Atletico San Luis before signing for Kitchee.
Sissoko is not the only change to the Kitchee line-up ahead of the new season in August.
Hong Kong international Alex Akande has signed for China League One side Yanbian Funde, with the Nigeria-born striker looking to fill the role played by Bubacarr “Steve” Trawally until he moved to Guizhou Hengfeng when Yanbian were relegated from the CSL.
Meanwhile, the future of last year’s Player of the Year Kristian Vadocz remains uncertain with speculation that the midfielder will leave the champions, while they are also looking for a new foreign striker.


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Hong Kong Premier League

Former Liverpool, Juventus and PSG star Mohamed Sissoko signs for Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee

Mohamed Sissoko pictured in a Kitchee kit. Image: Kitchee

DPR Korea's Ri Yong-chol (Left) and Hong Kong's Alexander Oluwatayo Akande in action a match in EAFF Football Championships 2017 2nd round at Mong Kok Stadium. North Korea won 1-0. 12NOV16

Liverpool's Momo Sissoko (C) scores against Sunderland during their English Premier League soccer match at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland, northern England August 25, 2007. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis(BRITAIN). NO ONLINE/INTERNET USAGE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE +44 (0) 207 864 9000.

Liverpool's Jamie Carragher (R) and Mohamed Sissoko (top) challenge Olympique Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena during their Champions League Group A soccer match in Liverpool, northern England, October 3, 2007. REUTERS/Phil Noble (BRITAIN)

Fulham's Hungarian midfielder Zoltan Gera (C) vies with Juventus' Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko (L) and Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo (R) during their UEFA Europa League, round of 16, second leg football match against Juventus at Craven Cottage, London, England, on March 18, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Glyn Kirk

Sport

Football

The 33-year-old comes to the club after playing for some of the biggest teams in European football


Kitchee SC

AFC Champions League

Former Liverpool, Juventus and PSG star Mohamed Sissoko signs for Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 33-year-old comes to the club after playing for some of the biggest teams in European football

The 33-year-old comes to the club after playing for some of the biggest teams in European football