Abou Diaby

**Vassiriki Abou Diaby** (born 11 May 1986), known as **Abou Diaby**, is a French former professional footballer. He played primarily in a box to box role, adept at both attacking and defending, and was described as a player who was "languid, elusive, and athletic" that could either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates". Of Ivorian descent, Diaby also possessed "superb touch" and "excellent close control". Diaby's career was hampered by numerous repetitive injuries, a problem that existed from his time in France. His physical appearance and positional preference evoked comparisons to Arsenal compatriot Patrick Vieira.

### Club

|rowspan="2"|Club|rowspan="2"|Season|colspan="3"|League|colspan="2"|National cup|colspan="2"|League cup|colspan="2"|Europe|colspan="2"|Total|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|rowspan="3"|Auxerre|2004–05|Ligue 1|5|0|0|0|0|0|2|0|7|0|
|2005–06|Ligue 1|5|1|0|0|0|0|2|0|7|1|||
|rowspan="11"|Arsenal|2005–06|Premier League|12|1|1|0|1|0|2|0|16|1|
|2006–07|Premier League|12|1|1|0|4|0|1|0|18|1|||
|2007–08|Premier League|15|1|2|0|5|1|6|2|28|4|||
|2008–09|Premier League|24|3|5|0|0|0|7|1|36|4|||
|2009–10|Premier League|29|6|1|0|0|0|10|1|40|7|||
|2010–11|Premier League|16|2|3|0|0|0|1|0|20|2|||
|2011–12|Premier League|4|0|0|0|0|0|1|0|5|0|||
|2012–13|Premier League|11|0|3|0|0|0|1|0|15|0|||
|2013–14|Premier League|1|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|1|0|||
|2014–15|Premier League|0|0|0|0|1|0|0|0|1|0|||
|rowspan="3"|Marseille|2015–16|Ligue 1|3|0|1|0|0|0|0|0|4|0|
|2016–17|Ligue 1|2|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|2|0|||

### International

|National team|Season|Apps|Goals||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|rowspan="7"|France|2006–07|2|0|
|2007–08|0|0|||
|2008–09|0|0|||
|2009–10|6|0|||
|2010–11|7|0|||
|2011–12|0|0|||
|2012–13|1|1|||

- _Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Diaby goal_.

|scope="col"|No.|scope="col"|Date|scope="col"|Venue|scope="col"|Opponent|scope="col"|Score|scope="col"|Result|scope="col"|Competition|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|7 September 2012|Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland||0–1|0–1|2014 FIFA World Cup qualification||||||||

## Honours

**Arsenal**
- FA Cup: 2013–14
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07

**France U19**
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2005

## Infobox (football biography)

- **name**: Abou Diaby
- **image**: Abou Diaby Arsenal vs Birmingham 2010-11.jpg
- **caption**: Diaby playing for Arsenal F.C., Arsenal in 2010
- **fullname**: Vassiriki Abou Diaby
- **birth place**: Paris, France
- **height**: 1.92 m
- **position**: Midfielder
- **youthyears1**: 1994–1998
- **youthclubs1**: CM Aubervilliers, Aubervilliers
- **youthyears2**: 1998–2001
- **youthclubs2**: Red Star Saint-Ouen, Red Star
- **youthyears3**: 2001–2002
- **youthclubs3**: Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Saint-Germain
- **youthyears4**: 1999–2002
- **youthclubs4**: INF Clairefontaine
- **youthyears5**: 2002–2004
- **youthclubs5**: AJ Auxerre, Auxerre
- **years1**: 2004–2006
- **clubs1**: AJ Auxerre, Auxerre
- **caps1**: 10
- **goals1**: 1
- **years2**: 2006–2015
- **clubs2**: Arsenal F.C., Arsenal
- **caps2**: 124
- **goals2**: 14
- **years3**: 2015–2017
- **clubs3**: Olympique de Marseille, Marseille
- **caps3**: 5
- **goals3**: 0
- **totalcaps**: 139
- **totalgoals**: 15
- **nationalyears1**: 2004–2005
- **nationalteam1**: France national under-19 football team, France U19
- **nationalcaps1**: 12
- **nationalgoals1**: 0
- **nationalyears2**: 2006–2007
- **nationalteam2**: France national under-21 football team, France U21
- **nationalcaps2**: 2
- **nationalgoals2**: 0
- **nationalyears3**: 2007–2012
- **nationalteam3**: France national football team, France
- **nationalcaps3**: 16
- **nationalgoals3**: 1