Dynamo โขSign Defensive Midfielder Diadiรฉ Samassรฉkou Through 2026
Theโข houston โDynamo have signed free agent defensive midfielder Diadiรฉ โSamassรฉkou to a contract extending through the 2026 season, with โa club option forโ 2028, the team announcedโ Saturday.
Samassรฉkou โคwill take up anโฃ international roster spot and will โขofficially join the Dynamoโข upon receiving his โฃInternational Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1โค Visa.
“Diadiรฉ brings a proven track record of winning atโข the highest levels, having played pivotal roles on top European clubs inโค both domestic and continental competitions,” saeid Dynamo President of Soccer pat Onstad. “His experience,โค leadership and championship mentality will strengthen our midfield andโข elevate our roster as we push โfor a third consecutive playoff berth. We are thrilled to โคwelcome Diadiรฉ and his family to Houston and cannotโฃ wait to see the impactโ he will โขmake on the pitch.”
the 29-year-old spentโฃ a notable portion of his career with Red Bull Salzburg in โขtheโ Austrian first tier, โappearing โin 134 matches across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing six assists. He was a key part of five trophy-winningโค campaigns โฃwith Salzburg, securingโ three Austrian Football Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cup titles. Samassรฉkou was also recognized as a league standout, โearning selection toโ the bundesliga’s Teamโข of the Year for both the โ2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
Most recently, Samassรฉkou played for TSG 1899โค Hoffenheim in Germany’s Bundesliga, making 97 appearances โin all competitions with two โgoals and five assists.
Throughout hisโ time in Austria and Germany, samassรฉkouโ has participated in 46 continental competitions, including UEFA Europa โขLeague matches and โขqualifying rounds for both โthe Europa League andโข champions League. He โฃhelped lead Salzburgโฃ to their most successful European run โin theโค 2017/18 season, topping their Europa League group and reachingโข the Semifinals โขbefore a narrow โขdefeat to Olympique de Marseille prevented them from reaching the โFinal. His performance earnedโค him a place in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season after 12 appearances and one assist.
Internationally, Samassรฉkou has represented โMaliโ 42 times at the senior level, scoring one goal and providing two assists. He has featured in Africa Cup of Nations matches, World โคCup qualifying games, and international friendlies, making โฃhis debut for โthe senior team in June 2014 โขin a 3-1 win againstโฃ China. He also has 13โ appearances for Mali at the youthโฃ level, including participation in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.samassรฉkou has also made 59 combined appearances for other European clubs, including AS Real Bamako (2013-14), FC liefering (2015-17), Olympiacosโ piraeus (2022-23), and Cรกdiz โCFโข (2023-24), scoring two goals andโค recording three โassists.