Diarra staying with Pompey

France star staying at Fratton Park next season

Last updated: 14th May 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Diarra staying with Pompey

Diarra: Ambitious

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Lassana Diarra wants to win the UEFA Champions League - but says he will still be at Portsmouth next season.

The France midfielder joined Arsenal from Chelsea last summer after failing to break into the first-team at Stamford Bridge, but moved on again just five months later after finding himself on the sidelines once more.

While he admitted that a move to Portsmouth represented a step down upon his arrival in January, he has enjoyed taking on a more active role at Fratton Park.

And with Portsmouth gearing up for the FA Cup final clash with Cardiff on Saturday, he insists he is happy to stay where he is for now.

"What do I want? I want to win the World Cup and the Champions League," he said.

"And most of all, I just want to play.

"I couldn't do that too much at Chelsea and Arsenal. You will have to question Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger about that but they know why I left.

Silverware

"Here, I can play every week with Portsmouth. It is a good team, proved by reaching the FA Cup final, and that is why I'm here.

"I want to win something with Portsmouth and I will be here next season."

Some have suggested that Diarra could end up following in the footsteps on Nicolas Anelka, who left Arsenal for Real Madrid early in his career but eventually found himself moving from club to club and winning little silverware along the way.

However, Diarra insists he would be delighted to match the achievements of the Chelsea star and claims onlookers often fail to understand why players have to move on.

"If I end up having the same career as Nicolas Anelka I will be very happy.

"He plays for the national team and is a good man and a good player - but sometimes people do not understand what really goes on.

"No-one really knows why I left Chelsea and Arsenal, but I feel comfortable about it.

"They are three different people I have played for here. I respect Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, but I know which one I prefer.

"I am here because of the manager. If he wasn't here, I can't say I would be but he is the reason I joined Portsmouth and I am happy here."

He added: "All I think about now is Portsmouth, not Arsenal or Chelsea."