Latvian champions Riga FC have announced the permanent signing of Coli Saco, with the 24-year-old Malian midfielder joining from Italian side Napoli after spending the past four years under contract with the Serie A club.
Although Saco never made a competitive first-team appearance for Napoli following his arrival in 2021 from AC Milan’s academy, he gained valuable experience through a series of loan spells across Italy and Switzerland.
Last season, Saco spent the first half of the campaign with Swiss second-tier side Yverdon Sport, where he made eight appearances before moving to Serie C club Casertana for the remainder of the season. There, he featured in 14 matches and scored two goals.
During his time under contract with Napoli, Saco also enjoyed loan spells in Serie C and spent a season in Serie B with Bari. Overall, the Malian international has made 79 Serie C appearances, scoring 12 goals, while also earning two caps for the Mali national team.
According to Italian media reports, Riga FC paid a transfer fee to secure Saco’s services, despite the midfielder still having two years remaining on his contract with Napoli.
Saco joins a Riga FC side after the Latvian champions booked their place in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round on Tuesday with a 5-2 extra-time victory over North Macedonian champions Vardar, completing an 8-4 aggregate triumph. Riga are expected to face Hungarian champions Gyor in the next round.
Source: https://rigafc.lv/riga-fc-papildina-mali-izlases-pussargs-sako/
