Football's craziest transfers: How 'f*cking hopeless' Ali Dia fooled Southampton into playing him in the Premier League
GOALDia became legendary in football folklore as one of the most unusual signings ever after he claimed to be the cousin of a Ballon d’Or winner.
Ali Dia has made his mark in football history. Claiming to be the cousin of esteemed Ballon d’Or winner and AC Milan forward George Weah, Dia successfully fooled his way into a Premier League transfer in 1996.
At the time, Graeme Souness, who was serving as Southampton’s manager instead of his later role as a gruff TV commentator, got a call from a man purporting to be Weah, which he wasn’t. However, the individual on the line still vouched for Dia, and Souness believed that such a strong recommendation was too significant to disregard.
Thus, Dia was given a one-month contract and might have ended up being possibly the worst player the Premier League has ever witnessed…
