Sol Bamba passed away on Saturday at the tragically early age of 39. The tribute on the club’s official website was one of many, as the football world paid it’s respects to a defender who was highly regarded by everyone in the game who came into contact with him.
The statement on the official Leeds website read "Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of former captain Sol Bamba at the age of 39. One of the nicest people in football, the thoughts of everyone at Leeds United are with Sol’s family and friends at this tragic time. Rest in peace Sol, you will forever be in our hearts.”
Bamba had played for six different clubs before he came to Leeds January 2015 from Italian club Palermo. This was initially on loan, but this was converted into a permanent transfer at the start of the following season, and he was made captain by the new head coach Uwe Rösler. In total he made 56 appearances for Leeds and scored four goals.
But one thing the statement on the official site hasn’t mentioned is that he left Elland Road after he’d publicly criticised our erratic owner Massimo Cellino. Understandably Bamba said that "the person in charge has to do better for the sake of the club and the supporters". This might have affected his game, as he was dropped from the side after scoring an own goal in a 3–0 defeat to QPR on opening day of the 2016/7 season.
After the arrival of Pontus Jansson he was surplus to requirements and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent to allow him to seek a new club after close of the transfer window. He moved on to Cardiff and played for the South Wales club for five years, before finishing his playing career at Middlesbrough. Bamba also earned 46 caps for the Ivory Coast, scoring one goal at international level.
He then moved on to assistant manager at Cardiff, and then technical director at Turkish club Adanaspor. But in 2021, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which Wikipedia tells me that is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.
He began undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and in May 2021, he announced that he was cancer-free. But on Friday Bamba fell ill after the Adanaspor match against Manisa F.K. and was rushed into Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital, where he died at the age the following day. His wife has since told Wales Online that he had in fact had cancer for "the last few years".
Apart from the Leeds website, many others around the game have paid tribute, including Neil Warnock, who wrote on X "I can’t believe I won’t see that beaming smile again. I’m so happy that Sol was part of my life and we had such brilliant memories together. I’m heartbroken for Chloe and the family and all my thoughts are with them. Sol was a ray of sunshine and I’ll miss him so much."
Warnock was Sol’s manager both at Cardiff and Middlesbrough, but not at Leeds, as he’d already moved on before we signed the defender. Lee Peltier posted "Love you brother. Rest easy my big brother - always there for me, will never forget" and former colleague Callum O'Dowda said "Heartbroken. Despite everything you went through, you epitomised the most positive outlook on life. A lesson I will hold forever. My thoughts are with your family."
So clearly Sol Bamba was a great man as well as a footballer, who touched everyone who met him. RIP gentle giant.