From Inter to Serie D, Sanremese pull off the coup of M’Vila: the career and the restart in amateur football for the former France international

Major coup for Sanremese as they sign Yann M’Vila, an experienced midfielder with a past in the France national team and at Inter.

The first reports hinted at it. Now the deal has been wrapped up in the last few hours and the biancazzurro club have officially completed the signing that shifts the balance in Serie D's Group A. The former Inter man has therefore dropped down a division to try an experience with the amateurs, under manager Festa. Sanremese fans were left stunned, not expecting a signing like this, and the Frenchman himself greeted them in a video published on the club's Sanremese channels.

Born in Amiens on 29 June 1990, Yann M'Vila comes from a footballing family: his father Jean-Elvis played for Amiens and his older brother Yohan is also a footballer. After coming through the youth ranks at Sains-Saint-Fuscien, he moved to Amiens' academy in 1999. He then joined Rennes in October 2004 and made his first-team debut in January 2010.

Then came a move to Russian side Rubin Kazan in January 2013 for a fee close to €10 million. From there, he began his journey around Europe with Sunderland, Olympiacos and West Bromwich Albion. His loan spell at Inter in the 2014/2015 season was not exceptional: specifically wanted by Mazzarri, he played only 14 matches and made little impression. More recently, after returning to his homeland with Saint-Étienne, he played for Caen owned by Mbappé. In his career, he also boasts 22 caps and one goal for France.

Now Sanremese of president Christian Karembeu are pushing hard for a return to Serie C. With a player of such talent and physicality, the ambition is clear. M'Vila could already take to the pitch in the first official outing on 30 August in the Coppa Italia Serie C match against Imperia.