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Lelo Sejean

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Lelo Sejean
File:Lelo Sejean, Club Nacional's Arsenio Erico Stadium (cropped).jpg
Sejean in 2020
Personal information
Full name Elie Charbel Sejean[1]
Date of birth (1990-11-05) November 5, 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position Midfielder, forward[3]
Youth career
2004–2006 Breakwater Eagles
2006 WVSA
2007 North Geelong Warriors
2008 Sunshine George Cross
2010–2011 Barracas Central
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 North Geelong Warriors 10 (0)
2008 Sunshine George Cross 1 (0)
2012 Keilor Park 0 (0)
2012 Geelong Rangers
2013–2015 Sportivo Ameliano
2014–2015Westgate (temporary)
2015 Westgate
2016 University of Melbourne
2016 Surf Coast
2017 Sol del Este 3 (0)
2017–2019 Atlántida 0 (0)
2019 Atlético Colegiales 1 (0)
2019–2022 Tacuary
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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Elie Charbel Sejean (Arabic: ايلي شربل سجعان‎; born 5 November 1990),[4] commonly known as Lelo Sejean (French: [lɛlo sɛʒɑ̃]), is a soccer player who plays as a midfielder. He is also an athlete, actor and model.

Born in Australia, Sejean is of French and Lebanese descent. He began his career in the amateur leagues of Australia, with North Geelong Warriors and Sunshine George Cross, before joining Argentine club Barracas Central as a 19-year-old youth trainee in 2010. In 2013, Sejean became the third Australian to play in a CONMEBOL competition. While never making a Primera División Paraguaya appearance, Sejean played in Paraguay's lower leagues – in which he played few games and did not have a salary – climbing from the fourth-tier to the second-tier in Paraguayan football, despite suffering from a succession of recurring injuries from 2018 to 2021.

Sejean also performed as an actor and model between 2003 and 2020, being enrolled at Screen Actors Studio in Australia and at Urban Models Agency in Paraguay. In 2020, Deportes Ciudad del Este named him one of the most charismatic foreigners in Paraguayan football. In 2021, ABC Color named him a novelty and peculiarity of Paraguayan football.[5]

Early life[edit]

Sejean was born in Geelong, Australia, and also lived in Granville, Sydney. He grew up in Belmont and Grovedale.[6] His father was a military in the Royal Australian Artillery and his mother was a French Language teacher.[6] Sejean described his house hold as a Catholic upbringing with discipline and good behaviour. He was raised with his two elder sisters.[6]

From 2003 to 2007, Sejean attended St Joseph's College in Geelong,[7] where he studied theatre.[6] He left the school in his penultimate year.[6] He studied materials in health, anatomy, personal training and nutrition at the Victorian Fitness Academy, a sports faculty in Geelong, in 2010 and 2011,[8][9][2][6] from which he withdrew due to ongoing travel to South America.[6] He was short of earning qualifications.[6] In 2012, he briefly attended Gordon Institute of TAFE in Geelong.[6]

Club career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Between the ages of six to 11,[6] Sejean played Australian rules football before changing to association football.[2] He began playing indoor football and futsal.[6]

His youth career began with Geelong-based Breakwater Eagles as a 13-year-old – progressing through the under-14, under-16 and under-17 rosters –,[6][10] and WVSA,[10] of which he was vice-captain.[6] He played for the Clairvaux Catholic School football team,[2] and for various years played for the football team at his secondary college.[6][2] He practiced privately at Soccer Star.[6]

Sejean held Australian soccer player Matthew Spiranovic – a school colleague – as a reference, whom he watched on television at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Peru, citing him as the motive for wanting to become a footballer.[2] In 2006 and 2007, he played for his state under-16 futsal team.[2] At the championship, he scored a goal and made an assist in six games.[6]

In 2007, Sejean competed at Australia's national futsal championships in Canberra, followed by an invitation to form part of an Australian under-16 team to play in Spain, which was turned down due to lack of funding.[11][2]

North Geelong Warriors[edit]

the 2007 season, he played for North Geelong Warriors at both under-21 and senior levels. The club competed the State League Victoria and the Geelong City league, in which Sejean debuted and made 10 appearances at age 16.[2][10][12][13] He made his debut on 24 June 2007, coming on as a half-time substitute against Surf Side Waves.[6]

Sunshine George Cross[edit]

In 2008, Sejean joined Sunshine George Cross,[10] playing with the under-18, under-21 and senior teams. In January, he appeared for the first team in a game against Frankston Pines as a second-half substitute. At the same time, Sejean resided in the Melbourne suburb South Yarra and worked at McDonald's, sometimes at night, and after returning home would practice in the early morning at Goschs Paddock.[2]

Barracas Central[edit]

In 2009, Sejean moved to Argentina at the age of 18.[6][11] He lived in the Constitución neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.[2] He resided with a Paraguayan family and learnt the Guarani language.[6] He regularly practiced futsal.[6]

In June 2010, Sejean began training with Primera B Metropolitana club Barracas Central's under-21 squad as a trainee,[2][10][14][15] which was his first experience of full-time training at a club.[6] He joined them one week later.[6] He was not registered for the 2010–11 AFA Torneo Juvenil, as he didn't possess an Argentine Identification Document and permanent visa requirements.[6] He was unable to attend all training sessions due to lack of financial sustenance, lack of sleep and malnourishment.[6]

Return to Australia[edit]

In February 2012, Sejean played in a reserve game for Melbourne club Keilor Park.[2][10] He signed with Geelong Rangers for the remainder of the 2012 season.[2][10]

Sportivo Ameliano[edit]

In 2013, Sejean returned to Paraguay, trialling for Primera C club Sportivo Ameliano.[6] He subsequently joined the club,[16][10] after a three-week trial period under coach Celso Guerrero.[6] Sejean debuted for the reserves in a 3–2 victory against Deportivo Recoleta, entering as a substitute.[citation needed] Two weeks later, he made his full debut for the reserves in a 1–1 draw against Cristóbal Colón.[citation needed]

Sejean reached the Primera C semi-final play-offs with the reserves.[17] He remained at Sportivo Ameliano until May 2015.[17][18][19]

Westgate[edit]

Sejean joining Melbourne-based Westgate Sindjelic for the 2014 season,[13] on a temporary from Sportivo Ameliano until May 2015.[18][20][2] His transfer was a provisional habilitation issued by FIFA that ran for one year,[19] for Sportivo Ameliano to appeal not to free the player's rights to Westgate, causing transfer problems for him within Paraguay in 2017.[17]

Sejean was sidelined for some months for an ankle injury in his first reserve game for Westgate,[18] damaging his talofibular ligament[disambiguation needed] and recovering after three months.[19] He played 11 games in the 2014 season.[19]

Second return to Australia[edit]

In February 2016, he scored one goal in a pre-season friendly against Craigieburn City, a 25-yard shot, and provided further assists throughout the season.[6] On 9 April 2016, Sejean appeared for the University of Melbourne reserve squad in a 3–0 home victory against Thornbury Athletic.[21]

In the second semestre of 2016, Sejean joined the ranks of Surf Coast.[6] On 17 July, Sejean played for Surf Coast in a 3–1 away loss against Corio Soccer Club in the Geelong Men's Division North.[22] He ended the 2016 season with 12 appearances.[19]

Sol del Este[edit]

File:Lelo Sejean Sol del Este.jpg
Sejean with Sol del Este in 2017

In 2017, Sejean joined Paraguayan Primera B Nacional club Gremio Sol del Este, who also played in the regional Liga Deportiva Paranaense [es].[23][24][25][26][10] He signed for the first semestre of 2017.[18] He also took up a role as his assistant coach for the club's youth set-up.[24] He played for Sol del Este's first-team on three occasions and once for the reserve-team.[2]

Atlántida[edit]

File:Lelo Sejean Australia Cuatro.jpg
Sejean training in 2018

He departed the club to join Atlántida, as the Liga Paranaense was beginning in June 2017.[2][27] He joined Atlántida Asunción's reserve squad.[2][27][18][10] He made four appearances in 2017.[19]

On 22 July 2018, he was summoned to the reserve-team for a game.[28] In 2018, Sejean began suffering from inflammation in the aquilian tendons due to excessive use but also for bad quality pitch at the club.[17][19] Here began an injury hit three-year period between 2018 and 2021.[10][29] In the 2018 season, he was runner-up of the Primera B reserve league.[17]

Atlético Colegiales[edit]

File:Player of Colegiales Lelo Sejean.jpg
Sejean with Atlético Colegiales in 2019

In May 2019, Primera B side Atlético Colegiales signed Sejean from Atlántida Asunción. He made his first appearance in the same month as a substitute in a 2–2 away draw against Cristobal Colón J.A. Saldivar.[12][3] He was set back by achilles tendon injuries that required diverse treatments.[17][19]

Tacuary[edit]

On 29 August 2019, Sejean completed a move to Tacuary, joining on non-contract terms without establishing a transfer fee to join another team.[12][30] Sejean's playing chances were limited, primarily due to age limitations of over 27-year-old footballers in the Primera B at the time.[6] He was part of a squad which reached promotion to the División Intermedia for the 2020 season.[31]

In 2020, he missed the first months as result of illness and injury.[17][32][13] He made his comeback from injury and bad health in May,[19] preparing on his own to be selected for the 2021 Copa América.[33] He again faced 2021 with illness and tendonitis.[32][17] He remained on the rosters at Tacuary.[34] Despite 2021 being curtailed with injury and Sejean's market value diminishing,[19] he played the full 90 minutes once in June,[35][19][6] making six appearances in total by December against teams.[6] At late 2021, he underwent achilles treatment for tenosynovitis.[10]

In October 2021, Sejean announced that 2022 would be his last year in Paraguayan football,[36] whilst Tacuary were promoted after finishing third in the 2021 División Intermedia season.[citation needed] On 29 January 2022, during the Paraguay's summer transfer window and following three-and-a-half-year injury-plagued seasons, Sejean was released by Tacuary, ending association with the club.[37]

International career[edit]

Australia[edit]

In 2007, Sejean was invited to the Australia national under-16 futsal team to play in Spain, following his participation at the Australian national futsal championships. The invitation was turned down to lack of funding.[11]

Lebanon[edit]

In 2009, Sejean manifested his availability for the Lebanon under-19 team – possible under FIFA eligibility rules due to his Lebanese origins – for its 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualification, which were held in Iran.[6] Lebanon ultimately withdrew from the qualifiers.[6]

Acting and modelling career[edit]

Sejean studied theatre in secondary school.[6] In 2003, Sejean enrolled at Screen Actors Studio in Australia until 2006.[2][38] Credited as "Elijah Sejean", he made his most notable appearance nationally in 2004,[6] when he was cast to play the role of a protagonist in a short-film titled Bright Lights,[39] which followed with himself as nominated for, and presented with, the Best Actor award at the Shootout Film Festival in Geelong aged 14.[2][40][6]

He was casted with a role for short film Bright Lights,[6] which was screened at numerous film festivals in Australia and the United States.[2][41] Regular small parts followed as an extra, including an appearance in Australian soap opera Neighbours.[6] In June 2018, Sejean appeared in an episode of Paraguay's C9N show Fuimos Destornillados.

In 2019, he joined Urban Models Agency, and modelled at the Asunción New Trends Fashion Parade.[42] He made an appearance at the 2019 Asunción New Trends Fashion Parade.[31]

Style of play[edit]

Sejean is noted for free kicks and corner kicks.[38]

Personal life[edit]

Sejean is a polyglot, being able to speak English, Spanish, Guaraní and Portuguese. He speaks some French and Arabic due to his descent.[2][8][9] He refereed futsal at Barwon Valley Activity Centre in Geelong,[8][9][2] after acquiring referee and coaching licenses from the Football Federation Australia.[6]

In 2015, Sejean married his Paraguayan partner,[24] and although not divorcing, they terminated the relationship by 2018.[42] Following his marriage, he neglected to attain a Paraguayan naturalization;[30][43][42] he ultimately prepared proceedings for a naturalization in 2021 by way of period of inhabitance.[42]

While playing in Paraguay, Sejean never received a salary from any club,[6][2] and was held to cover his economic necessities by sports sponsorships,[17] confessing in 2020 that his sponsors provided food for him when he experienced hunger,[2] and through streams of labour,[17] as English teaching at schools in Asunción and Ciudad del Este, acting as an English Communicator for Asunción club Deportivo Recoleta by or during 2020,[30] modelling,[44] and working at a milk bar.[45]

His sports career was commemorated in a Fair Play Publishing book for Latin America's relation with Australian football in 2022.[6]

Honours[edit]

Atlántida Asunción (reserves)

Tacuary Asunción

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. "ITC Clearances for the 2014 season". pdfslide.net. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 "Sejean, comprometido con Cerro". 28 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Hui, Jin (10 May 2019). "Local soccer star changes clubs in Paraguay". Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. "Resultados Torneo De La Victoria" (PDF). Fpa.org.py. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  5. "Un australiano en nuestro deporte - Polideportivo - ABC Color". Abc.com.py. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 6.28 6.29 6.30 6.31 6.32 6.33 6.34 6.35 6.36 6.37 6.38 6.39 6.40 "Será incluido en un libro inédito". Elmensu.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  7. "Sejean, honrado por la carrera deportiva". 13 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Lelo signs with soccer big league". 26 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Sejean está en el interés de un club". 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Felicita a Ameliano". Elmensu.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  15. "Meet the Aussie who made it in Paraguay". Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  16. "Copa hope in Ecuador". 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 "Penosa situación de Lelo Sejean". 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 "Sejean y su paso por Sol del Este". 21 August 2021. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 ""Superaré al tendinitis"". Elmensu.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  22. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  23. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Hui, Jin (26 April 2017). "Lelo signs with soccer big league". Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  25. Paraguay Sport Press [@psp_paraguay] (3 March 2017). "El australiano Lelo Sejean es nuevo jugador de Sol de Este. Anteriormente jugó en el Sportivo Ameliano" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2017-03-22. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  27. 27.0 27.1 Hui, Jin (1 February 2018). "Lelo on ball in Paraguay". Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  28. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  29. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 "Australiano Sejean, ofrecido a Liga de Quito". 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  31. 31.0 31.1 "Australiano logra ascenso y jugaría la Copa América". 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  32. 32.0 32.1 "Tacuary cederá a Lelo Sejean". 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  33. [1][dead link]
  34. "Un australiano en nuestro deporte - Polideportivo - ABC Color". Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  35. "Tendonitis no vence a Sejean". 3 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  36. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  37. "Sejean se desvincula de Tacuary". Elmensu.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  38. 38.0 38.1 "Desean fundar un club en Australia con jugadores sudamericanos". April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  39. "Elijah Sejean". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  40. "El australiano que sueña en grande en Atlántida". Extra.com.py. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  41. "Elijah Sejean". IMDb. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 "Sejean desea nacionalizarse paraguayo". Deportescde.com. 23 February 2021.
  43. "Futbolista australiano "varado" en mercado de pases en Paraguay". diarioprimeraplana.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  44. "Meet the Aussie who made it in Paraguay". Sbs.com.au. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  45. Hui, Jin (9 July 2020). "Copa hope in Ecuador". Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  46. Hui, Jin (23 January 2020). "Lelo climbs in Paraguay". Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

External links[edit]


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