Elie Charbel Lelo Sejean

Elie Charbel Lelo Sejean (born 5 November 1990)[1] commonly known as Lelo Sejean[2][3][4] is an Australian professional footballer, track athlete, model, actor and sports mediator, who plays as a midfielder for Tacuary in the Paraguay División Intermedia, the country's second-tier.

Lelo Sejean
Sejean outside Nacional Asunción's stadium in 2020
Born
Elie Charbel Lelo Sejean

(1990-11-05) 5 November 1990
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation
  • Footballer
  • Track Athlete
  • Model
  • Actor
  • Sports Mediator
AgentUrban Models Agency
Association football career
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Winger
Attacking Midfielder
Striker
Club information
Current team
 Tacuary
Number –
Youth career
North Geelong Warriors
Sunshine George Cross
Barracas Central
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Sportivo Ameliano
2017 Sol del Este
2017–2019 Atlántida Asunción
2019 Atlético Colegiales
2019– Tacuary
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Sejean competes in the specialities of javelin throw and long jump for Club Sol de América and earned several national representative honours in the Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo in 2015, 2016 and 2019, having being trained by South American record holder Edgar Baumann in javelin throw, and competing often with Giovanni Díaz.[5][6][7][1]

A former apprentice at the Argentine Barracas Central after first trialling at Boca Juniors and Arsenal de Sarandí,[8][9] he is most notable for being the third of his nationality to play over-age football in South America after John Crawley (Colo-Colo in Chile in 1990) and Victor Cristaldo (Presidente Hayes in Paraguay in 1993),[10] and for climbing up from the Paraguay fourth-tier, to the third-tier and to the second-tier league.[11] By 2020, Sejean had gone through six seasons in the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol and was one of few non-South American players to do this following Bryan Lopez (11 seasons), Riki Kitawaki (8 seasons) and Kenneth Nkweta Nju (7 seasons).[12]

Whilst starting out in the Paraguay fourth-tier in 2013, he was coached by former Arsenal and Dundee striker Fabian Caballero,[11] Sejean was later part of the Tacuary squad which achieved promotion to the second-tier during the 2019 season.[13]

In 2020, Sejean had been candidated for the Australia selective team during the period leading up to the 2020 Copa América, which was postponed until the following year,[9] and was associated with the team through the Australian and Paraguayan press during the same year.[13][5][10] During the COVID-19 pandemic, his transfer rights were offered to Ecuadorian Serie A club and 2020 Copa Libertadores participants LDU Quito for the succeeding season in 2021 by a personal associate of his.[8][9]

Sejean became popular in Paraguay after speaking in the country's Guaraní Language during television interviews with channels C9N and SNT which gained him national media attention in 2018.[14][15][16] He holds more social media followers in Paraguay than in Australia.[5]

Career

Early career and life

Sejean was an actor in Australia,[17] performing with the screen name Elijah Sejean.[18] In 2004, he was premude with the Best Actor award at the Shootout Film Festival in Geelong barely aged 14 years old.[19]

Sejean played Australian Rules Football before beginning to play Association football. He represented his state team at U16 level at the Australian National Futsal Championships disputed in Canberra and was invited to join the Australia U16 futsal team for a tournament in Spain, which was turned down due to lack of funding. Sejean played for Geelong club North Geelong Warriors and Melbourne club Sunshine George Cross, he also received coaching from Victor Cristaldo, Australia's second footballer to play in South America, who Sejean would emmulate in playing in Paraguay years later.[20]

In 2009, Sejean moved to Argentina when he was 18,[21] and trialled unsuccessfully with Primera División Argentina clubs Boca Juniors and Arsenal de Sarandí before staying on as an apprentice at third-tier club Barracas Central.[22]

In 2011, Sejean arrived in Paraguay for the first time, for or not for football purposes.[23]

2013

In 2013, Sejean began playing in Paraguay's football leagues in the fourth-tier with Sportivo Ameliano.[24] Former Arsenal and Dundee striker Fabian Caballero was Sejean's coach and teammate at the club, Caballero trained Sejean well and gave him the chance to play. Caballero went on to be a mentor for Sejean and also be the most influential person during his career in Paraguay.[25] Whilst Sejean was at Sportivo Ameliano, he joined Melbourne based club Westgate on a temporary transfer.[26]

2015

In 2015, Sejean earned his first national representative honours with the Asociación de Atletismo del Alto Paraná in the Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo.[4]

2016

In 2016, Olympic Athlete and South American Javelin Throw record holder Edgar Baumann became Sejean's javelin throw instructor as the latter prepared to compete at a Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo Open Tournament in Ciudad del Este on 20 November,[2] in which Sejean finished in second place with a throw of 29.37 metres.[27]

2017
Lelo Sejean at the John Landy Athletics Field stadium in 2017

In 2017, Sejean continued training with Edgar Baumann and continued representing Alto Paraná in athletics. Whilst training with Baumann, Sejean's weight dropped from 79kg down to 74 kg.[3]

Sejean joined Ciudad del Este and Paraguay third-tier club Sol del Este, a club who also played in their regional state league, the Liga Paranaense.[3][28] At Sol del Este, he was coached by former footballer Víctor Pinto and was also his assistant coach for the club's youth set-up.[3] Sejean would spend a lot of time with Pinto and would train with him in his backyard.[3]

In June 2017, Sejean joined Atlántida Asunción.[4]

He later returned to Australia to compete in the 2017/18 Athletics Victoria season.[4]

2018
Sejean in APF clothing in 2018

By February 2018, Sejean's track & field personal best was 36.00 metres for javelin throw and 4.93 metres for long jump.[4] By 2018, Sejean still remained as an athlete to the Asociación de Atletismo del Alto Paraná.[14]

Whilst playing for Atlántida Asunción, Sejean worked as an English Language teacher at the English Institute in the Asunción neighbourhood of Sajonia and also resided at the Hamaca Paraguaya Hostel. Everyday, he would walk to training at Atlántida Asunción and walk back home.[14]

On 26 August 2018, Paraguayan newspaper ExtraPRESS reported that MacGyver would have been angry with Sejean for his ability to do many activities outside of football, including athletics, English teaching, acting, intenting to enter into The Guinness Book of Records and attaining 2, 714 football juggles in 22 minutes, as Sejean was interviewed by Television Channels C9N and SNT.[14]

2019

In February 2019, Sejean joined Urban Models Agency in Asunción.[29]

Lelo Sejean with Atlético Colegiales in 2019

In 2019, he joined the Sol de América athletics team and earned national representative honours with them in the Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo.[30]

In 2019, Sejean transferred to Atlético Colegiales from Atlántida Asunción. He joined the club with the help of Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Águia, who was also his teammate at Atlético Colegiales. Sejean cited that he held a great relationship with Águia and that he received help from him in improving his diet. Sejean made his first appearance for the club against Cristobal Colón.[29]

In August 2019, Sejean signed with Tacuary on non-contract terms,[8] where he joined Cirilo Mora and Néstor Bareiro in a squad which reached promotion to the Paraguayan second-tier for the 2020 season.[31]

In November 2019, Sejean modelled Summer Clothing at the Asunción New Trends Fashion Parade.[31]

2020

COVID-19 pandemic

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Sejean opted to remain in Asunción despite having not seen his family in Australia for two years, and in case of assistance would maintain regular contact with Professional Footballers Australia whilst individually maintaining his physical form at local fútsal club Corrales FBC in his Asunción suburb. Within the period, a personal associate of his had submitted a proposal of the player's transfer rights to Ecuadorian Serie A and 2020 Copa Libertadores participants LDU Quito for Sejean to join them on a free-transfer for the succeeding season in 2021.[8]

Sejean training at fútsal club Corrales FBC during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

The Australian footballer's transfer was stuck at Tacuary for 2020, due to the discontinuence of the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol's leagues except the Primera División,[32] and also due to the requirement of having to be one of two Paraguayan citizens permitted to be incorporated to clubs during the July 2020 Transfer Market period for the country's first-tier league.[9] Sejean was already eligible to access Paraguayan naturalization, which was credited for the time frame of his living in Paraguay since 2011, and although separated by 2020, he had neglected to attain it whilst he was the spouse of a Paraguayan in 2015.[8][9]

Sejean intended to sign with LDU Quito and remain based in South American football to push to earn selection as an attractive option for the Australia selective team for the 2021 Copa América.[33] When he was not training, Sejean worked at a Milk Bar which was owned by a Paraguayan family with whom he lived, due to the inactive football season and the poor economy in Paraguayan football.[33]

On 21 July 2020, the proposal of Sejean's transfer rights to LDU Quito was paused due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, which also resulted in the departure of Antonio Valencia from the club. Sejean, who had been informed by Australia's Embassy in Buenos Aires that there were no repatriation or commercial flights to Australia, voiced vindication in defence of Olimpia Asunción player Emmanuel Adebayor and that people should not be critical that Adebayor could not return to Paraguay from Togo as Sejean's travel movement was also restricted.[34]

Sports mediation

In 2017, Sejean showed his pre-season training video with Edgar Baumann to athletics entities in Australia during his return there. By 2018, Sejean had proposed to bring Edgar Baumann to Australia for a guest coaching stint and attained for Australian athletics entities to invite Baumann for future events and he had spoken with the 2018 Commonwealth Games staff if Baumann could be a guest at the events, which was held on the Gold Coast.[35][36]

Since 2019, Sejean reportedly had eyed a Primera División player about whom he conversated with Australian-Bulgarian intermediary Boris Ivanov.[37]

In 2020, Sejean commented to Deportes Ciudad del Este that he wanted to be the sports link between Australia and South America, for he had been in the continent since 2009. He spoke about the possibility of a Paraguayan playing in Australia's A-League. A part from Baumann, Sejean also spoke of his plans for Fabian Caballero and Víctor Pinto, past coaches of his.[38]

Style of play

Sejean plays as a midfielder,[3] winger,[3] attacking midfielder,[11] and striker.[29]

To stand out and get the attention of clubs and agents, Sejean would send videos of him performing accurate corner kicks, juggles, and free kicks into crates.[3]

Personal life and education

In 2015, Sejean married his Paraguayan partner,[3] from whom he would then separate before or by 2020.[8] Whilst he was the spouse of a Paraguayan, he had neglected to attain the Paraguayan naturalization and by 2020 he was eligible to access this through credit for the time frame of his living in Paraguay since 2011.[8][9]

Lelo Sejean outside of Nacional Asunción's stadium in 2020

In 2018, Sejean had posters of David Beckham, Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez on his bedroom wall when residing at the Hamaca Paraguaya Hostel in Asunción and explained that he had a taste for Paraguayan foods Sopa paraguaya and Chipa guasu. Sejean signalled that in Paraguay, he was treated well but disliked that people invited him to drink alcohol, that Sejean preferred to drink Tereré.[14]

Apart from English Teaching at schools in Asunción and Ciudad del Este, Sejean also acted as an English Communicator for Asunción club Deportivo Recoleta by or during 2020.[8]

He is a linguistic and amongst the languages he speaks, he speaks in Guaraní, which he studied.[39][40]

Sejean studied Physical Fitness and Nutrition, and was a futsal referee at Barwon Valley Activity Centre in the locality of Geelong.[41][42]

In a 2020 interview with Australia's SBS, Sejean described Paraguay as a very third world country even for South American standards, and that whilst living in Paraguay he sometimes slept on floors in poor conditions and did not have that much money.[43]

Fashion appearances
  • 2019 Asunción New Trends Fashion Parade[31]

Honours

Tacuary

References
  1. "Resultados Torneo De La Victoria" (PDF). www.fpa.org.py. 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  2. "Competencia de atletismo en el Km. 8". 17 November 2016.
  3. Hui, Jin (26 April 2017). "Lelo signs with soccer big league".
  4. Hui, Jin (1 February 2018). "Lelo on ball in Paraguay".
  5. "Data" (PDF). deportescdepy.com. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. "Resultado" (PDF). fpa.org.py. 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  7. "Resultados Torneo Aaap" (PDF). fpa.org.py. 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  8. "Australiano Sejean, ofrecido a Liga de Quito". 1 July 2020.
  9. "Futbolista australiano "varado" en mercado de pases en Paraguay". diarioprimeraplana.com.
  10. "Data" (PDF). deportescdepy.com. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  11. "Meet the Aussie who made it in Paraguay". The World Game.
  12. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28804
  13. Hui, Jin (23 January 2020). "Lelo climbs in Paraguay".
  14. "El australiano que sueña en grande en Atlántida". extra.com.py.
  15. "Lelo Sejean: aventurero y soñador". SNT.
  16. "lelo sejean". C9N.
  17. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=22563
  18. https://m.imdb.com/name/nm3087863/
  19. https://m.extra.com.py/deportes/el-australiano-que-suena-grande-atlantida-n2703808.html
  20. https://geelongindy.com.au/indy/26-04-2017/lelo-signs-with-soccer-big-league/
  21. https://geelongindy.com.au/indy/26-04-2017/lelo-signs-with-soccer-big-league/
  22. https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/meet-the-aussie-who-made-it-in-paraguay
  23. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28022
  24. https://geelongindy.com.au/sport/10-07-2020/copa-hope-in-ecuador/
  25. https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/meet-the-aussie-who-made-it-in-paraguay
  26. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28804
  27. "Chrono Factory". www.chronofactory.com.
  29. Hui, Jin (10 May 2019). "Local soccer star changes clubs in Paraguay".
  30. https://geelongindy.com.au/sport/10-05-2019/local-soccer-star-changes-clubs-in-paraguay/
  31. "Australiano logra ascenso y jugaría la Copa América". 5 January 2020.
  32. "También se suspenden la Intermedia y los entrenamientos – Fútbol – ABC Color". www.abc.com.py.
  33. Hui, Jin (9 July 2020). "Copa hope in Ecuador".
  34. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28441
  35. https://geelongindy.com.au/indy/01-02-2018/lelo-on-ball-in-paraguay/
  36. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28804
  37. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28804
  38. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28804
  39. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=22563
  40. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28022
  41. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=22563
  42. http://deportescdepy.com/v2/?p=28022
  43. https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/meet-the-aussie-who-made-it-in-paraguay
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