Elie Charbel Lelo Sejean

Sejean first played Australian Rules Football before changing to association football, and in his first years his coaches were from Scotland and England.[3] He held schooling honours with Clairvaux Catholic School in 2002, and honours with St. Joseph's College in 2004, 2006 and 2007.[23] Sejean represented his state futsal team in the Under-16 category in from 2006 to 2007.[24] Sejean had Australian Matthew Spiranovic as a reference, who was a school colleague and whom Sejean watched on television playing at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru, citing him as the motive for his decision of wanting to become a footballer.[3]

"It was the 21st of September 2005, I'll never forget the moment. That morning, on television I saw Spiranovic playing in the U-17 World Cup in Peru. That was the moment when I decided that I wished that I wanted to do that too. He was the example."' – Sejean speaking about Matthew Spiranovic inspiring him in his decision to become a footballer.[3]

In 2007, Sejean competed for his state at the Australian national futsal championships disputed in Canberra which was followed by an invitation to form part of an Australian Under-16 representative team to play at the Costa Dorada Cup in Spain, which was turned down due to lack of funding.[25][3] In 2007, Sejean integrated to North Geelong Warriors with the first-team and Under-21 team. The club competed the State League Victoria and the City of Geelong league, in which Sejean accumulated 10 appearances.[3] His coaches were former Australia national team footballers Eddie Krncevic and Robert Spasevski.[3] At the end of the season, he unsuccessfully trialed for South Melbourne Hellas, Preston Lions and Bulleen Royals.[3]

In 2008, Sejean joined Sunshine George Cross where he was with the first-team, the Under-21 and Under-18 teams. In January, he appeared for the first-team in a game against Frankston Pines where he and goalkeeper Martin John were second-half substitutes. Sejean would then join the youth teams and be coached by Victor Cristaldo, Australia's second footballer to play in South America, who Sejean would emulate in playing in Paraguay.[3][25] 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 with a ball in the early morning at Goschs Paddock.[3] During an interview with Deportes Ciudad del Este in 2020, Sejean recalled that it was between going to Germany or Argentina, that he was preparing with a Melbourne representative team to play at a tournament in Düsseldorf in 2008. He wrote to Bayern Munich to request that a scout of theirs watch him play at the tournament, to which they replied that he would be contacted if he was good enough. Following this, Sejean e-maied Boca Juniors to ask for a trial and was told to call the club from the distance.[3]

"I still have the e-mail from Boca Juniors, I went after that opportunity without speaking Spanish" – Sejean speaking about his decision to go to Argentina[3]

Online, Sejean would look up the youth teams training images of such clubs as Boca Juniors and Banfield, imitating them in his own training sessions.[3] Sejean was also inspired by Australian footballer Robert Stambolziev of the same age, at England's Bristol City at they time, a player that Sejean described as the best Australian player at that age.[3]

In 2009, Sejean moved to Argentina when he was 18.[25] In Argentina, he lived in the Buenos Aires barrio Constitución which Sejean described as a dangerous place that was like the alternate 1985 from Back to the Future 2. However, he described the football experience in Argentina as a dream.[3] He resided with a Paraguayan family, where he learnt Guaraní for the first time. Sejean weekly played five a side football and trialled with Boca Juniors and Arsenal de Sarandí, recalling that he had barely slept the night before trialling with the former as a cause of the loud music from the dance clubs in his street.[3] A store clerk from Alfis Jeans on Lavalle in the Buenos Aires city district became a mediator between Sejean and clubs.[3]

Upon returning to Argentina the following year,[3] Sejean stayed on as an apprentice at third-tier club Barracas Central.[26]

In 2011, Sejean arrived in Paraguay for the first time,[27] residing in Asunción's neighbouring city Ñemby and living with the same Paraguayan family he lived with in Buenos Aires. In Ñemby, Sejean would go jogging at midday at Club Teniente Fariña to adapt himself to the Paraguayan heat.[3]

After returning to Australia in 2012, Sejean was at Melbourne club Keilor Park in February, for whom he played in one reserve match. Following this, Sejean signed with Geelong Rangers for the remainder of the season.[3]

In 2013, Sejean began playing in Paraguay's football leagues in the fourth-tier with Sportivo Ameliano.[28] 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.[3][26]

In 2014, Sejean joined Melbourne based club Westgate on a temporary transfer from Sportivo Ameliano until 2015.[13][29] In 2014, Sejean appeared for athletics club Bellarine Athletics.[30]

From 2015 to 2017, Sejean lived in Barrio San Rafael in Ciudad del Este, the city in which he began to progress Paraguayan sport.[3] In 2015, Sejean earned his first national representative honours with the Asociación de Atletismo del Alto Paraná in the Federación Paraguaya de Atletismo.[7]

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,[5] in which Sejean finished in second place with a throw of 29.37 metres.[31]

"Mr. Baumann gave me everything, he helped me in everything and he continues to help me. I've always said that he is like a father"' – Sejean speaking about his javelin coach Edgar Baumann.[3]

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 79 kg down to 74 kg.[6] 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.[6][32] 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.[6] Sejean would spend a lot of time with Pinto and would train with him in his backyard.[6] Sejean played for Sol del Este's first-team on three occasions and once for the reserve-team against clubs in Alto Paraná, seeings that the club withdrew its participation in the country's third-tier.[3]

Sejean was playing well as a winger, and just as the Liga Paranaense was beginning in June, he went to Asunción to join Atlántida through the help of his former teammate at Sportivo Ameliano.[3][7]

He later returned to Australia to compete in the 2017/18 Athletics Victoria season.[7] In 2017, Sejean reached his best athletics results with a mark of 36.00 metres in the javelin throw and 4.93 metres in long jump.[33][7]

Sejean in APF clothing in 2018

By 2018, Sejean still remained as an athlete to the Asociación de Atletismo del Alto Paraná.[19]

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.[19]

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, intending 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.[19]

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.[34] 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.[35] In August 2019, Sejean signed with Tacuary on non-contract terms,[16] where he joined Cirilo Mora and Néstor Bareiro in a squad which reached promotion to the Paraguayan second-tier for the 2020 season.[36] Sejean was taken to Tacuary by Tomas Orué, who was also the president of the South American Martial Arts Confederation. Orué also helped Sejean with inconveniences that he experienced with his transfer at Paraguayan clubs.[3]

In May 2020, Sejean recovered from dental treatment and twenty months of Achilles tendonitis and passed the year individually preparing to be selected for the 2021 Copa América.[14]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Sejean remained in Asunción despite having not seen his family in Australia for two years. He maintained contact with Professional Footballers Australia whilst individually training at local fútsal club Corrales FBC in his Asunción suburb. In July, his transfer rights were offered to 2020 Copa Libertadores participants LDU Quito to join them on a free-transfer for the succeeding season.[16]

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

The footballer's transfer remained at Tacuary for 2020 due to the discontinuance of the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol's leagues except the Primera División Paraguaya,[37] and also due to the requirement of having to be one of two Paraguayan citizens permitted to be incorporated to a first-tier club during the July 2020 Transfer Market.[15] Sejean was already eligible to access Paraguayan naturalization, which was credited for his time frame of living in Paraguay since 2011, and although separated by 2020, he neglected to attain it whilst he was the spouse of a Paraguayan in 2015.[16][15]

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.[38]

Sejean was informed by Australia's Embassy in Buenos Aires that there were no repatriation or commercial flights to Australia and he later 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.[39]

In August, Sejean was aiming at a Primera Division Paraguaya club based in Barrio Obrero in Asunción,[14][40] which in October was revealed to be Cerro Porteño, when Sejean had regularly been into the club headquarters to offer a football and international relations proposal for the 2021 season, supported by Melbourne-based Player Manager Boris Ivanov.[17][41] On 14 October, he received sponsorship from tourist franchise Trip4Win who also intended to approach Cerro Porteño and Football Federation Australia through Sejean's image.[1][2] On 24 October, the second preview of a documentary that follows Sejean's preparations for 2021 captured the attention of Cerro Porteño fans and the club captain Nelson Haedo Valdez, who demonstrated his support to Sejean through Instagram.[42]

Sejean's transfer saga continued into 2021,[43] declaring that he wanted to make Cerro Porteño fans "fall in love".[44] Whilst being mentioned with aims to the Primera División Paraguaya,[45] however, Sejean spoke with Auckland City general manager Terry Kenelly, informing that he was available to transfer without a fee from Tacuary. He contacted England lower league club Macclesfield Town as well.[46]

In 2004, he played the protagonist in a short-film titled Bright Lights, performing with the screen name Elijah Sejean,[49] and was presented with the Best Actor award at the Shootout Film Festival in Geelong barely aged 14 years old.[3][50] Bright Lights too was screened at film festivals in Melbourne, Sydney, and in San Francisco and Philadelphia in the United States.[3]

In June 2018, Sejean appeared as a foreigner in an episode of Paraguayan C9N's Fuimos Destornillados.[3]

In February 2019, Sejean joined Urban Models Agency in Asunción.[35] In November 2019, Sejean modelled Summer Clothing at the Asunción New Trends Fashion Parade.[36]

In 2020, Sejean remained linked with Urban Model's Agency but his participation was not that of the previous year.[3] In September 2020, Luis Aguilar Tabakmann began filmed a documentary which followed Sejean's preparations for 2021 to play in the Copa Libertadores and at the Copa América. Two previews of the documentary were published through YouTube, and they were also used by diverse Instagram accounts dedicated to Club Cerro Porteño.[3]

During a return to Australia in 2010, Sejean obtained a level 1 Futsal licence by way of Football Federation Australia to arbitrate the at Barwon Valley Activity Centre in the locality of Geelong each time he returns to Australia.[56][47][27]

In 2017, Sejean was assistant coach to Víctor Pinto at the youth set-up at Ciudad del Este and Paraguay third-tier club Sol del Este whilst also playing for the club's first-team.[6][32]

In 2017, Sejean showed his pre-season training video with Edgar Baumann to athletics entities in Australia during his return there.[57][13] 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.[57][13] Since 2019, Sejean reportedly had eyed a Primera División player about whom he conversated with Australian-Bulgarian intermediary Boris Ivanov.[13] 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.[13]

Sejean acted as an English Communicator for Asunción club Deportivo Recoleta by or during 2020.[16]

Lelo Sejean outside of Nacional Asunción's stadium in 2020

Sejean is a linguistic, a part from English, he is a Spanish, Guaraní and Portuguese speaker. Sejean also speaks some French and Arabic due to his descent, and was interested by Japanese. In question of languages, Sejean decides he must improve his French and Japanese.[59][47][27] Whilst in Australia, Sejean studied nutrition, health and physical fitness at the Victorian Fitness Academy and was a futsal referee at Barwon Valley Activity Centre in the locality of Geelong.[47][27][60] By 2020, Sejean was in his third year of independently studying psychology through Napoleon Hill's books Outwitting the Devil and Think and Grow Rich.[61] He also listens to speeches of entrepreneur Daniel Ally.[62] He enjoys reading.[63]

In 2015, Sejean married his Paraguayan partner,[6] from whom he would then separate before or by 2020.[16] 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.[16][15] 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.[19] In a 2020 interview with Australia's SBS, Sejean described Paraguay as a very third world country even by South American standards, and that whilst living in Paraguay he sometimes slept on floors in poor conditions and did not have that much money.[26] 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.[16]