Youssef El-Arabi

Youssef El-Arabi
El-Arabi with Caen in 2010
Personal information
Full name Youssef El-Arabi
Date of birth (1987-02-03) 3 February 1987
Place of birth Caen, France
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Al-Duhail
Number 9
Youth career
2001–2002 Caen
2002–2004 SC Hérouville Football
2004–2007 USON Mondeville
2007–2009 Caen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Caen 75 (28)
2011–2012 Al-Hilal 21 (12)
2012–2016 Granada 130 (44)
2016– Al-Duhail 41 (53)
National team‡
2010– Morocco 37 (15)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:17, 19 August 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 October 2016

Youssef El-Arabi (Arabic: يوسف العربي‎; born 3 February 1987)[1] is a professional footballer who plays for Qatari club Al-Duhail as a striker.

He began his career with hometown club Caen in Ligue 1, making his debut in 2008. After a season in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal he signed for La Liga club Granada for a club record €5 million in 2012. He scored 45 goals in 134 official games before leaving for Qatar in 2016.

Born in France, El-Arabi chose to represent Morocco at international level, making his debut in 2010. He represented them at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Club career

Caen/Al-Hilal

On 20 December 2008, El-Arabi made his debut for Caen, coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute against Lyon in Ligue 1. He played 2 more games that season (coming on in both as a substitute), and scored no goals (2008–09). The following season (2009–10) saw El-Arabi score 11 goals in 34 games (he came on in 11 of these games as a substitute) for Caen, as well as claiming eight assists, in Ligue 2. This season (2010–11) has seen El-Arabi score 17 goals in 38 games for Caen, as well as claiming five assists, in Ligue 1. After rejecting bids from Sevilla FC and Genoa C.F.C, he eventually signed for Al-Hilal FC in July 2011 on a four-year contract.

Granada

On 19 July 2012, El-Arabi returned to Europe, signing a five-year contract for La Liga club Granada for a club record €5 million fee.[2] He made his debut on 20 August, starting as the season began with a 1–0 loss at Rayo Vallecano. His first goal was scored on 7 October, a penalty to open a 2–1 win at Mallorca in a 2–1 win,[3] and his total of eight goals in 31 games helped his side avoid relegation.

He scored 12 times in his second season at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, including his first La Liga hat-trick, all three goals in a 3–1 win over rivals Málaga on 8 November 2013.[4] At the end of the season, he was nominated for the Best African player at the LFP Awards, losing out to teammate Yacine Brahimi.[5]

On 4 October 2014, El-Arabi scored in the first minute against Málaga, albeit in a 2–1 away loss.[6] He put the side ahead with a penalty at Levante the following 23 February but was later sent off for scrapping with Iván Ramis in a loss by the same score.[7] Granada avoided relegation on goal difference.

In his final season at Granada, El-Arabi scored 17 times in 38 games, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Levante on 21 April 2016.[8]

Al-Duhail

On 18 July 2016, El-Arabi signed for Lekhwiya SC of the Qatar Stars League.[9] He made his debut on 17 September, scoring the opening goal of a 4–0 home win over Muaither. His 24 goals in 18 games made him joint top scorer for the season alongside Al Sadd's Baghdad Bounedjah, while Lekhwiya won the title.

On 11 December 2017, El-Arabi scored six goals in one match for the renamed Al-Duhail in an 8–0 QSL Cup group stage win at Al-Khor.[10] His team retained their league title, and he was again top scorer, with 26 goals in 20 games, one more than his teammate Youssef Msakni.[11]

International career

On 5 September 2010, El-Arabi made his debut for the Morocco national football team, coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute for Mounir El-Hamdaoui against the Central African Republic. He followed this up with games against Tanzania and Northern Ireland, coming on as a substitute in both games.

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 January 2018[12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Cups Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Caen 2008–09 Ligue 1 300000–30
2009–10 Ligue 2 34110000–3411
2010–11 Ligue 1 38171000–3917
Total 75281000–7628
Al-Hilal 2011–12 Saudi Professional League 21121040643216
Total 21121040643216
Granada 2012–13 La Liga 31810––328
2013–14 361200––3612
2014–15 28800––288
2015–16 351631––3817
Total 1304441––13445
Al Duhail 2016–17 Qatar Stars League 182400–432227
2017–18 131937––1626
Total 314337–433853
Career total 2571279840107280142

International goals

Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.[13]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1.10 August 2011Stade Demba Diop, Dakar, Senegal Senegal2–02–0Friendly
2.29 February 2012Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco Burkina Faso2–02–0Friendly
3.13 October 2012Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco Mozambique3–04–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4.23 January 2013Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa Cape Verde1–11–12013 Africa Cup of Nations
5.24 March 2013Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Tanzania3–13–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.8 June 2013Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco Tanzania2–02–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.7 September 2013Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ivory Coast1–01–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
8.5 March 2014Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco Gabon1–01–1Friendly
9.23 May 2014Estádio de São Luís, Faro, Portugal Mozambique2–04–0Friendly
10.4–0
11.5 September 2015Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco São Tomé and Príncipe2–03–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
12.12 November 2015Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco Equatorial Guinea1–02–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.26 March 2016Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, Cape Verde Cape Verde1–01–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
14.29 March 2016Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco Cape Verde1–02–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
15.2–0

References

  1. ↑ "Youssef El-Arabi". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "El-Arabi ya es el fichaje más caro del Granada" [El-Arabi is Granada's most expensive signing]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "El Granada conquista el fortín del Mallorca" [Granada conquer Mallorca's fortress]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 October 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Fish, Joe (9 November 2013). "Result: Youssef El-Arabi inspires Granada to win over Malaga". Sports Mole. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "gala de premios LFP 2013/14" [LFP Awards show 2013/14] (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Málaga come back to win again". La Liga. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  7. ↑ Mellero, Delfín (23 February 2015). "El Levante resurge de sus cenizas" [Levante rise from their ashes]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  8. ↑ "Youssef El Arabi bags treble as Granada hammer Levante". ESPN FC. PA Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Youssef El-Arabi signe au Lekhwiya Sports Club (Qatar)" [Youssef El-Arabi signs for Lekhwiya Sports Club (Qatar)]. L'Équipe (in French). 18 July 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Big wins for Kharaitiyat, Al Gharafa, and Duhail". Gulf Times. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  11. ↑ "Qatar: Le Marocain Youssef El Arabi sacré meilleur buteur de la saison" [Qatar: Moroccan Youssef El-Arabi awarded top scorer of the season]. Huffington Post (in French). 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Y. EL-ARABI". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "El Arabi, Youssef". National Football Teams. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
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