Hatem Ben Arfa
Encyclopedia
Hatem Ben Arfa is a French association football
player who plays for English club Newcastle United
in the Premier League. He plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and an attacking midfielder. Ben Arfa has been described as "one of the best-rated talents in France", but has been criticized by the media and players alike for lacking discipline.
Ben Arfa started his career throughout various clubs in the Île-de-France
region
, having trained at AC Boulogne-Billancourt and Versailles
. In 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine
academy. Ben Arfa spent three years at the academy and, upon leaving, signed with Olympique Lyonnais
, where he won four Ligue 1
titles. In his early career at Lyon, he played as a centre forward
, but moved into a winger role during the 2007–08 season. In the summer of 2008, Ben Arfa signed with rivals Marseille
for €11 million through a move which required the intervention of the Ligue de Football Professionnel
. With Marseille, he won the 2009–10
league title, his fifth overall, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue
in 2010. After two years at Marseille, Ben Arfa joined English club Newcastle United
on loan for the 2010–11 season with a view to a permanent deal. In January 2011, the loan deal was made permanent.
Ben Arfa is a former French youth international
having played at all levels. At under-17 level, he was a part of the team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
. Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team
for the first time in October 2007 for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands
. He made his debut in the match and also scored his first goal as well in a 6–0 win.
, a southwestern suburb of Paris
, to Kamel Ben Arfa, a former Tunisian international
football player, and a French mother. His father discovered that his five-year old son had an interest in football and with guidance from a sports journalist and agent Michel Ouazin, Ben Arfa began his career as a football player.
Ben Arfa began training at ASV Châtenay-Malabry, a local club not far from his hometown. After two years at the club, he moved a few miles north to Montrouge CF 92. In 1998, Ben Arfa moved to sporting club AC Boulogne-Billancourt. The following year, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy
. While at Clairefontaine, Ben Arfa was the only underage player in his class, and was a part of A la Clairefontaine, a documentary series which chronicled the lives of the France's top young footballers during their time at the academy. During the series, an episode showed Ben Arfa getting into an argument with Abou Diaby
. While training at Clairefontaine during the weekdays, Ben Arfa played for FC Versailles
on the weekends.
, Ben Arfa joined Olympique Lyonnais
who had just won their first ever Ligue 1 championship. In August 2004, after spending two years in the youth divisions of the Lyon academy
, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal, despite late interest from English club Chelsea
and Dutch outfit Ajax. He was, along with fellow player Karim Benzema
, promoted to the senior squad and assigned the number 34 shirt.
Ben Arfa made his professional debut on the opening match day of the 2004–05 season against Nice
coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute. Lyon won the match 1–0 with a goal from Giovane Elber
a few minutes after Ben Arfa came on. After making a few substitute appearances, he made his first start on 11 September 2004 in a 2–1 victory over Rennes playing 56 minutes. Ben Arfa scored his first professional goal two months later on 10 November in a Coupe de la Ligue
match against Lille
, converting from the penalty spot
in extra time to give Lyon a 2–1 lead, though Lille scored two late goals, beating Lyon 3–2. He made his UEFA Champions League
debut in a group stage match against Manchester United
coming on as a substitute for Sidney Govou
.
The following season, Ben Arfa switched to the first team number 18 shirt, but his substitute-to-start ratio was still high with seven out of 12 appearances as a substitute. He also made his first Champions League start in a 2–1 victory over Norwegian
club Rosenborg, providing the assist on the game winning goal scored by the Brazil
ian Fred
in the last minutes of the match. Ben Arfa scored his first league goal during the 2006–07 season against Sedan
just before half-time, which proved to be the winner as Lyon won the match 1–0.
After wingers Florent Malouda
and Sylvain Wiltord
left the club, incoming manager Alain Perrin preferred the more modern 4-3-3 formation and opted to move Ben Arfa to the left-wing role for the 2007–08 season. Ben Arfa quickly adapted to the position and scored his first goal in a 5–1 demolition of Metz
on 15 September, though his performance was overshadowed by a Karim Benzema
hat trick
. Arguably his best performances in a Lyon shirt came in a period of 12 days, during which he played a league match on 28 October against Paris Saint-Germain
and a Champions League game against German club VfB Stuttgart
on 7 November. He scored two goals in each match with both results being in favor of Lyon. Following the season, he was named the league's Young Player of the Year.
Despite rumors of a rift between himself and Benzema, Ben Arfa signed a contract extension with Lyon in March 2008 until 2010. However, his career at Lyon reached an impasse after he got into a training session scuffle with veteran Sébastien Squillaci
.
, Manchester United
, Arsenal
, and Spanish club Real Madrid
, rumors of a move to rivals Olympique de Marseille
began to surface. On 28 June 2008, Lyon confirmed that a proposed transfer to Marseille had been canceled for the time being. However, Ben Arfa confirmed to the local La Provence newspaper on 29 June that he had signed for the southern coast
club and would not return to Lyon for pre-season training the following day. La Provence later reported that Ben Arfa had in fact missed training in Lyon on 30 June, confirming his intentions.
Ben Arfa officially joined Marseille on 1 July 2008 for €11 million, with future incentives to be included later, after an agreement was reached between Marseille and Lyon in a meeting organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
. As a result of the disagreement over the transfer, in December 2008, Ben Arfa told the local Lyon
paper Le Progrès that his former team lacked class and was not a great team. Ben Arfa was presented to the media and had his first training session with the club the same day. He was given the number 20 shirt. On 16 July, Ben Arfa was involved in another training session bust-up, this time with stiker and France international
Djibril Cissé
. Cissé later joined English club Sunderland
on loan.
Ben Arfa made his league debut on the opening day of the season in a 4–4 draw with Rennes. He scored his first goal for the Marseilles in that match. He continued in form scoring six times in his first 11 matches. However, his reputation for controversy continued to haunt him when he was involved in another dispute, this time with the Cameroon international
Modeste M'bami
during a warm up session ahead of the club's UEFA Champions League
match against Liverpool
. The two had to be separated by Ronald Zubar
. Controversy arose again following Marseille's 4–2 loss to Le Classique rivals Paris-Saint Germain. He drew the ire of manager Eric Gerets after his refusal to leave the bench to warm up. Ben Arfa later said he was injured much to the chagrin of Gerets, but later apologized for the incident to the media and Gerets himself. Upon his return to the squad, Ben Arfa responded by scoring a goal and providing the assists on both the other goals in a 3–1 victory over Saint-Étienne
.
Ben Arfa switched to the number 10 shirt for the 2009–10 season and made his debut on the opening match day of the season in a 2–0 away victory over Grenoble
appearing as a substitute in the 68th minute. The following week, he earned his first start of the season against Lille
and assisted the winning goal scored by Brandão.
Controversy surfaced again, however, when, on 8 October 2009, Ben Arfa was fined €10,000 by the club for missing a training session. Ben Arfa blamed the absence on airport delays as he was in Tunisia
visiting family members during the international break. A month later, on 18 November, he got into a heated argument with manager Didier Deschamps
during a training session, for which Ben Arfa later apologized. Under Deschamps in the first half of the season, Ben Arfa appeared in 15 of the club's 20 league matches and only played the full 90 minutes in two matches, a 2–1 defeat against Monaco
and a 2–0 defeat to Auxerre
.
Ben Arfa's play during the 2010 portion of the season earned praise from Deschamps and sporting director José Anigo
. On 10 January 2010, Ben Arfa scored his first goal of the season against amateur club Trélissac
in the Coupe de France
. A month later, he was instrumental in Marseille's 5–1 victory over Valenciennes
assisting on the opening goal scored by Lucho González. Later that month, Ben Arfa scored an away goal in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie against Danish
club FC København. In the return leg in Marseille, Ben Arfa struck again, scoring the opening goal in the 43rd minute. Marseille won the match 3–1 and the tie 6–2 on aggregate. On 27 February, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 3–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. Ben Arfa's play in the month of February was validated when he was named the UNFP Player of the Month
. Marseille won all four of the league matches the team contested with Ben Arfa starting all of them. On 7 April, Ben Arfa converted a penalty
in a 3–0 win over Sochaux
. The victory placed the club at the top of the table, and they remained there for the rest of the season and clinched the title on 5 May with a 3–1 win over Rennes. Ben Arfa appeared as a substitute in the match.
were looking to sign Ben Arfa. After being questioned, Newcastle's manager Chris Hughton
denied the reports. Five days later, Ben Arfa's agent declared that Newcastle were indeed interested in the player, along with German clubs Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen
, Turkish
club Galatasaray
, and Italian club A.C. Milan
. On 9 August, a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent was reportedly being negotiated between the two clubs. However, a loan-fee for the deal could not be reached with Newcastle offering £650,000; £350,000 short of what Marseille wanted. On 12 August, Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier
announced that Ben Arfa would not be moving to Newcastle and even went as far as to say that an offer from the club had not even existed.
Similar to his actions in leaving Lyon, Ben Arfa responded to the statement by telling the French sports newspaper L'Equipe
that he would not be returning to La Commanderie
, Marseille's training facility, and would not play with the team for the remainder of the season. He also stated that his relationship with Deschamps had turned sour and was beyond repair. Ben Arfa confirmed his intentions by traveling to Newcastle upon Tyne
, without authorization, with hopes that Newcastle and Marseille would come to an agreement. After returning to Marseille, he missed several training sessions with his parent club and was, subsequently, left off the match day squad for two league matches against Valenciennes
and Lorient
. Ben Arfa's number 10 was later given to new signing André-Pierre Gignac
, which signaled a transfer was imminent.
On 19 August, a proposed move to Werder Bremen failed to come to fruition after the club's sporting director Klaus Allofs
declared that the club was not interested in Ben Arfa, despite reports of Werder Bremen offering Marseille a transfer fee of €8 million. On 27 August, Dassier confirmed that the club had reached an agreement on a loan fee with Newcastle for the transfer of Ben Arfa with personal terms being the only stumbling block in the deal. Marseille agreed to a £2 million loan fee with Newcastle set to pay the club another £5 million if Ben Arfa makes 25 club appearances this season
, making the transfer permanent.
confirmed that it had signed Ben Arfa on a season-long loan. He received the number 37 shirt and made his debut on 11 September 2010, appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat at home to Blackpool
. He scored his first goal for Newcastle on his full debut on 18 September in the 1–0 victory against Everton
. On 3 October, Ben Arfa suffered a broken tibia
and fibula in his left leg while playing in a league match against Manchester City
. The injury came as a result of a tackle by opposing midfielder Nigel de Jong
. On 5 January 2011, Marseille and Newcastle both confirmed on their websites that they had reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Ben Arfa to Newcastle with the player agreeing to a four and a half year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed.
Ben Arfa spent most of his rehabilitation in his home city of Paris recuperating at the Clairefontaine
academy. In January 2011, it was reported by the English media that Ben Arfa had undergone another surgery in November 2010 to repair complications that were preventing his shin bones from healing properly. On 23 February, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew
confirmed that Ben Arfa was running and could return to the team in April. However, days later, Pardew revealed that he wasn't prepared to rush the player's rehabilitation process and that Ben Arfa probably wouldn't be available until May, stating "I am going to protect him. I can't just throw him in". Ben Arfa returned to training with Newcastle on 5 April. He participated fully in warm-ups with the first-team, but spent the majority of the training session doing light training and fitness work. Ben Arfa ultimately failed to make any more appearances with the team in the 2010–11 season.
After continuing his rehabilitation during the summer, ahead of the 2011–12 season
, Ben Arfa began participating in friendly matches with the senior team. He made his return to the team on 15 July 2011 in a match against Conference National
club Darlington
. Five days later, in the team's pre-season tour of the United States, he sustained an ankle injury in a match against Sporting Kansas City. Ben Arfa ventured back to his home country to rehab the injury and returned to Newcastle on 18 September. He was, subsequently, named to the first-team to participate in the team's Football League Cup
tie against Nottingham Forest
on 21 September. He made his Premier League return three days later, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
.
. With the under-16 team
, he made ten appearances scoring seven goals. Ben Arfa made his debut with the team at the 2003 edition of the Aegean Cup in Turkey
. He scored his first goal in the tournament on 12 January in a 3–2 win over Belgium. The victory assured France a third-place finish. At the Montaigu Tournament
, Ben Arfa scored a team-leading six goals. He scored two goals in the team's 8–0 win over Gabon
in the opening match. In the following match, Ben Arfa scored the final goal in the team's 3–0 win over Russia
and, in the final group stage match, bagged another double in a 3–1 victory over England
. He capped the tournament by scoring a goal in the final against Italy
, though France lost the match 5–1.
Ben Arfa made his debut with the under-17 team
in the opening match of the season against Sweden
converting a first-half hat-trick in a 5–2 victory. In the Tournio de Val-de-Marne
, Ben Arfa scored two goals as France were crowned champions without conceding a goal. At the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
, Ben Arfa, alongside teammates Samir Nasri
, Benzema, and Jérémy Menez
contributed to the team winning the competition. Ben Arfa appeared in all five matches and scored goals against Northern Ireland
, Turkey
and Portugal
. In total with the under-17s, he made 17 appearances and scored a team-high 11 goals. Because of his increased playing time with Lyon, Ben Arfa missed a significant portion of playing time with the under-18 team
. He made his debut on 15 March 2005, playing in a 3–3 draw with Germany. Ben Arfa appeared in the final three matches of the season for the team to bring his appearance total to four. He scored no goals.
The foursome of Ben Arfa, Nasri, Benzema, and Menez returned to international play together for under-19
duty. The four were joined by Issiar Dia
, Blaise Matuidi
, and Serge Gakpé
with the objective of winning the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
. In the first round of qualification for the tournament, Ben Arfa scored his lone goal in the opening match against Wales
as France advanced through the round undefeated. Due to injury, Ben Arfa was absent from the final round of qualification for the tournament and, despite going undefeated in the round, France were eliminated after being beaten on points by Scotland
. Ben Arfa only made one competitive appearance with the under-21 team
, appearing in a 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship qualification match
against Romania
.
, Ben Arfa was eligible to represent Tunisia
and was offered a place in the 2006 World Cup
, held in Germany. He turned down this opportunity, preferring to continue his career with the French national team. Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team for the first time on 10 October 2007 by Raymond Domenech
to replace the injured Louis Saha
and played in the Euro 2008 qualifying matches against the Faroe Islands
and Lithuania
. This move stunned critics of Domenech as they expected striker David Trezeguet
to get the call-up. Ben Arfa made his debut on 13 October when he came on for Franck Ribéry
in the 64th minute and scored the last goal in France's 6–0 victory over the Faroe Islands. Ben Arfa was, however, omitted from Domenech's final 23-man Euro 2008 squad
on 28 May.
On 25 February 2010, after a long period without a call-up, Ben Arfa returned to the team, alongside teammates Steve Mandanda
and Benoît Cheyrou
, after being called up for France's friendly match with Spain
on 3 March. On 11 May, he was named to the 30-man preliminary list by Domenech to play in the 2010 World Cup
, but failed to make the final 23.
After going nearly two years without representing France internationally, on 5 August 2010, Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team
by new manager Laurent Blanc
for the team's friendly match against Norway
on 11 August 2010. Ben Arfa made his return to the team in the match appearing as a half-time substitute for Moussa Sissoko
. He scored the opening goal of the match in a 2–1 defeat.
Marseille
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
player who plays for English club Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in the Premier League. He plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and an attacking midfielder. Ben Arfa has been described as "one of the best-rated talents in France", but has been criticized by the media and players alike for lacking discipline.
Ben Arfa started his career throughout various clubs in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
, having trained at AC Boulogne-Billancourt and Versailles
FC Versailles
Football Club de Versailles 78 is a French semi-professional association football club based in the commune of Versailles, Île-de-France. Their home stadium is the Stade de Montbauron, which has a capacity of 6,208 people. As of the 2009–10 season, Versailles play in the Division Supériore...
. In 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
academy. Ben Arfa spent three years at the academy and, upon leaving, signed with Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
, where he won four Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
titles. In his early career at Lyon, he played as a centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, but moved into a winger role during the 2007–08 season. In the summer of 2008, Ben Arfa signed with rivals Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
for €11 million through a move which required the intervention of the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
. With Marseille, he won the 2009–10
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
league title, his fifth overall, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue
2010 Coupe de la Ligue Final
The 2010 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 16th final of France's football league cup competition, the Coupe de la Ligue, a football competition for the 46 teams that the Ligue de Football Professionnel manages. The final took place on 27 March 2010 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis...
in 2010. After two years at Marseille, Ben Arfa joined English club Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on loan for the 2010–11 season with a view to a permanent deal. In January 2011, the loan deal was made permanent.
Ben Arfa is a former French youth international
France national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
having played at all levels. At under-17 level, he was a part of the team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
. Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
for the first time in October 2007 for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
. He made his debut in the match and also scored his first goal as well in a 6–0 win.
Early career
Ben Arfa was born in ClamartClamart
Clamart is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: bas Clamart, the historical centre, and petit Clamart with urbanization developed in the 1960s replacing pea fields. The canton of...
, a southwestern suburb of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, to Kamel Ben Arfa, a former Tunisian international
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
football player, and a French mother. His father discovered that his five-year old son had an interest in football and with guidance from a sports journalist and agent Michel Ouazin, Ben Arfa began his career as a football player.
Ben Arfa began training at ASV Châtenay-Malabry, a local club not far from his hometown. After two years at the club, he moved a few miles north to Montrouge CF 92. In 1998, Ben Arfa moved to sporting club AC Boulogne-Billancourt. The following year, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
. While at Clairefontaine, Ben Arfa was the only underage player in his class, and was a part of A la Clairefontaine, a documentary series which chronicled the lives of the France's top young footballers during their time at the academy. During the series, an episode showed Ben Arfa getting into an argument with Abou Diaby
Abou Diaby
Vassiriki Abou Diaby , commonly known as Abou Diaby, is a French footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the France national team...
. While training at Clairefontaine during the weekdays, Ben Arfa played for FC Versailles
FC Versailles
Football Club de Versailles 78 is a French semi-professional association football club based in the commune of Versailles, Île-de-France. Their home stadium is the Stade de Montbauron, which has a capacity of 6,208 people. As of the 2009–10 season, Versailles play in the Division Supériore...
on the weekends.
Olympique Lyonnais
At 15 and already labeled a prodigyChild prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
, Ben Arfa joined Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
who had just won their first ever Ligue 1 championship. In August 2004, after spending two years in the youth divisions of the Lyon academy
Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy
The Olympique Lyonnais Reserves & Academy are the reserve team and academy of French club Olympique Lyonnais. The reserves squad play in the Championnat de France amateur division, the fourth division of French football and the highest division the team is allowed to participate in. Lyon have won...
, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal, despite late interest from English club Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Dutch outfit Ajax. He was, along with fellow player Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...
, promoted to the senior squad and assigned the number 34 shirt.
Ben Arfa made his professional debut on the opening match day of the 2004–05 season against Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute. Lyon won the match 1–0 with a goal from Giovane Elber
Giovane Elber
Élber Giovane de Souza, simply Élber , is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a striker....
a few minutes after Ben Arfa came on. After making a few substitute appearances, he made his first start on 11 September 2004 in a 2–1 victory over Rennes playing 56 minutes. Ben Arfa scored his first professional goal two months later on 10 November in a Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
match against Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, converting from the penalty spot
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in extra time to give Lyon a 2–1 lead, though Lille scored two late goals, beating Lyon 3–2. He made his UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut in a group stage match against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
coming on as a substitute for Sidney Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...
.
The following season, Ben Arfa switched to the first team number 18 shirt, but his substitute-to-start ratio was still high with seven out of 12 appearances as a substitute. He also made his first Champions League start in a 2–1 victory over Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
club Rosenborg, providing the assist on the game winning goal scored by the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....
in the last minutes of the match. Ben Arfa scored his first league goal during the 2006–07 season against Sedan
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan , is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Sedan plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located...
just before half-time, which proved to be the winner as Lyon won the match 1–0.
After wingers Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
and Sylvain Wiltord
Sylvain Wiltord
Sylvain Claude Wiltord is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup....
left the club, incoming manager Alain Perrin preferred the more modern 4-3-3 formation and opted to move Ben Arfa to the left-wing role for the 2007–08 season. Ben Arfa quickly adapted to the position and scored his first goal in a 5–1 demolition of Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
on 15 September, though his performance was overshadowed by a Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...
hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
. Arguably his best performances in a Lyon shirt came in a period of 12 days, during which he played a league match on 28 October against Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...
and a Champions League game against German club VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
on 7 November. He scored two goals in each match with both results being in favor of Lyon. Following the season, he was named the league's Young Player of the Year.
Despite rumors of a rift between himself and Benzema, Ben Arfa signed a contract extension with Lyon in March 2008 until 2010. However, his career at Lyon reached an impasse after he got into a training session scuffle with veteran Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci is a French international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He plays as a central defender and is described as a player who "reads the game well" and is "strong in the air and on the ground"...
.
Olympique de Marseille
Despite reported interest from English clubs EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and Spanish club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, rumors of a move to rivals Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
began to surface. On 28 June 2008, Lyon confirmed that a proposed transfer to Marseille had been canceled for the time being. However, Ben Arfa confirmed to the local La Provence newspaper on 29 June that he had signed for the southern coast
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
club and would not return to Lyon for pre-season training the following day. La Provence later reported that Ben Arfa had in fact missed training in Lyon on 30 June, confirming his intentions.
Ben Arfa officially joined Marseille on 1 July 2008 for €11 million, with future incentives to be included later, after an agreement was reached between Marseille and Lyon in a meeting organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
. As a result of the disagreement over the transfer, in December 2008, Ben Arfa told the local Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
paper Le Progrès that his former team lacked class and was not a great team. Ben Arfa was presented to the media and had his first training session with the club the same day. He was given the number 20 shirt. On 16 July, Ben Arfa was involved in another training session bust-up, this time with stiker and France international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
. Cissé later joined English club Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on loan.
Ben Arfa made his league debut on the opening day of the season in a 4–4 draw with Rennes. He scored his first goal for the Marseilles in that match. He continued in form scoring six times in his first 11 matches. However, his reputation for controversy continued to haunt him when he was involved in another dispute, this time with the Cameroon international
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
Modeste M'bami
Modeste M'Bami
Modeste M'bami is a Cameroonian football player .-Club career:M'Bami started his career in his home country by playing for Dynamo Douala but was quickly spotted by foreign clubs. He joined CS Sedan Ardennes during the summer of 2000...
during a warm up session ahead of the club's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. The two had to be separated by Ronald Zubar
Ronald Zubar
Ronald Zubar is a French footballer of Guadeloupean descent who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
. Controversy arose again following Marseille's 4–2 loss to Le Classique rivals Paris-Saint Germain. He drew the ire of manager Eric Gerets after his refusal to leave the bench to warm up. Ben Arfa later said he was injured much to the chagrin of Gerets, but later apologized for the incident to the media and Gerets himself. Upon his return to the squad, Ben Arfa responded by scoring a goal and providing the assists on both the other goals in a 3–1 victory over Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
.
Ben Arfa switched to the number 10 shirt for the 2009–10 season and made his debut on the opening match day of the season in a 2–0 away victory over Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...
appearing as a substitute in the 68th minute. The following week, he earned his first start of the season against Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
and assisted the winning goal scored by Brandão.
Controversy surfaced again, however, when, on 8 October 2009, Ben Arfa was fined €10,000 by the club for missing a training session. Ben Arfa blamed the absence on airport delays as he was in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
visiting family members during the international break. A month later, on 18 November, he got into a heated argument with manager Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
during a training session, for which Ben Arfa later apologized. Under Deschamps in the first half of the season, Ben Arfa appeared in 15 of the club's 20 league matches and only played the full 90 minutes in two matches, a 2–1 defeat against Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
and a 2–0 defeat to Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
.
Ben Arfa's play during the 2010 portion of the season earned praise from Deschamps and sporting director José Anigo
José Anigo
José Anigo is a French former football defender, currently sporting director for Olympique de Marseille.-References:*...
. On 10 January 2010, Ben Arfa scored his first goal of the season against amateur club Trélissac
Trélissac FC
Trélissac Football Club is a French association football team founded in 1950. They are based in Trélissac, France and play at the Stade Firmin Daudou in the town. For the 2009–2010 season, they will play in the Championnat de France amateur 2 Group F....
in the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. A month later, he was instrumental in Marseille's 5–1 victory over Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
assisting on the opening goal scored by Lucho González. Later that month, Ben Arfa scored an away goal in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie against Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
club FC København. In the return leg in Marseille, Ben Arfa struck again, scoring the opening goal in the 43rd minute. Marseille won the match 3–1 and the tie 6–2 on aggregate. On 27 February, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 3–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. Ben Arfa's play in the month of February was validated when he was named the UNFP Player of the Month
UNFP Player of the Month
The UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
. Marseille won all four of the league matches the team contested with Ben Arfa starting all of them. On 7 April, Ben Arfa converted a penalty
Penalty shot
A penalty shot is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during stop-time. Penalty shots are sometimes grouped into the larger penalty shootout used to decide games in several sports.-Ice hockey:...
in a 3–0 win over Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
. The victory placed the club at the top of the table, and they remained there for the rest of the season and clinched the title on 5 May with a 3–1 win over Rennes. Ben Arfa appeared as a substitute in the match.
Departure to Newcastle United
On 22 July 2010, reports surfaced suggesting that English club Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
were looking to sign Ben Arfa. After being questioned, Newcastle's manager Chris Hughton
Chris Hughton
Christopher William Gerard "Chris" Hughton is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Birmingham City F.C....
denied the reports. Five days later, Ben Arfa's agent declared that Newcastle were indeed interested in the player, along with German clubs Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
, Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
club Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, and Italian club A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. On 9 August, a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent was reportedly being negotiated between the two clubs. However, a loan-fee for the deal could not be reached with Newcastle offering £650,000; £350,000 short of what Marseille wanted. On 12 August, Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier
Jean-Claude Dassier
Jean-Claude Dassier is the president of Olympique de Marseille between June 2009 and June 2011. Before, he was a journalist and the news director of TF1.-References:...
announced that Ben Arfa would not be moving to Newcastle and even went as far as to say that an offer from the club had not even existed.
Similar to his actions in leaving Lyon, Ben Arfa responded to the statement by telling the French sports newspaper L'Equipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
that he would not be returning to La Commanderie
Centre d'entraînement Robert Louis-Dreyfus
The Centre d'entraînement Robert Louis-Dreyfus, commonly referred to, simply, as La Commanderie, is the training ground and Academy base of french football club, Olympique de Marseille. Located in Marseille, the center was officially opened in July 1991...
, Marseille's training facility, and would not play with the team for the remainder of the season. He also stated that his relationship with Deschamps had turned sour and was beyond repair. Ben Arfa confirmed his intentions by traveling to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, without authorization, with hopes that Newcastle and Marseille would come to an agreement. After returning to Marseille, he missed several training sessions with his parent club and was, subsequently, left off the match day squad for two league matches against Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
and Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
. Ben Arfa's number 10 was later given to new signing André-Pierre Gignac
André-Pierre Gignac
André-Pierre Gignac is a French professional football player who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings. Gignac is described as a "powerful and dangerous" striker who is known for his "aerial presence"...
, which signaled a transfer was imminent.
On 19 August, a proposed move to Werder Bremen failed to come to fruition after the club's sporting director Klaus Allofs
Klaus Allofs
Klaus Allofs is a retired German footballer, who played as a striker.A prolific goalscorer for club and country , his younger brother, Thomas, was also a professional footballer – and a striker.-Club career:Allofs began playing...
declared that the club was not interested in Ben Arfa, despite reports of Werder Bremen offering Marseille a transfer fee of €8 million. On 27 August, Dassier confirmed that the club had reached an agreement on a loan fee with Newcastle for the transfer of Ben Arfa with personal terms being the only stumbling block in the deal. Marseille agreed to a £2 million loan fee with Newcastle set to pay the club another £5 million if Ben Arfa makes 25 club appearances this season
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
, making the transfer permanent.
Newcastle United
On 27 August 2010, Ben Arfa agreed to personal terms with Newcastle and, the following day, the clubconfirmed that it had signed Ben Arfa on a season-long loan. He received the number 37 shirt and made his debut on 11 September 2010, appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat at home to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. He scored his first goal for Newcastle on his full debut on 18 September in the 1–0 victory against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. On 3 October, Ben Arfa suffered a broken tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and fibula in his left leg while playing in a league match against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. The injury came as a result of a tackle by opposing midfielder Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
. On 5 January 2011, Marseille and Newcastle both confirmed on their websites that they had reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Ben Arfa to Newcastle with the player agreeing to a four and a half year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed.
Ben Arfa spent most of his rehabilitation in his home city of Paris recuperating at the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
academy. In January 2011, it was reported by the English media that Ben Arfa had undergone another surgery in November 2010 to repair complications that were preventing his shin bones from healing properly. On 23 February, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
confirmed that Ben Arfa was running and could return to the team in April. However, days later, Pardew revealed that he wasn't prepared to rush the player's rehabilitation process and that Ben Arfa probably wouldn't be available until May, stating "I am going to protect him. I can't just throw him in". Ben Arfa returned to training with Newcastle on 5 April. He participated fully in warm-ups with the first-team, but spent the majority of the training session doing light training and fitness work. Ben Arfa ultimately failed to make any more appearances with the team in the 2010–11 season.
After continuing his rehabilitation during the summer, ahead of the 2011–12 season
2011–12 in English football
The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...
, Ben Arfa began participating in friendly matches with the senior team. He made his return to the team on 15 July 2011 in a match against Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
club Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
. Five days later, in the team's pre-season tour of the United States, he sustained an ankle injury in a match against Sporting Kansas City. Ben Arfa ventured back to his home country to rehab the injury and returned to Newcastle on 18 September. He was, subsequently, named to the first-team to participate in the team's Football League Cup
2011–12 Football League Cup
The 2011–12 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, is the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs...
tie against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 21 September. He made his Premier League return three days later, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
.
Youth
Ben Arfa has earned caps with all of France's youth teamsFrance national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
. With the under-16 team
France national under-16 football team
The France national under-16 football team is the national under-16 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team previously competed in the annual UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship before it was converted into an under-17 competition in 2002...
, he made ten appearances scoring seven goals. Ben Arfa made his debut with the team at the 2003 edition of the Aegean Cup in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He scored his first goal in the tournament on 12 January in a 3–2 win over Belgium. The victory assured France a third-place finish. At the Montaigu Tournament
Montaigu Tournament
The Montaigu Tournament is an international association football competition that is contested by under-16 national teams. The tournament was founded in 1973 by Dutchman André Van Den Brink who was the president of FC Montaigu, a French amateur football team...
, Ben Arfa scored a team-leading six goals. He scored two goals in the team's 8–0 win over Gabon
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...
in the opening match. In the following match, Ben Arfa scored the final goal in the team's 3–0 win over Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and, in the final group stage match, bagged another double in a 3–1 victory over England
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
. He capped the tournament by scoring a goal in the final against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, though France lost the match 5–1.
Ben Arfa made his debut with the under-17 team
France national under-17 football team
The France national under-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is held every four years...
in the opening match of the season against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
converting a first-half hat-trick in a 5–2 victory. In the Tournio de Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
, Ben Arfa scored two goals as France were crowned champions without conceding a goal. At the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
, Ben Arfa, alongside teammates Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
, Benzema, and Jérémy Menez
Jérémy Menez
Jérémy Ménez is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He plays many positions in the attacking midfield, usually as a winger and a playmaker...
contributed to the team winning the competition. Ben Arfa appeared in all five matches and scored goals against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. In total with the under-17s, he made 17 appearances and scored a team-high 11 goals. Because of his increased playing time with Lyon, Ben Arfa missed a significant portion of playing time with the under-18 team
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team serves as a feeder team to the under-19 team as its matches aren't competitive...
. He made his debut on 15 March 2005, playing in a 3–3 draw with Germany. Ben Arfa appeared in the final three matches of the season for the team to bring his appearance total to four. He scored no goals.
The foursome of Ben Arfa, Nasri, Benzema, and Menez returned to international play together for under-19
France national under-19 football team
The France national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. They were the 2010 champions of the competition having won on home soil...
duty. The four were joined by Issiar Dia
Issiar Dia
Issiar Dia is a French-born Senegalese footballer. He currently plays for the Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe.-Amiens SC:...
, Blaise Matuidi
Blaise Matuidi
Blaise Matuidi is a French football player who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a combative defensive midfielder often occupying a withdrawn position as a deep-lying playmaker and is described as a "fierce and strong tackler".Matuidi began his...
, and Serge Gakpé
Serge Gakpé
Serge Gakpé is a French-born Togolese football midfielder who plays for French club FC Nantes.-Playing career:...
with the objective of winning the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The UEFA U-19 Championship 2006 Final Tournament was held in Poland between 18 July and 29 July 2006. The top three teams in each group qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Players born after 1 January 1987 were allowed to participate in this competition.-Qualifications:There were two...
. In the first round of qualification for the tournament, Ben Arfa scored his lone goal in the opening match against Wales
Wales national under-19 football team
The Wales national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship held every year.-Recent history:...
as France advanced through the round undefeated. Due to injury, Ben Arfa was absent from the final round of qualification for the tournament and, despite going undefeated in the round, France were eliminated after being beaten on points by Scotland
Scotland national under-19 football team
The Scotland national under-19 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national football team for players of 19 years of age or under at the start of a European Under-19 Football Championship campaign....
. Ben Arfa only made one competitive appearance with the under-21 team
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
, appearing in a 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship qualification match
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship started on 31 May 2007 with a qualifying competition and finishes on 15 October 2008, before the final tournament on 15–23 June 2009....
against Romania
Romania national under-21 football team
The Romania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years....
.
Senior
Before representing FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Ben Arfa was eligible to represent Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
and was offered a place in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, held in Germany. He turned down this opportunity, preferring to continue his career with the French national team. Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team for the first time on 10 October 2007 by Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
to replace the injured Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
and played in the Euro 2008 qualifying matches against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
and Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
. This move stunned critics of Domenech as they expected striker David Trezeguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
to get the call-up. Ben Arfa made his debut on 13 October when he came on for Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
in the 64th minute and scored the last goal in France's 6–0 victory over the Faroe Islands. Ben Arfa was, however, omitted from Domenech's final 23-man Euro 2008 squad
UEFA Euro 2008 squads
The following is a list of squads for each nation competing at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. The tournament started on 7 June and the final took place in Vienna on 29 June 2008....
on 28 May.
On 25 February 2010, after a long period without a call-up, Ben Arfa returned to the team, alongside teammates Steve Mandanda
Steve Mandanda
Steve Mandanda is a French international footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He currently serves as first-choice captain of Marseille...
and Benoît Cheyrou
Benoït Cheyrou
Benoît Cheyrou is a French football player who currently plays for Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He plays as a central midfielder and often acts as a deep-lying playmaker for the attack. Cheyrou is known for his vision, distribution, and assists...
, after being called up for France's friendly match with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
on 3 March. On 11 May, he was named to the 30-man preliminary list by Domenech to play in the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, but failed to make the final 23.
After going nearly two years without representing France internationally, on 5 August 2010, Ben Arfa was called up to the senior team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
by new manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
for the team's friendly match against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
on 11 August 2010. Ben Arfa made his return to the team in the match appearing as a half-time substitute for Moussa Sissoko
Moussa Sissoko
Moussa Sissoko is a French football player of Malian descent who currently plays for French club Toulouse in Ligue 1. He plays as a box-to-box midfielder capable of playing in either the holding role or as an attacker. Sissoko is described as a "well-rounded central midfielder" who is "tall,...
. He scored the opening goal of the match in a 2–1 defeat.
Club
.| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... , Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... , Trophée des Champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
2004–05 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| 2005–06 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 8 | 5 | |
| Total | 64 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 87 | 11 | 11 | |
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
2008–09 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 8 | 2 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Ligue 1 The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... |
29 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 7 | 5 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 63 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 91 | 15 | 8 | |
| → Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... (loan) |
2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career totals | 137 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 190 | 28 | 19 | |
International
.| National team | Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
2007–08 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 1 | |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2007 | Tórsvøllur Tórsvøllur Tórsvøllur is a football stadium on the sport site Gundadalur in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. The stadium holds 6,040 people and was built in 1999 to provide a grass surface in the island's capital on which international football matches could be played... , Tórshavn Tórshavn Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn... , Faroe Islands |
0 – 6 | 0–6 | Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 2 | 11 August 2010 | Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the... , Oslo, Norway |
0 – 1 | 2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Club
Lyon- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(4): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 - Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
(1): 2007–08Coupe de France Final 2008The 2008 Coupe de France Final was a football match that was held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2008. It was the 90th final in the Coupe de France's history. The final was contested between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Olympique Lyonnais... - Trophée des championsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
(2): 2005–062006 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2006 Trophée des Champions was a football match held at Stade Gerland, Lyon on July 30, 2006, that saw 2005-06 Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais defeat 2006 Coupe de France champions Paris Saint-Germain FC 5-4 on penalty kicks after a draw of 1-1....
, 2006–072007 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2007 Trophée des Champions was a football match held at Stade Gerland, Lyon on July 28, 2007, that saw 2006-07 Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais defeat 2007 Coupe de France champions FC Sochaux-Montbéliard 2-1 thanks to goals by Sidney Govou and Cris....
Marseille
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(1): 2009–102009–10 Ligue 1The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
(1): 2009–10
International
France- UEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
(1): 20042004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
Individual
- UNFP Young Player of the Year (1): 2007–08
- UNFP Player of the MonthUNFP Player of the MonthThe UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
(1): February 2010