Mustapha Hadji
Encyclopedia
Mustapha Hadji in Ifrane, Souss-Massa-Draâ
, Morocco
is a former Moroccan footballer
.
. He immigrated with his family to France
.
there. He signed his first contract with AS Nancy
where he spent his first season as a youth player before joining the senior squad in his second year with the club.
After playing 5 seasons for AS Nancy
, Hadji joined Sporting and then Deportivo
, but it was with Coventry City
where he became well known, especially in Britain. After an impressive 1998 FIFA World Cup
, where Hadji scoring a memorable goal against Norway
, he became much sought after, especially after being named African Footballer of the Year
in 1998. He was signed a year later by Gordon Strachan
for Coventry
.
Hadji was a goal-scoring attacking midfielder
with great pace and skillful runs. At Coventry, he was joined by Moroccan international, Youssef Chippo
, sparking a brief trend for City fans to wear fezzes
to games in their honor. After Coventry were relegated in 2001, he joined local rivals Aston Villa
, having scored against them three times in the previous season. But after only playing sporadically, scoring twice in the league against Southampton and Everton and once in the UEFA Cup against Varteks, he was released on a free transfer to Espanyol
in Spain in 2004 where he remained until June 2004.
Mustapha has since played for Al Ain FC
in United Arab Emirates
where he remained for one year before returning to Europe with 1. FC Saarbrücken
of Germany in 2005, where he signed a two year contract. In August 2007, Hadji signed for CS Fola Esch
, a team currently playing in the Luxembourg
's first-tier BGL League.
He ended his playing career in July 2010.
In 1998 Hadji was named African Footballer of the Year.
, Hadji played in all three group games for Morocco, two as substitute. In Morocco's third game against the Netherlands
, Hadji setup the equalizer for Hassan Nader
with his first touch after coming on as substitute. Despite this, Morocco lost all three games and were eliminated. He scored in Morocco's 2-2 draw with Norway in the 1998 World Cup
He played in 13 FIFA World Cup
qualification matches.
by FIFA
to represent Africa. Hadji is also involved in a partnership with plans to invest in Morocco, thus making opportunities for the local people, as he's aiming to help rid poverty from his homeland.
Mustapha Hadji is also a supporter of Show Racism The Red Card
charity.
, is also a Moroccan international and currently plays for Rennes in France, Brahim Hadji plays for SV Klarenthal 1911 in Germany, and Farid Hadji at 1. FC Saarbrücken
. While his son Samir Hadji
plays for RC Strasbourg
in the Championnat National
.
Souss-Massa-Draâ
Souss-Massa-Draâ is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 70,880 km² and has a population of 3,113,653 . The capital is Agadir...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
is a former Moroccan footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
.
Early life
Hadji was born in Ifrane, MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. He immigrated with his family to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Club career
Mustapha Hadji began playing footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
there. He signed his first contract with AS Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
where he spent his first season as a youth player before joining the senior squad in his second year with the club.
After playing 5 seasons for AS Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
, Hadji joined Sporting and then Deportivo
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
, but it was with Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
where he became well known, especially in Britain. After an impressive 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, where Hadji scoring a memorable goal 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...
, he became much sought after, especially after being named African Footballer of the Year
African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
in 1998. He was signed a year later by Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
for Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
Hadji was a goal-scoring attacking midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
with great pace and skillful runs. At Coventry, he was joined by Moroccan international, Youssef Chippo
Youssef Chippo
Youssef Chippo is a footballer from Morocco. He was a renowned midfielder on the national squad during the 1990s, and was a member of the team that participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.- Club career :...
, sparking a brief trend for City fans to wear fezzes
Fez (clothing)
The fez , or tarboosh is a felt hat either in the shape of a red truncated cone or in the shape of a short cylinder made of kilim fabric. Both usually have tassels...
to games in their honor. After Coventry were relegated in 2001, he joined local rivals Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, having scored against them three times in the previous season. But after only playing sporadically, scoring twice in the league against Southampton and Everton and once in the UEFA Cup against Varteks, he was released on a free transfer to Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
in Spain in 2004 where he remained until June 2004.
Mustapha has since played for Al Ain FC
Al Ain FC
Al-Ain Sports and Cultural Club is a professional association football and mult-sports club based in the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The football section of Al Ain won the 2003 AFC Champions League competition with a 2-1 aggregate victory over BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand.Al Ain...
in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
where he remained for one year before returning to Europe with 1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...
of Germany in 2005, where he signed a two year contract. In August 2007, Hadji signed for CS Fola Esch
CS Fola Esch
Sporting Circle Fola Esch , usually abbreviated to Fola Esch or simply Fola, is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg...
, a team currently playing in the Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
's first-tier BGL League.
He ended his playing career in July 2010.
In 1998 Hadji was named African Footballer of the Year.
International career
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, Hadji played in all three group games for Morocco, two as substitute. In Morocco's third game against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, Hadji setup the equalizer for Hassan Nader
Hassan Nader
Hassan Nader is a retired Moroccan footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:Nader started his career with local club Wydad AC Casablanca, before starting an European adventure in 1990–91 with La Liga team RCD Mallorca...
with his first touch after coming on as substitute. Despite this, Morocco lost all three games and were eliminated. He scored in Morocco's 2-2 draw with Norway in the 1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup may refer to:*1998 IAAF World Cup*1998 Men's Hockey World Cup*1998 Women's Hockey World Cup*1998 FIFA World Cup*1998 Alpine Skiing World Cup...
He played in 13 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualification matches.
Other projects
Recent events for Hadji included being selected for Ambassadorship during the 2010 World Cup2010 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...
by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to represent Africa. Hadji is also involved in a partnership with plans to invest in Morocco, thus making opportunities for the local people, as he's aiming to help rid poverty from his homeland.
Mustapha Hadji is also a supporter of Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism education charity, established in England in January 1996 to harness the high profile nature of footballers as anti-racist role models to educate against racism throughout society in the United Kingdom....
charity.
Personal
His three younger brothers all followed in his footsteps, Youssouf HadjiYoussouf Hadji
Youssouf Hadji is a Moroccan footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, he currently plays for French club Rennes in Ligue 1.- Career :Hadji started his career at Nancy in Ligue 1 under the guidance of Laszlo Bölöni...
, is also a Moroccan international and currently plays for Rennes in France, Brahim Hadji plays for SV Klarenthal 1911 in Germany, and Farid Hadji at 1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...
. While his son Samir Hadji
Samir Hadji
Samir Hadji is a French-born Moroccan football player who plays for French club Strasbourg in the Championnat National. He plays as a striker and is the son of former Moroccan international Mustapha Hadji. Hadji's uncle is current Nancy striker Youssouf Hadji...
plays for RC Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
in the Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
.
External links
- Career stats - National Football Teams