Youssef El-Arabi

Youssef El-Arabi (Arabic: يوسف العربي; born 3 February 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Super League Greece club Olympiacos and the Morocco national team.[1][2]

Youssef El-Arabi
El-Arabi with Al-Duhail in 2019
Personal information
Full nameYoussef El-Arabi
Date of birth (1987-02-03) 3 February 1987 (age 37)
Place of birthCaen, France
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)Striker
Team information
Current team
Olympiacos
Number11
Youth career
2001–2002Caen
2002–2004SC Hérouville Football
2004–2007USON Mondeville
2007–2009Caen
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2008–2011Caen75(28)
2011–2012Al-Hilal21(12)
2012–2016Granada130(44)
2016–2019Al-Duhail60(76)
2019–Olympiacos148(68)
International career
2010–2020Morocco47(16)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 March 2021

He began his career with hometown club Caen in Ligue 1, making his debut in 2008.[3] After a season in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal he signed for La Liga club Granada for a club record €5 million in 2012. He scored 45 goals in 134 official games before leaving for Al-Duhail in 2016. In three years in the Qatar Stars League, he was top scorer twice, and totalled 107 goals in 95 games across all competitions before returning to Europe with Olympiacos.[4]

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

Club career

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Caen/Al-Hilal

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El-Arabi with Caen in 2010

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

Granada

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On 19 July 2012, El-Arabi returned to Europe, signing a five-year contract for La Liga club Granada for a club record €5 million fee.[5] He made his debut on 20 August, starting as the season began with a 1–0 loss at Rayo Vallecano. His first goal was scored on 7 October, a penalty to open a 2–1 win at Mallorca,[6] and his total of eight goals in 31 games helped his side avoid relegation.

He scored 12 times in his second season at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, including his first La Liga hat-trick, all three goals in a 3–1 win over rivals Málaga on 8 November 2013.[7] At the end of the season, he was nominated for the Best African player at the LFP Awards, losing out to teammate Yacine Brahimi.[8]

On 4 October 2014, El-Arabi scored in the first minute against Málaga, albeit in a 2–1 away loss.[9] He put the side ahead with a penalty at Levante the following 23 February but was later sent off for scrapping with Iván Ramis in a loss by the same score.[10] Granada avoided relegation on goal difference.

In his final season at Granada, El-Arabi scored 17 times in 38 games, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Levante on 21 April 2016.[11]

Al-Duhail

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On 18 July 2016, El-Arabi signed for Lekhwiya SC of the Qatar Stars League.[12] He made his debut on 17 September, scoring the opening goal of a 4–0 home win over Muaither. His 24 goals in 18 games made him joint top scorer for the season alongside Al Sadd's Baghdad Bounedjah, while Lekhwiya won the title.

On 11 December 2017, El-Arabi scored six goals in one match for the renamed Al-Duhail in an 8–0 QSL Cup group stage win at Al-Khor.[13] His team retained their league title, and he was again top scorer, with 26 goals in 20 games, one more than his teammate Youssef Msakni.[14]

Olympiacos

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On 6 July 2019, El-Arabi signed a three-year contract with Greek side Olympiacos, returning to Europe after three years in Qatar.[15] He made his Super League Greece debut on 24 August, scoring the only goal of a home win over Asteras Tripoli through a 7th-minute penalty.[16] Three days later, he scored both goals of a 2–1 win at FC Krasnodar in a Champions League play-off second leg match, putting the Piraeus-based team through 6–1 on aggregate.[17]

El-Arabi scored his first Champions League goal on 22 October 2019 in a 2–3 loss against Bayern Munich.[18] On 11 December 2019, El Arabi scored the only goal with a late penalty against Red Star Belgrade in their final Champions League Group B game, to book a place in the Europa League at the expense of the Serbians.[19][20] The following 12 January 2020, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win over Lamia.[21]

On 27 February 2020, Olympiacos played their second leg of the Round of 32 at the Emirates Stadium, and El-Arabi scored a goal at the 119th minute of extra time to knock Arsenal out of the UEFA Europa League on away goals.[22] He scored on 28 June as they won 2–1 at AEK to secure a 45th league title, the first in three years.[23]

In 2020–21, El-Arabi was top scorer with 22 goals as Olympiacos retained the title.[24]On 4 November 2021, in a 2–1 Europa League loss UEFA Europa League to Eintracht Frankfurt, he surpassed Predrag Đorđević and Kostas Mitroglou as the club's top European scorer with 16 goals, doing so in 33 games.[25]On 15 December, he scored a hat trick in a 3–0 home win against Atromitos F.C. to reach 50 goals in 81 league appearances; his fourth hat-trick put him equal with Giovanni, having done so in fewer games than the Brazilian's 111.[26][27][28]

International career

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El-Arabi playing for Morocco in 2012

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

Manager Eric Gerets named El-Arabi among the 23 players for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, where he started and played as a substitute for one game each of a group-stage exit.[29] On 13 October that year, he scored and provided an assist in a 4–0 home win over Mozambique as the Atlas Lions overturned a first-leg deficit to reach the 2013 edition;[30] in another group exit in South Africa, he scored the equaliser in a draw with Cape Verde.[31]

On 29 March 2016, El-Arabi scored both goals in a 2–0 win over the same opponents at the Stade de Marrakech to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.[32] Hervé Renard called him up for the finals in Gabon, where he made only an 11-minute substitute appearance in a run to the quarter-finals.[33] He was a noted omission from the French manager's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[34]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 14 March 2024[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]League cup[b]ContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Caen2008–09Ligue 130000030
2009–10Ligue 2341132003713
2010–11Ligue 1381710003917
Total752842007930
Al-Hilal2011–12Saudi Pro League211240106[c]43216
Granada2012–13La Liga31810328
2013–143612003612
2014–1528800288
2015–163516313817
Total130444113445
Al Duhail2016–17Qatar Stars League182411004[c]32328
2017–18202653379[c]93745
2018–19222611636[c]43534
Total607675910191695107
Olympiacos2019–20Super League Greece34204013[d]75127
2020–2133225211[e]44928
2021–2234164213[f]55123
2022–2334662924910
2023–241340014[g]2276
Total14868196602022794
Olympiacos B2023–24Super League Greece 22121
Career total436229381411108440569293
  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, King Cup, Emir of Qatar Cup, Copa del Rey, Greek Cup
  2. ^ Includes Saudi Crown Prince Cup, Qatari Stars Cup
  3. ^ a b c d Appearances in AFC Champions League
  4. ^ Nine appearances and five goals in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Seven appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and three goals in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Three appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances and four goals in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ Six appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League, three appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

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Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.[36]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.10 August 2011Stade Demba Diop, Dakar, Senegal  Senegal2–02–0Friendly
2.29 February 2012Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco  Burkina Faso2–02–0
3.13 October 2012  Mozambique3–04–02013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4.23 January 2013Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa  Cape Verde1–11–12013 Africa Cup of Nations
5.24 March 2013Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  Tanzania3–13–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.8 June 2013Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco2–02–1
7.7 September 2013Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast  Ivory Coast1–01–1
8.5 March 2014Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco  Gabon1–01–1Friendly
9.23 May 2014Estádio de São Luís, Faro, Portugal  Mozambique2–04–0
10.4–0
11.5 September 2015Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho, Sao Tomé, Sao Tomé & Principé  São Tomé and Príncipe2–03–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
12.12 November 2015Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco  Equatorial Guinea1–02–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.26 March 2016Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, Cape Verde  Cape Verde1–01–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
14.29 March 2016Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco1–02–0
15.2–0
16.9 October 2020Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco  Senegal3–03–1Friendly

Honours

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Caen

Al Hilal

Al Duhail

Olympiacos

Individual

Records

References

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  1. ^ "Interview Exclusive LDA : Youssef EL Arabi".
  2. ^ https://www.slgr.gr/el/article/o-el-arampi-aphenei-to-apotupoma-tou-sten-istoria-tou-olumpiakou/
  3. ^ "Ο Νόμος του Ελ Αραμπί - AthleteStories". 6 July 2020.
  4. ^ "ΓΙΟΥΣΕΦ ΕΛ-ΑΡΑΜΠΙ, ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Σ.Φ.Π. | Super League Ελλάδα". www.slgr.gr.
  5. ^ "El-Arabi ya es el fichaje más caro del Granada" [El-Arabi is Granada's most expensive signing]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  6. ^ "El Granada conquista el fortín del Mallorca" [Granada conquer Mallorca's fortress]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 October 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  7. ^ Fish, Joe (9 November 2013). "Result: Youssef El-Arabi inspires Granada to win over Malaga". Sports Mole. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  8. ^ "gala de premios LFP 2013/14" [LFP Awards show 2013/14] (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
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  10. ^ Mellero, Delfín (23 February 2015). "El Levante resurge de sus cenizas" [Levante rise from their ashes]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Youssef El Arabi bags treble as Granada hammer Levante". ESPN FC. PA Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
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  13. ^ "Big wins for Kharaitiyat, Al Gharafa, and Duhail". Gulf Times. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Qatar: Le Marocain Youssef El Arabi sacré meilleur buteur de la saison" [Qatar: Moroccan Youssef El-Arabi awarded top scorer of the season]. Huffington Post (in French). 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
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