Émile Mpenza facts for kids
Mpenza with Manchester City in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 July 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Zellik, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1989 | LC Mesvins | ||
| 1989–1995 | Kortrijk | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1996 | Kortrijk | 32 | (5) |
| 1996–1997 | Mouscron | 31 | (12) |
| 1997–1999 | Standard Liège | 46 | (20) |
| 2000–2003 | Schalke 04 | 79 | (28) |
| 2003–2004 | Standard Liège | 28 | (21) |
| 2004–2006 | Hamburger SV | 36 | (5) |
| 2006–2007 | Al-Rayyan | 19 | (9) |
| 2007–2008 | Manchester City | 25 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Plymouth Argyle | 9 | (2) |
| 2009–2010 | Sion | 31 | (21) |
| 2010–2012 | Neftchi Baku | 31 | (6) |
| 2013–2014 | Eendracht Aalst | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 367 | (134) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Belgium U18 | 7 | (6) |
| 1995 | Belgium U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 1996 | Belgium U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1997–2009 | Belgium | 57 | (19) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Émile Mpenza (born July 4, 1978) is a former professional footballer from Belgium. He was a talented striker, known for scoring goals. Émile also played many times for the Belgian national team. His older brother, Mbo, was also a famous footballer who played for Belgium.
Contents
Émile Mpenza's Club Career Highlights
Émile Mpenza played for many different football clubs during his career. He started in Belgium, then moved to Germany, Qatar, England, and other countries.
Early Career in Belgium and Germany
Mpenza began his football journey at K.V. Kortrijk. He then moved to R.E. Mouscron and Standard Liège. At these clubs, his older brother Mbo played alongside him.
In 2000, Émile moved to Germany to play for Bundesliga team FC Schalke 04. He was very successful there, playing with his fellow Belgian Marc Wilmots and striker Ebbe Sand. They almost won the German league title, but lost it on the very last day of the season. After three years, Mpenza returned to Standard Liège in Belgium.
In 2004, he went back to Germany to play for Hamburger SV. Then, in January 2006, he made a surprising move to Al-Rayyan, a team in Qatar.
Playing for Manchester City
On February 14, 2007, Mpenza signed with Manchester City in England. He had played well and scored in a special match at Eastlands before joining. Émile told a Belgian radio station that he wanted to prove himself in Manchester. He wanted to show everyone who had criticized his move to Qatar that he was still a great player.
He played his first game for Manchester City on March 3, 2007, against Wigan Athletic. He came on as a substitute in the second half. Mpenza scored his first goal for the club on March 17, 2007, helping his team win 2-0 against Middlesbrough. He scored again on March 30 in a 1-0 win against Newcastle United. His last goal that season was against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day, but City lost that game 2-1.
Mpenza signed a contract to stay until the end of the 2007-08 season. He scored in City's first pre-season game against Doncaster Rovers. He also scored against Fulham, Bristol City, and Newcastle United. However, new players like Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov, Geovanni, and Elano joined the team. This meant Mpenza faced a lot of competition for his spot. He did not score after September 2007 and left the club in July 2008.
Time at Plymouth Argyle
On September 2, 2008, Mpenza joined Plymouth Argyle, a team in the Football League Championship. He made his first appearance for Argyle on September 13, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to Norwich City.
He scored his first goal for Plymouth against Charlton Athletic in a 2-2 draw. He scored again in a 2-1 win over Cardiff City. However, Mpenza had many injuries during his time at Plymouth Argyle. Because of these injuries, he was not offered a new contract.
Playing in Switzerland and Azerbaijan
For the 2009-10 season, Mpenza signed a one-year contract with FC Sion, a top club in Switzerland. There, he found his goal-scoring form again, scoring 21 goals in 32 matches.
In August 2010, Mpenza signed a three-year contract with Neftchi Baku, a club in the Azerbaijan Premier League. He left the club in January 2012 after losing his regular spot in the team. In June 2015, FIFA ordered Neftchi Baku to pay Mpenza €1 million in unpaid wages.
Final Club: Eendracht Aalst
After looking for a club for over a year, Mpenza finally signed a one-year contract with Eendracht Aalst on October 1, 2013. This was his last club before retiring.
Émile Mpenza's International Career
Mpenza played for the Belgium national football team from 1997 to 2009. He often faced injuries when he was called up to play for his country.
He played alongside his brother Mbo in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and in UEFA Euro 2000. In Euro 2000, he scored a goal in the opening match against Sweden, which Belgium won 2-1. However, he missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup because of a groin injury.
International Goals for Belgium
Mpenza scored 19 goals for the Belgian national team. Here are some of his goals:
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 June 1997 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  San Marino |
6–0 | Won | 1998 World Cup Qualification |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | 3 February 1999 | Tsirion Stadium, Limassol |  Cyprus |
0–1 | Won | Friendly |
| 4 | 18 August 1999 | Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges |  Finland |
3–4 | Lost | Friendly |
| 5 | 4 September 1999 | Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam |  Netherlands |
5–5 | Drawn | Friendly |
| 6 | 7 September 1999 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège |  Morocco |
4–0 | Won | Friendly |
| 7 | 29 March 2000 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels | Netherlands |
2–2 | Drawn | Friendly |
| 8 | 10 June 2000 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Sweden |
2–1 | Won | Euro 2000 |
| 9 | 16 August 2000 | Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia |  Bulgaria |
1–3 | Won | Friendly |
| 10 | 28 February 2001 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels | San Marino |
10–1 | Won | 2002 World Cup Qualification |
| 11 | 25 April 2001 | Letná Stadium, Prague |  Czech Republic |
1–1 | Draw | Friendly |
| 12 | 2 June 2001 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Latvia |
3–1 | Won | 2002 World Cup Qualification |
| 13 | 12 February 2003 | Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba |  Algeria |
1–3 | Won | Friendly |
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | 26 March 2005 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4–1 | Won | 2006 World Cup Qualification |
| 16 | ||||||
| 17 | 17 August 2005 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Greece |
2–0 | Won | Friendly |
| 18 | 10 October 2009 | Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels |  Turkey |
2–0 | Won | 2010 World Cup Qualification |
| 19 |
Awards and Achievements
Émile Mpenza won several awards and trophies during his football career.
Club Trophies
- Schalke 04
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2001, 2002
- Hamburger SV
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005
- Neftchi Baku
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2010–11
Individual Awards
- Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 1996–97
- Belgian Ebony Shoe: 1997
- Best Belgian Footballer Abroad: 2000
- Standard Liège Man of the Season: 2003–04
See also
In Spanish: Émile Mpenza para niños
