Al-Saadi Gaddafi facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Al-Saadi Muammar Gaddafi | ||
| Date of birth | 25 May 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Tripoli, Libya | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2001 | Al-Ahly Tripoli | 14 | (3) |
| 2001–2003 | Al-Ittihad Tripoli | 74 | (24) |
| 2003–2004 | Perugia | 1 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Udinese | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Sampdoria | 0 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2003 | Libya | 3 | (0) |
|
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Al-Saadi Muammar Gaddafi (born 25 May 1973) is a retired professional football player from Libya. He was the captain of the national team. Many people believed his football career was helped by his father, Muammar Gaddafi, who was the leader of Libya at that time.
In 2011, Gaddafi was a commander in Libya's Special Forces. He was involved in the Libyan Civil War. Later, he was arrested in Niger in 2014 and sent back to Libya. He was released in September 2021 and then traveled to Turkey.
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Al-Saadi Gaddafi's Football Journey
Gaddafi was very involved in Libyan football. Some rules seemed to be made to favor him. For example, a rule said that only Gaddafi's name could be announced during games. Other players were only called by their numbers.
Referees often made calls that helped Gaddafi's team. Security forces were sometimes used to stop people from protesting these decisions.
In 2003, he joined an Italian team called Perugia. He even had famous people helping him. Diego Maradona, a legendary football player, was his technical consultant. Ben Johnson, a Canadian sprinter, was his personal trainer.
He played only one game for Perugia as a substitute. After this, he faced a challenge when he failed a drug test, which meant he couldn't play for a while.
Gaddafi was the captain of the Libya national football team. He was also the captain of his home club in Tripoli. On top of that, he was the president of the Libyan Football Federation.
In 2005–06, Gaddafi joined Udinese Calcio, a team that played in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. He played only 10 minutes in one league match. He then joined U.C. Sampdoria in the 2006–07 season but did not play any matches for them.
Business Ideas
In 2006, Al-Saadi Gaddafi and the Libyan government started a big project. They wanted to create a special city in Libya, similar to Hong Kong. This city would stretch about 40 kilometers between Tripoli and the Tunisian border.
The plan was for this new city to be a hub for technology, banking, medicine, and education. People would not need visas to enter it. The city would also have its own international airport and a large seaport. Gaddafi promised that the city would welcome different religions, with "synagogues and churches." He also said there would be no discrimination. The new city would have "Western-style" business laws. Gaddafi thought these laws would make European and American companies feel comfortable investing there.
Gaddafi also took an interest in other Libyan businesses. One example was Tamoil, an oil company owned by the Libyan government.
Life Events
Gaddafi is married to the daughter of al-Khweildi al-Hmeidi. His father-in-law was a Libyan military commander. He was involved in the 1969 Libyan coup d'état that brought Gaddafi's father to power.
During the Libyan Civil War
In February 2011, Saadi spoke in an interview. He warned that a civil war was coming in Libya. He said that if his father left the country, it would lead to more chaos. He also mentioned he was looking for a lawyer to fight a travel ban against him.
A former soldier claimed that Gaddafi had ordered to shoot unarmed protesters. Gaddafi confirmed he was there but denied giving such orders.
Gaddafi was said to be important in changing how the government's forces fought. Instead of using large tanks, they started using smaller, faster groups. This made it harder for allied fighter jets to spot them.
Rebels claimed they captured him during the Battle of Tripoli in August 2011. However, this claim later turned out to be false.
In August, Gaddafi contacted CNN. He said he could talk for the loyalist forces and wanted to discuss a ceasefire. A week later, he told Al Arabiya that his father was ready to step down. He asked for talks with the National Transitional Council.
In September, Gaddafi said that a speech by his brother, Saif al-Islam, had stopped peace talks. He also said he had not seen his father in two months. Gaddafi claimed he was neutral in the conflict and offered to help mediate.
Moving to Niger
On September 11, 2011, Gaddafi went to Niger. He was allowed to enter the country for humanitarian reasons. The government of Niger said they would hold him while deciding what to do.
On September 29, 2011, an Interpol red notice was issued for Gaddafi. This meant he was wanted for arrest. However, Niger's Prime Minister said he would not send Gaddafi back to Libya.
On November 11, 2011, Niger's President said his government decided to give Gaddafi asylum. This meant he could stay in Niger for humanitarian reasons.
In February 2012, Saadi called a TV station from Niger. He claimed he was in touch with different groups in Libya. He also said a large uprising by his father's supporters was about to happen. He stated he was ready to return to Libya at any moment.
Release and Move to Turkey
On September 5, 2021, Al-Saadi Gaddafi was released from prison in Libya. He then left for Turkey. However, Turkey's foreign ministry said they did not know about his presence in Istanbul. Later, a family spokesperson confirmed that Saadi was in Turkey.
As of 2023, reports said he was living in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
See also
In Spanish: Al-Saadi el Gadafi para niños
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- SNC-Lavalin scandal
