Ibrahim Afellay facts for kids
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Afellay with the Netherlands in 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ibrahim Afellay | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1986 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Utrecht, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | USV Elinkwijk | |||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | PSV Eindhoven | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | PSV Eindhoven | 221 | (35) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Barcelona | 41 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Schalke 04 (loan) | 10 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | → Olympiacos (loan) | 28 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Stoke City | 49 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | PSV Eindhoven | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 353 | (44) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2016 | Netherlands | 53 | (7) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Ibrahim Afellay (born 2 April 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He mostly played as an attacking midfielder or winger. After retiring from playing, he became a football expert for a Dutch TV channel.
Afellay started playing football at a young age. He joined the PSV Eindhoven youth team when he was 10. He played for PSV for eight seasons, helping them win four Eredivisie titles. Later, he moved to famous clubs like Barcelona, Schalke 04, Olympiacos, and Stoke City.
He also played for the Netherlands national team. He was part of the team that finished second in the 2010 World Cup. He also played in the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Ibrahim Afellay's family comes from Morocco. His parents moved from their hometown of Al Hoceima to the Netherlands in the 1960s. Ibrahim grew up in Overvecht, a neighborhood in Utrecht.
He and his brother, Ali, were raised by their mother, Habiba. Their father passed away when Ibrahim was young.
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Afellay began playing football at a local club called VSK. After one season, he joined USV Elinkwijk.
Success with PSV Eindhoven
In 1996, Afellay moved to PSV Eindhoven. He made his first official appearance for PSV on 4 February 2004. He was only 17 years old at the time. Ten days later, he played his first league match.
In the 2004–05 season, Afellay started to play more often. He scored two goals and made an assist in a memorable match against Feyenoord. He also helped PSV win the KNVB Cup that season.
From 2005–06, Afellay became a regular player for PSV. He played alongside experienced midfielders like Timmy Simons and Phillip Cocu. PSV won the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league) in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, Afellay won the Johan Cruijff Award as the best young player in the Netherlands.
PSV won the Eredivisie again in 2008, making it his fourth league title. In the 2009–10 season, Afellay became the team captain. In October 2010, he decided not to sign a new contract with PSV. This meant he could leave the club.
Moving to FC Barcelona
In January 2011, Afellay joined FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He made his debut on 5 January 2011 in a cup match. He played 28 matches in his first season, often coming on as a substitute.
He scored his first goal for Barcelona in a cup match in February. He also scored his first league goal on the last day of the season. Barcelona won the La Liga title that year, which was Afellay's fifth league championship overall.
Afellay also played in the UEFA Champions League for Barcelona. He helped them reach the final, where they beat Manchester United 3–1. Afellay came on as a substitute in the final.
The 2011–12 season was tough for Afellay due to injuries. He had a serious knee injury that kept him out for seven months. He returned to play a few matches, but didn't play in the biggest games.
Loan to Schalke 04
In 2012, Afellay went on loan to FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He scored four goals for Schalke, including one in a big local derby match. Unfortunately, he suffered another muscle injury while playing for the Dutch national team. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of the season.
Loan to Olympiacos
In 2014, Afellay was loaned to Olympiacos F.C. in Greece. He had a successful season there, scoring on his debut. Olympiacos won both the league and the cup that season. After this loan, Barcelona released him from his contract.
Time at Stoke City
Afellay joined Premier League club Stoke City F.C. in England in July 2015. He made his debut in August. He scored his first goal for Stoke in a League Cup match in December 2015. He also scored two Premier League goals.
In April 2016, Afellay suffered another serious knee injury during training. This kept him out of action for many months. He returned to play in December 2016 and signed a new contract with Stoke. However, he faced more injuries and struggled to get back into the team. In January 2019, his contract with Stoke City ended.
Return to PSV and Retirement
On 18 June 2019, Afellay returned to PSV Eindhoven, the club where he started his professional career. He played a few more matches before announcing his retirement from football on 31 January 2021. He said he was at peace with his decision.
International Career
Ibrahim Afellay had to choose between playing for the Moroccan national team (because of his family background) or the Dutch national team (where he was born and grew up). He chose to play for the Netherlands.
He made his international debut on 28 March 2007. He played in the 2008 European Championships as a substitute. In October 2010, he scored his first two goals for the Netherlands in a qualifying match.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Afellay was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He came on as a substitute in several matches. The Netherlands team had a fantastic tournament and finished in second place, losing in the final.
UEFA Euro 2012
Even though he was injured for much of the 2011–12 season, Afellay was still chosen for the Netherlands' Euro 2012 squad. Before the tournament, he scored two goals in a friendly match. He started in some of the tournament games, but the team did not perform well and was knocked out early.
Honours and Awards
PSV
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2004–05
- Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 2008
Barcelona
- La Liga (Spanish League): 2010–11
- Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup): 2011–12
- UEFA Champions League: 2010–11
Olympiacos
- Superleague Greece (Greek League): 2014–15
Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
Individual Awards
- Johan Cruyff Trophy (Best Young Player in Netherlands): 2007
Images for kids
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Afellay with PSV in 2008
