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 (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | USV Elinkwijk | |||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | PSV Eindhoven | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | PSV Eindhoven | 159 | (35) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Barcelona | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Schalke 04 (loan) | 10 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | → Olympiacos (loan) | 19 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Stoke City | 49 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | PSV Eindhoven | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 261 | (44) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2016 | Netherlands | 53 | (7) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Ibrahim Afellay (born 2 April 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder or winger. Today, he works as a football expert for a Dutch TV channel called NOS.
Ibrahim started playing football at a young age. He joined the PSV Eindhoven youth team when he was 10. After playing for PSV for eight seasons, where he helped them win four league titles, he moved to Barcelona in 2011. Because of injuries and not playing much, he was loaned to other teams like Schalke 04 and Olympiacos. In 2015, he joined Stoke City. Afellay finished his career back at PSV.
He also played for the Netherlands national team starting in 2007. He was part of the team that finished second in the 2010 World Cup. He also played in the Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 tournaments, playing over 50 games for his country.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Ibrahim Afellay's family comes from Morocco. His parents moved from their hometown Al Hoceima to the Netherlands in the 1960s. Ibrahim grew up in a neighborhood called Overvecht in Utrecht, which has many immigrant families. He and his brother, Ali, were raised by their mother, Habiba, after their father passed away when Ibrahim was young.
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Afellay began his football journey at a local club called VSK. After one season there, he moved to USV Elinkwijk.
Time at PSV Eindhoven
In 1996, Afellay joined the famous PSV Eindhoven youth academy. He made his first official appearance for PSV on 4 February 2004, when he was just 17 years old, in a KNVB Cup match. Ten days later, he played his first league game in the Eredivisie. He signed a new contract with PSV in May 2004.
In the 2004–05 season, Afellay started to play more often. He scored two goals and helped with an assist in a memorable match against Feyenoord. He also helped PSV win the KNVB Cup that season.
During the 2005–06 season, Afellay became a regular player for PSV. He played alongside experienced players like Timmy Simons and Phillip Cocu. PSV won the Eredivisie title in 2006, which was Afellay's second league title in a row. In the next season, he played 27 league games and scored six goals, helping PSV win the Eredivisie again by a very small difference in goals. For his great performances that year, Afellay received the Johan Cruijff Award as the most promising young player in the Netherlands.
Afellay continued to play well for PSV, helping them win the Eredivisie title again in the 2007–08 season. In the 2008–09 season, he scored 13 league goals, which was his best scoring season at PSV.
For the 2009–10 season, Afellay took on a more defensive role in midfield. He was also made the second captain of the team. In October 2010, Afellay decided not to sign a new contract with PSV. This meant PSV decided to sell him in the winter transfer window. On 15 November, FC Barcelona agreed to a deal with PSV. Afellay played his last game for PSV against Roda JC and received a warm farewell from the fans.
Joining FC Barcelona
In January 2011, Ibrahim Afellay moved to FC Barcelona for about €3 million. He signed a contract for four and a half years. He made his first appearance for Barcelona on 5 January 2011 in a Copa del Rey match. He played 28 games in his first season, often coming on as a substitute.
Afellay scored his first goal for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey in February. He also scored his first league goal in a 3–1 win against Málaga CF. Barcelona won the La Liga title that season, which was Afellay's fifth league championship overall. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for Barcelona. He played an important part in the semi-final against Real Madrid, helping to set up a goal for Lionel Messi. Afellay and Barcelona went on to win the Champions League after beating Manchester United 3–1 in the final.
In the 2011–12 season, Afellay faced a serious knee injury during training in September. He had surgery and spent seven months recovering. He returned to play in April, but he didn't play in the biggest matches for Barcelona that season.
Loan to Schalke 04
In August 2012, Afellay joined FC Schalke 04 in Germany on a loan deal. He scored four goals for Schalke, including one in a big local derby against Borussia Dortmund. He also scored a goal in the Champions League against Arsenal. Unfortunately, he suffered another muscle injury in November while playing for the Dutch national team. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season.
Loan to Olympiacos
On 10 August 2014, Afellay moved to Olympiacos in Greece on a one-year loan. He scored his first goal for them on his debut in the Superleague Greece. He had a good season in Greece, helping Olympiacos win both the league and the cup. After this season, his contract with Barcelona ended.
Time at Stoke City
Afellay joined the English Premier League team Stoke City on 27 July 2015. He played his first game for Stoke on 9 August against Liverpool. He scored his first goal for Stoke in a League Cup match in December 2015. He scored his first Premier League goal in February 2016 and another one on his 30th birthday in April.
On 22 April 2016, Afellay suffered another serious knee injury during training, which meant he couldn't play for many months. He returned to play in December 2016 and signed a new contract with Stoke in March 2017. However, he had another knee injury in April 2017. He returned in September 2017 but struggled to get a regular spot in the team. In March 2018, he had some disagreements with the new manager, Paul Lambert, and was asked to stay away from the club. His contract with Stoke ended in January 2019.
Returning to PSV and Retirement
On 18 June 2019, PSV Eindhoven announced that Ibrahim Afellay was returning to the club after nine years away. He played a few more games for PSV.
On 31 January 2021, Ibrahim Afellay announced that he was retiring from professional football. He said he was at peace with his decision, knowing that this moment would eventually come.
International Career
Ibrahim Afellay has both Moroccan and Dutch heritage. He had to choose whether to play for the Moroccan national team or the Dutch team. He decided to play for the Dutch national team. He made his international debut on 28 March 2007 in a Euro 2008 qualifier match. He played as a substitute in the 2008 European Championships. On 12 October 2010, Afellay scored his first goals for the Netherlands in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Sweden.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Afellay was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He came on as a substitute in several matches, helping the Dutch team reach the final. The Netherlands finished in second place in the tournament.
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. On 2 June 2012, he scored two goals in a friendly match against Northern Ireland before the tournament. He started in some of the group stage matches, but the team struggled and was eliminated early.
Honours and Achievements
Ibrahim Afellay won many titles during his career:
PSV
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2005
- Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 2008
Barcelona
- La Liga (Spanish League): 2011
- Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup): 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2011
Olympiacos
- Superleague Greece (Greek League): 2015
Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
Individual Awards
- Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2007 (Award for the most promising young player in the Netherlands)
Images for kids
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Afellay playing for Barcelona in 2011
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Afellay with PSV in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Ibrahim Afellay para niños
