Khalid Boulahrouz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Khalid Boulahrouz

Personal information
Full name	Khalid Boulahrouz
Date of birth	(1981-12-28) 28 December 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth	Maassluis, Netherlands
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
	Excelsior Maassluis
	DSOV
	Ajax
	Haarlem
0000–2001	AZ
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2004	RKC Waalwijk	64	(4)
2004–2006	Hamburger SV	52	(1)
2006–2008	Chelsea	13	(0)
2007–2008	→ Sevilla (loan)	6	(0)
2008–2012	VfB Stuttgart	64	(2)
2012–2013	Sporting CP	11	(0)
2013–2014	Brøndby IF	13	(0)
2014–2015	Feyenoord	12	(0)
Total		235	(7)
National team
2002–2003	Netherlands U21	5	(0)
2004–2012	Netherlands	35	(0)
Honours Representing  Netherlands Men's football FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2010 Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Khalid Boulahrouz (born 28 December 1981) is a former professional footballer from the Netherlands. He played as a defender. People called him "The Cannibal" because he was so good at stopping his opponents. Boulahrouz was known for his strong tackles and being able to play in different defensive positions.

He played for top football clubs in many countries. These included the Netherlands, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark. From 2004 to 2012, he also played for the Dutch national team. He played 35 games for his country and was part of the squad for two World Cups and two European Championships.

About Khalid Boulahrouz

Khalid Boulahrouz was born in Maassluis, Netherlands. His family came from Morocco. He has eight brothers and sisters. When he was young, he trained at the youth academies of famous clubs like Ajax and Haarlem. His father passed away when Khalid was sixteen. This meant he had to help take care of his family.

In 2006, he married Sabia Thele. They later had two daughters, Amaya and a son, Daamin. In 2013, they announced their separation.

Khalid's Club Career

As a young player, Khalid Boulahrouz played for several youth teams. These included Excelsior Maassluis, DSOV, Ajax, Haarlem, and AZ.

Starting at RKC Waalwijk

After a challenging time moving between clubs, Khalid found stability at Waalwijk. His coach, Martin Jol, believed in him. He started his professional football career in the Dutch Eredivisie league. His first game for RKC was on 9 March 2002, against Heerenveen.

Playing for Hamburger SV

After two seasons with RKC, he moved to Hamburg in Germany. He joined the German Bundesliga league in the 2004–05 season. While playing for Hamburg, he got his famous nickname, "Khalid der Kannibale" (Khalid the Cannibal). This was because of his strong style of play. He was known for being a very tough defender. He also helped Hamburg have one of the best defenses in the 2005–06 Bundesliga season. They let in the fewest goals that year.

Time at Chelsea

Boulahrouz with Chelsea

On 18 August 2006, Chelsea in England agreed to sign Boulahrouz. The transfer fee was about £8.5 million. Chelsea's manager, José Mourinho, said that Boulahrouz would be a versatile player for the team. He could play in different defensive positions. On 21 August 2006, Chelsea officially signed him.

He made his first game for Chelsea in the Premiership a few days later. He wore the number 9 shirt, which is usually for a forward player. This was unusual for a defender. He got this number because it was one of the few available at the time. Khalid started well at Chelsea, playing in big games against Liverpool and Barcelona. However, he later faced injuries, including a knee injury and a shoulder injury. This meant he played less often.

Loan to Sevilla

For the 2007–08 season, Boulahrouz joined the Spanish club Sevilla on a loan. He only played six games for them. After this, he returned to Chelsea in 2008 but did not play any more games for the club.

Moving to VfB Stuttgart

On 21 July 2008, Boulahrouz moved to VfB Stuttgart in Germany. He struggled a bit in his first three seasons there. But in the 2011–12 Bundesliga season, he became a regular starter. On 17 September 2011, he played his 100th game in the top German league. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for Stuttgart. This goal helped his team win 2–0 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. In May 2012, VfB Stuttgart announced that his contract would not be extended.

Playing for Sporting CP

On 18 July 2012, Boulahrouz signed a two-year contract with Sporting CP in Portugal. He played 11 league games for them. His contract ended on 3 September 2013.

Time at Brøndby IF

On 7 October 2013, Boulahrouz signed a contract with Brøndby IF in Denmark. He played 13 league games for them that season. He had several injuries during his time at Brøndby. Because of these injuries, he did not sign a new contract.

Finishing at Feyenoord

On 14 July 2014, it was announced that Boulahrouz had signed a one-year contract with Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He joined them as a free player. He was brought in to replace some defenders who had left the club after the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 11 February 2016, Khalid Boulahrouz announced that he was retiring from professional football.

Khalid's International Career

Boulahrouz with former Netherlands manager Marco van Basten.

Khalid Boulahrouz's good performances for RKC led to him being chosen for the Netherlands national football team. He played his first international game on 3 September 2004. The Netherlands won 3–0 against Liechtenstein. He was then chosen for the squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played 35 games for his national team.

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Boulahrouz was sent off in a match against Portugal. This happened after he received two yellow cards. The game was famous for having many cards given out by the referee.

He was also part of the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2008. He was chosen to start in the group games.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Boulahrouz was included in the team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On 27 May 2010, coach Bert van Marwijk confirmed he would be in the final 23-man squad. Boulahrouz started in the Netherlands' last group match against Cameroon. He also played in the semi-final game against Uruguay. The Netherlands finished as runner-up in this tournament.

Khalid's Playing Style

Edwin van der Sar, a famous Dutch goalkeeper, described Boulahrouz as an important defender. He also said that Khalid was good at cheering up the team. Former Dutch defender Jaap Stam believed that Boulahrouz could become his successor. This shows how highly other players thought of his skills.

Coaching Career

In early 2021, Boulahrouz went back to his old youth club, AZ. He joined as an assistant coach for their Under-18 team. In September 2021, he signed a two-year contract with AZ. He became an assistant and defensive coach for the senior team. He left this role at the end of the 2021–22 season.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours and Awards

Hamburger SV

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005

Netherlands

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010

Images for kids

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  Khalid Boulahrouz

See also

In Spanish: Khalid Boulahrouz para niños