Rami Shaaban facts for kids
Shaaban in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rami Shaaban | ||
| Date of birth | 30 June 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Solna, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.93 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fisksätra IF | |||
| Järla IF | |||
| –1993 | Nacka FF | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–1995 | Saltsjöbadens IF | 39 | (0) |
| 1995 | Zamalek | 4 | (0) |
| 1995–1996 | Ittihad Othman | 5 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Nacka FF | 48 | (0) |
| 1999–2002 | Djurgårdens IF | 40 | (0) |
| 2001 | → Värtans IK (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Arsenal | 3 | (0) |
| 2004 | → West Ham United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2005 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Fredrikstad | 43 | (0) |
| 2008–2012 | Hammarby IF | 26 | (0) |
| Total | 216 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2008 | Sweden | 16 | (0) |
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Rami Shaaban (born 30 June 1975) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. He is best known for playing for clubs like Djurgårdens IF, Arsenal, Fredrikstad, and Hammarby IF. From 2006 to 2008, he played 16 games for the Swedish national team. He also represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008.
Contents
About Rami Shaaban
Rami Shaaban was born in Solna, a city in Stockholm, Sweden. His father is from Egypt, and his mother is from Finland. This means he has both Swedish and Egyptian citizenship. He was raised as a Muslim.
Before becoming a professional footballer, Rami had an interesting job. He worked as a specialist in mountain explosives!
Rami's Football Journey
Early Club Days
Shaaban started his senior football career at a local club called Saltsjöbadens IF. After that, he moved to Cairo, Egypt. There, he played for clubs like Zamalek and Ittihad Osman. While playing, he also studied at a university.
In 1997, Shaaban returned to Sweden. He joined Nacka FF, a club near where he grew up. He played very well there. Because of his strong performances, he was asked to join Djurgården. This is a big club in the Swedish Allsvenskan league. He played for Djurgården for two seasons.
Playing for Arsenal
In August 2002, Rami Shaaban joined Arsenal, a famous English club. He was seen as a possible replacement for their main goalkeeper, David Seaman. When Seaman got injured, Shaaban got a chance to play.
He played in two UEFA Champions League matches. He also played in three Premier League games. One of these was a big win against Arsenal's rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. However, Rami broke his leg during training on Christmas Eve 2002. This injury kept him out for the rest of that season.
When David Seaman left Arsenal in 2003, Arsenal signed Jens Lehmann. Lehmann played every game that season. Arsenal famously went undefeated, earning the nickname "The Invincibles." Rami Shaaban continued to have injury problems. He could not become Arsenal's main goalkeeper.
In January 2004, he was loaned to West Ham United for a month. He did not play any games for them. He went back to Arsenal and was on the bench for some games. Arsenal finished their amazing "Invincibles" season. Shaaban left Arsenal at the end of that season.
Other Clubs and Retirement
In February 2005, Shaaban joined Brighton & Hove Albion. He played his first game in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. He signed a short contract until the end of the season. After his contract ended, he left Brighton.
He then had trials with other clubs. He eventually joined Fredrikstad FK in Norway. On 12 February 2008, Shaaban signed a five-year contract with Hammarby IF in Sweden. He moved there partly to be closer to his son, Gabriel. In 2012, Rami Shaaban announced he was retiring from professional football.
Playing for Sweden
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In 2002, after joining Arsenal, there were talks about Rami playing for the Egypt national football team. But this never happened. Instead, he was called up to the Swedish national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was special because he had not played any international games yet.
He made his debut in a warm-up game against Finland. He played for 45 minutes and did not let any goals in. On 10 June 2006, he played in a 2006 World Cup game against Trinidad and Tobago. He played because the main goalkeeper, Andreas Isaksson, was injured.
Rami also played four games in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. He kept a very important clean sheet (meaning he didn't let any goals in) against the strong Spanish national football team. He was also part of Sweden's team for the main UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.
Rami's Life Off the Field
Rami Shaaban has one son named Gabriel, born in 2002. Later, he started dating a makeup artist named Frida. They have a son together named Noah, born in August 2008. Rami now lives in a big lake house with his son and partner.
People often say that Rami is a very down-to-earth person. He says he has friends from all walks of life. These include sheet metal workers and famous footballers like Freddie Ljungberg. Ljungberg and Shaaban became good friends at Arsenal. They are still close and often seen drinking coffee together.
Rami is known for loving coffee. He is often seen with a cup in his hand. He once joked, "I dare not keep count of how many cups I drink per day. But mom is actually even worse."
Career Statistics
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2006 | 9 | 0 |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
Djurgårdens IF
- Allsvenskan: 2002 (Swedish top league)
- Superettan: 2000 (Swedish second league)
- Svenska Cupen: 2002 (Swedish Cup)
Fredrikstad FK
- Norwegian Football Cup: 2006 (Norwegian Cup)
Individual Awards
- Swedish Goalkeeper of the Year: 2006, 2007
