Algerian footballer Yacine Brahimi was recently named on the five-man shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014, along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Vincent Enyeama, Gervinho, and Yaya Touré. The current F.C. Porto player has been making waves in the French and Spanish leagues for years, and has recently been impressive on the international stage at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Algerian footballer Yacine Brahimi.
Sources: BBC.com, StadeRennesFC.com, FootballTop.com, FamousBirthdays.com, ThePortugalNews.com, ESPNFC.com
Brahimi was born in Paris to Algerian parents, giving him dual nationality. While growing up in the eastern suburbs of Paris, he became known for emulating the style of French football star Zinedine Zidane while playing street football with friends. He would spend hours watching video footage of the French star and try to reproduce his tricks, along with those of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho. He told FIFA.com, “They were the ones who made me want to play football and pushed me to work on my technique.”
Source: ESPNFC.com
Though several French and European clubs courted him while he was at the renowned Clairefontaine Academy, Brahimi decided to sign an aspirant, or a youth contract, with Stade Rennes. He said in October 2010 that his decision was based on Rennes’s commitment to education. “In Rennes, the academy gives much importance to schoolwork. It was a warranty for my parents. They advised me to choose Stade Rennes. That way, I could continue my football training while preparing my baccalauréat.”
Source: StadeRennesFC.com
After returning to Rennes in 2010 after a loan season at Clermont, Brahimi clashed several times with manager Frédéric Antonetti, and suffered a string of several injuries. In 2012, he was loaned to Granada for a season where his technical style of play was celebrated, and more in tune with the team in Spain. The following season, he was voted the Best African Player of the 2013-14 season at the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Awards.
Source: BBC.com
Not afraid to follow in the footsteps of a legend, Brahimi wears the No. 8 for Porto, the same number famously worn by Rabah Madjer during the European Cup Final in 1987. In that game, Madjer scored an incredible back-heel goal against Bayern Munich and helped bring the first international trophy to Estadio do Dragao, a football stadium in Porto, Portugal, and the home of F.C. Porto.
After a successful season on loan to Clermon in 2009, Brahimi was contacted by the Fédération Algérienne de Football to join the Algerian team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since he’d only played at the youth level for France, Brahimi was still eligible to switch his international allegiance at the professional level. At the time, Brahimi turned down the opportunity to continue his international career with France.
Brahimi is a former French youth international, having represented France at all youth levels, including the under-19 team that reached the semi-finals of the 2009 UEFA European Football Championship. In Feburary 2013, Brahimi switched his international allegiance to Algiera and began playing in qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal for Algeria in its group-stage 4-2 victory against South Korea at the World Cup.
Though he was left out of Algeria’s opener against Belgium, his stellar performance against South Korea and an incredible assist to Islam Slimani to net a 1-1 draw against Russia helped move Algeria out of the group stage for the first time. It was his stellar performance at the World Cup tournament that caught the attention of F.C. Porto.
After signing with F.C. Porto in July 2014 for 6.5 million euros for a five-year contract, Brahimi sold 80 percent of his economic rights to Doyen Sports for 5 million euros ($6.26 Million US). Essentially, Doyen financed Porto’s deal to sign the midfielder, and thus retained a large portion of his economic rights.
Source: ThePortugalNews.com
While always known for his technical style of play and aggressive attacks on offense, Brahimi has added an extra dimension to his game. His improved composure in front of the goal resulted in six goals and four assists in his first 14 matches for the club, and he’s expected to continue to improve and perform.
Source: BBC.com
Brahimi also seems to be meshing better with the new Algerian coach, Christian Gourcuff, whose training sessions are supposedly markedly more relaxed than those of the previous coach, Vahid Halilhodzic. Coming off their success at the World Cup, Algeria is poised to make a splash at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, if it is able to get past Ebola concerns.
Source: ESPNFC.com