Riffi Haddaoui
Encyclopedia
Riffi Haddaoui is a Danish
former football (soccer)
player. He played for a number of Danish clubs, most notably Boldklubben 1893
(B 93) in the Danish Superliga
, as well as a number of foreign clubs (Sweden: Kiruna FF
, England: Torquay United, Finland: Finnpa, China: Guangzhou Apollo, Norway: SK Gjøvik-Lyn
).
Haddaoui started his career playing for Danish 1st Division
side Avarta, where he attracted the attention of Danish Superliga clubs FC Copenhagen and Lyngby FC. He was loaned out from Avarta to FC Copenhagen's 1993 UEFA Intertoto Cup
campaign and Lyngby's 1994 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign but he ended up permanently joining rival 1st Division club B 93 in September 1994. He had a few training sessions with Scottish First Division side Airdrie
in December 1995, but could not agree personally on terms, and he eventually rejoined Avarta in the 1st Division. In March 1996, Haddaoui joined English 3rd Division
club Torquay United
on loan. He made two appearances as a substitute in his month at the club, before moving to Finnish
club FinnPa
for the rest of the season.
After a successful season in Finland, where Haddaoui finished as the league's second highest goalscorer, he moved to Chinese Jia-A League
side Guangzhou Apollo on a 10-month contract in February 1997. He returned to Denmark in August 1997, following reports of cultural shock and poor living from Haddaoui and Danish teammate Kim Rasmussen. Haddaoui joined Hvidovre IF
in the Danish 1st Division and after making 10 goals, he joined the Norwegian Club Gjøvik Lyn. He then moved back to B 93, who had won promotion
to the Danish Superliga, and Haddaoui scored a single goal in the 1998-99 Superliga season
. His single goal was not enough, as B 93 were relegated following their single season in the Superliga. Same season he won the topscorer prize in the Danish indoor championship for superleague clubs called BT cup.
Haddaoui joined Copenhagen
rivals HIK
in the 1st Division in 1999 and played for 2 and half seasons, making an impressive 48 goals. He was still playing part-time for HIK in the Danish 2nd Division
in the 2001-02 season, while working as a web consultant for webmagazine Ingeniøren.
Now he is not playing soccer anymore; he is a sales manager working in Holland for a Danish company.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
former football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. He played for a number of Danish clubs, most notably Boldklubben 1893
Boldklubben 1893
Boldklubben af 1893 is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at the 7,000 seat Østerbro Stadion in Østerbro, Copenhagen.-Achievements:* Danish championship titles :...
(B 93) in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
, as well as a number of foreign clubs (Sweden: Kiruna FF
Kiruna FF
Kiruna FF is a Swedish football club located in Kiruna. The club currently competes in Division 3 Norra Norrland., the fifth tier of the Swedish football league system.-Background:...
, England: Torquay United, Finland: Finnpa, China: Guangzhou Apollo, Norway: SK Gjøvik-Lyn
SK Gjøvik-Lyn
SK Gjøvik/Lyn is a Norwegian football club based in Gjøvik, which was founded on 1 February 1902. Their home ground was Gjøvik Stadion.Its honours include the 1962 Norwegian Cup. The men's team played in the Third Division in 2008, and in the Second Division as late as in 2007, but ahead of the...
).
Haddaoui started his career playing for Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
side Avarta, where he attracted the attention of Danish Superliga clubs FC Copenhagen and Lyngby FC. He was loaned out from Avarta to FC Copenhagen's 1993 UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
campaign and Lyngby's 1994 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign but he ended up permanently joining rival 1st Division club B 93 in September 1994. He had a few training sessions with Scottish First Division side Airdrie
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
in December 1995, but could not agree personally on terms, and he eventually rejoined Avarta in the 1st Division. In March 1996, Haddaoui joined English 3rd Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
club Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on loan. He made two appearances as a substitute in his month at the club, before moving to Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
club FinnPa
FinnPa
Finnairin Palloilijat, or FinnPa as the club is more commonly known as, was a Finnish association football club established in 1965. The club was based in Helsinki and it operated from 1965 to 1998....
for the rest of the season.
After a successful season in Finland, where Haddaoui finished as the league's second highest goalscorer, he moved to Chinese Jia-A League
Chinese Jia-A League
The National Football Jia A League , commonly known as Jia-A , was the highest tier of professional football in the People's Republic of China, during 1994 through 2003, operating under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association.The Chinese Professional Football League was established in 1994...
side Guangzhou Apollo on a 10-month contract in February 1997. He returned to Denmark in August 1997, following reports of cultural shock and poor living from Haddaoui and Danish teammate Kim Rasmussen. Haddaoui joined Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF is a Danish football club, founded on 15 October 1925 in Hvidovre.- Current squad :As of 2011-03-21...
in the Danish 1st Division and after making 10 goals, he joined the Norwegian Club Gjøvik Lyn. He then moved back to B 93, who had won promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Danish Superliga, and Haddaoui scored a single goal in the 1998-99 Superliga season
Danish Superliga 1998-99
The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
. His single goal was not enough, as B 93 were relegated following their single season in the Superliga. Same season he won the topscorer prize in the Danish indoor championship for superleague clubs called BT cup.
Haddaoui joined Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
rivals HIK
Hellerup IK
Hellerup IK or HIK is a Danish sport club from Hellerup, Copenhagen. Their football team currently plays in the Danish 2nd Division East.HIK consists also of a handball and a tennis section.-Current squad:-Achievements:...
in the 1st Division in 1999 and played for 2 and half seasons, making an impressive 48 goals. He was still playing part-time for HIK in the Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
in the 2001-02 season, while working as a web consultant for webmagazine Ingeniøren.
Now he is not playing soccer anymore; he is a sales manager working in Holland for a Danish company.