Youssef Safri
Encyclopedia
Youssef Safri is a Moroccan footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Qatar SC in the Qatari League.
from 2001 to 2004 (scoring once against Sheffield Wednesday) where he made his name in the English game after a transfer from Raja Casablanca of Morocco
. This time was not without controversy however. Just days after Sunderland finalised a settlement of a transfer dispute with Glasgow Celtic, Irish
international and current Cork City player Colin Healy
's leg was broken in a match against his former loan club, Coventry City. A brutal (but accidental) challenge by Safri in December 2003 began an unfortunate number of years for the player, spending more time in the stands than on the field. Some sections of the media berated Safri for a reckless dangerous challenge that threatened to end a young player's career.
Safri joined Norwich for an initial fee of £500,000 in the summer of 2004, after the Canaries had been promoted to the Premiership.
He is a midfielder and best known for his passing and tackling ability. He was a key player with the Moroccan national team
during the 2004 African Nations Cup, and was a member of the national squad competing at 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
.
Safri became popular among the Norwich fans towards the end of the 2004-05 campaign and during the 2005-06 season following a series of impressive performances. He scored a 35-yard strike against Newcastle United
in April 2005 during the team's fight against relegation from the Premiership
. Safri was linked with a move to Feyenoord
in the summer of 2005, but stayed at Carrow Road
.
As a tribute to the player, Norwich City supporters devised a song which was sung regularly at home games, to the tune of Status Quo's 'Rocking all over the world' -
"Here we go, here we go and here we go,
Youssef's better than Juninho,
Here we go - Moroccan all over the world!"
Following the 3-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle
in September 2006, Safri and team-mate Dickson Etuhu
were reported to have traded punches on the team bus during their return journey to East Anglia
, although these reports are now thought to have been discredited. Since Peter Grant
was appointed Norwich manager in October 2006, Safri has not been a regular selection. There was speculation that he would leave the club in January 2007, fuelled by his comments in the Eastern Daily Press on 29 December 2006 in which Safri indicated that he would seek a transfer if Grant continued to use him as a substitute. Safri remained at Carrow Road unil the end of the 2006-07 season, but after falling out with manager Peter Grant, Grant stated in the press on 1 August that Safri would not play for the club again.
On 2 August 2007 he signed for Norwich's championship rivals Southampton
on a two year contract for a fee rumoured to be of the order of £250,000.
On 24 October 2007 he was sent off in the 90th minute of Southampton's
away defeat to Bristol City, for a heavy tackle on Lee Johnson
, whose subsequent reaction to Safri pushing him by all accounts was exaggerated, resulting in a straight Red.
On 7 July 2008 he joined Qatar Sports Club
, for a fee in the region of £300,000, stating his desire to move to the Gulf as the reason behind the move.
Qatar SC
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Qatar SC in the Qatari League.
Career
Safri had played for Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
from 2001 to 2004 (scoring once against Sheffield Wednesday) where he made his name in the English game after a transfer from Raja Casablanca of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. This time was not without controversy however. Just days after Sunderland finalised a settlement of a transfer dispute with Glasgow Celtic, Irish
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
international and current Cork City player Colin Healy
Colin Healy
Colin Healy is an international footballer for the Republic of Ireland national football team, currently a free agent after having his contract terminated by mutual consent at Ipswich Town Fc.-Early career:...
's leg was broken in a match against his former loan club, Coventry City. A brutal (but accidental) challenge by Safri in December 2003 began an unfortunate number of years for the player, spending more time in the stands than on the field. Some sections of the media berated Safri for a reckless dangerous challenge that threatened to end a young player's career.
Safri joined Norwich for an initial fee of £500,000 in the summer of 2004, after the Canaries had been promoted to the Premiership.
He is a midfielder and best known for his passing and tackling ability. He was a key player with the Moroccan national team
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
during the 2004 African Nations Cup, and was a member of the national squad competing at 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Safri became popular among the Norwich fans towards the end of the 2004-05 campaign and during the 2005-06 season following a series of impressive performances. He scored a 35-yard strike against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in April 2005 during the team's fight against relegation from the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. Safri was linked with a move to Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
in the summer of 2005, but stayed at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
.
As a tribute to the player, Norwich City supporters devised a song which was sung regularly at home games, to the tune of Status Quo's 'Rocking all over the world' -
"Here we go, here we go and here we go,
Youssef's better than Juninho,
Here we go - Moroccan all over the world!"
Following the 3-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in September 2006, Safri and team-mate Dickson Etuhu
Dickson Etuhu
Dickson Paul Etuhu is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League. His younger brother Kelvin is also a footballer...
were reported to have traded punches on the team bus during their return journey to East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, although these reports are now thought to have been discredited. Since Peter Grant
Peter Grant (footballer)
Peter Grant is a Scottish former footballer and was, until October 2007, manager of Norwich City. This was Grant's first role in management, but he had previously held coaching jobs at Bournemouth, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion...
was appointed Norwich manager in October 2006, Safri has not been a regular selection. There was speculation that he would leave the club in January 2007, fuelled by his comments in the Eastern Daily Press on 29 December 2006 in which Safri indicated that he would seek a transfer if Grant continued to use him as a substitute. Safri remained at Carrow Road unil the end of the 2006-07 season, but after falling out with manager Peter Grant, Grant stated in the press on 1 August that Safri would not play for the club again.
On 2 August 2007 he signed for Norwich's championship rivals Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on a two year contract for a fee rumoured to be of the order of £250,000.
On 24 October 2007 he was sent off in the 90th minute of Southampton's
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
away defeat to Bristol City, for a heavy tackle on Lee Johnson
Lee Johnson (footballer)
Lee David Johnson is an English footballer who plays for Bristol City as a midfielder who is currently on loan at Chesterfield....
, whose subsequent reaction to Safri pushing him by all accounts was exaggerated, resulting in a straight Red.
On 7 July 2008 he joined Qatar Sports Club
Qatar Sports Club
Qatar Sports Club is a sports club based in Doha, Qatar. It is best known for its football team that plays in the Qatari League.Qatar Sports Club players wear a yellow shirt and black shorts as their home kit and have the fourth largest stadium in Qatar, Qatar SC Stadium, which has a capacity of...
, for a fee in the region of £300,000, stating his desire to move to the Gulf as the reason behind the move.
Honours
Raja Casablanca- Moroccan League: 2001
Qatar SC
Qatar Sports Club
Qatar Sports Club is a sports club based in Doha, Qatar. It is best known for its football team that plays in the Qatari League.Qatar Sports Club players wear a yellow shirt and black shorts as their home kit and have the fourth largest stadium in Qatar, Qatar SC Stadium, which has a capacity of...
- Qatar Crown Prince CupQatar Crown Prince CupThe Qatar Crown Prince Cup is a cup tournament in men's football. It is played by the top-4 teams of the Qatar National First Division after each season.-Previous winners:*1995 : Al Rayyan Club 1-0 Al-Arabi*1996 : Al Rayyan Club 2-0 Al-Wakra...
: 2009
External links
- Youssef Safri player profile at saintsfc.co.uk
- Youssef Safri player profile at canaries.co.uk
- BBC Sport - Safri signs for Southampton