Sofiane Feghouli

Sofiane Feghouli 2012 at the jersey of FC Valencia

Sofiane Feghouli ( born December 26, 1989 in Levallois -Perret ) is an Algerian football player who is under contract with Spanish first division club FC Valencia since 2010.

Career

Association

After Feghouli first played in his youth at various Parisian clubs, in 2004 he joined in the junior section of Grenoble Foot 38 in southeastern France. At the end of the 2006/07 season he sniffed the first time in the first team of the then second division and came on 27 April 2007 (34th Round ) in the 1-0 win over Stade Reims at the age of 17 years to his first professional use. By the end of the season he came to two other stakes on the final day he ran against HSC Montpellier for the first time from the beginning on. In the summer of 2007, he finally signed a professional contract with Grenoble and was from the 2007/ 08 season an integral part of the team. This season, he played a total of 26 games in which he was able to achieve three goals, and thus helped his team to achieve promotion to the Ligue 1.

Also in the 2008/09 season, his first in the French Elite League, Feghouli was used in 26 games. However, in April 2009, he suffered a severe injury that forced him to take a longer break. In August he ran back up at Grenoble. After just five games a meniscal tear was diagnosed in the knee, which led to a long break again.

Feghouli no longer played in the 2009/10 season and then finally moved - well again - for the 2010/11 season free transfer to Spanish giants FC Valencia in the Primera División. However, in the first half of the season he came just three brief appearances in the league, the first on September 25, 2010 against Sporting Gijon. To this end, each was a game in the Copa del Rey, where he was able to make a hit in a 4-1 victory over UD Logroñés in the 4th round, and in the UEFA Champions League. Its Substitutes in 81 minutes in the group match at Manchester United meant therefore his international debut.

In order to gain match practice, Feghouli was loaned in the second half of the season 2010 /11 of UD Almería. There it was used nine times and could also his first two goals in the Primera División achieve, but had to Almeria at the end of the season but finished last the course in the Segunda División compete. For the 2011/12 season Feghouli returned to Valencia, where he was a regular player. It was used in 30 league games (6 goals), came to seven appearances in the UEFA Europa League and six in the Spanish Cup, in these two competitions failed Valencia each until the semi-finals.

National

Feghouli is eligible to play for both the French and the Algerian national football team. His tendency first went to France and he already played several times for various French junior national teams. In November 2008, France coach Raymond Domenech took him even shortlisted for the A match against Uruguay. Shortly after it was contacted Algeria coach Rabah Saâdane. After his injuries and problems with its clubs Almería and Valencia him may eventually was 2011 that Feghouli has nevertheless opted for Algeria and soon to debut in the national team. On 29 February 2012, he made ​​his debut under Vahid Halilhodzic for Algeria against Gambia, where he also scored the 2-1 victory.

In December 2012, he was honored as Algeria Footballer of the Year.