Eliaquim Mangala
Encyclopedia
Eliaquim Mangala is a French professional football player who currently plays for Portuguese
club Porto in the Primeira Liga. He primarily plays as a central defender
and is a France youth international
having played with the under-21 team
. Mangala made his debut with the team on 13 November 2009 against Tunisia
. He holds a Belgian
passport having lived in the country since he was five.
, but moved to
Belgium at the age of five living in the French-speaking city of Namur
. At the same age, he joined local club Athletic Club Lustin as a youth player and spent six years at the club before moving to CS Wépionnais in nearby Wépion
. After two years in Wépion, Mangala joined the biggest club in the city, UR Namur, and quickly impressed. While at Namur, Mangala was utilized as a striker
and his positive displays on youth level led to interest from Standard Liège
. In 2007, Mangala and Standard reached an agreement on a three-year youth contract.
. During his time with the under-19 team, Mangala made the bench several times for Standard's under-21 team, despite being only 17 years old.
For the 2008–09 season, Mangala was given the opportunity to train and play with the first team. On 23 October 2008, he signed his professional contract agreeing to a five-year deal with the club. Mangala was officially promoted to the senior team and assigned the number 22 shirt. On 9 November, he made his professional debut appearing as a substitute in the 89th minute in a 3–1 victory over Germinal Beerschot.
He made another late match appearance against Gent before earning his first career league start against Dender on 17 January 2009. In the match, Mangala provided the assist on the opening goal scored by Milan Jovanović
in the 3rd minute of play. Standard won the match 3–2 with Mangala playing the entire match. He finished the season with 11 league appearances as Standard Liège were crowned champions. He also appeared in UEFA Cup
matches against Italian club Sampdoria
, German club Stuttgart
, and Portuguese
outfit Sporting, starting the match against the latter.
Mangala was inserted as a starter for the 2009–10 season
making his debut in the club's 2–0 victory over Genk
in the Belgian Supercup
on 25 July 2009. On 12 September, Mangala scored his first professional goal in a league match against Mechelen in a 3–0 victory. Fours days later, Mangala converted another goal against English club Arsenal
in the club's opening UEFA Champions League
group stage match. Mangala scored the goal in the 3rd minute and Standard striker Jovanović scored two minutes later to put Standard Liège up 2–0, however, the club went on to lose the match 3–2 following three unanswered goals from the English side.
. In 2008, he was approached by the Belgium Football Association who called the player up to the country's under-18 national team. However, due to not possessing a passport at the time, the call up was deemed futile. After excelling with Standard Liège's senior team, Mangala drew the interest of the French Football Federation
with France under-21
manager Erick Mombaerts
attending a match between Liège and Mouscron
at the Stade Le Canonnier
in November. On 5 November 2009, Mangala was selected, for the first time, to the under-21 team for a friendly match against Tunisia on 13 November and a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
match against Slovenia
on 17 November. Mangala made his under-21 debut in the Tunisia match, but missed the match against Slovenia after withdrawing from the team due to an injury suffered the previous day in training. On 2 March 2010, he earned his second straight selection to the under-21 team and started in central defence alongside captain Mamadou Sakho
in the team's 3–1 win over Croatia
.
Standard Liège
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
club Porto in the Primeira Liga. He primarily plays as a central defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and is a France youth international
France national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
having played with the under-21 team
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
. Mangala made his debut with the team on 13 November 2009 against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. He holds a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
passport having lived in the country since he was five.
Early career
Mangala was born in the northwestern Parisian suburb of ColombesColombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
, but moved to
Belgium at the age of five living in the French-speaking city of Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
. At the same age, he joined local club Athletic Club Lustin as a youth player and spent six years at the club before moving to CS Wépionnais in nearby Wépion
Wépion
Located 8 km the south of Namur, Wépion is the Belgian capital of the strawberry.The strawberry has been cultivated there for more than 150 years because Wépion benefits from a micro-climate, sun-exposed plantations on west sloping ground and has a perfect ground for this type of culture.It...
. After two years in Wépion, Mangala joined the biggest club in the city, UR Namur, and quickly impressed. While at Namur, Mangala was utilized as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and his positive displays on youth level led to interest from Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
. In 2007, Mangala and Standard reached an agreement on a three-year youth contract.
Standard Liège
Mangala joined Standard Liège and, upon his arrival, was converted into a left back and inserted onto the club's under-17 team for the 2007–08 season. Mangala's admirable play with the team led to the player being promoted to the team's under-19 team in January 2008, where he again switched positions, this time moving into central defenceCentral defence
Central defence may refer to one of the following:* A football position, see defender * A military strategy on how to use fortifications, see central defence...
. During his time with the under-19 team, Mangala made the bench several times for Standard's under-21 team, despite being only 17 years old.
For the 2008–09 season, Mangala was given the opportunity to train and play with the first team. On 23 October 2008, he signed his professional contract agreeing to a five-year deal with the club. Mangala was officially promoted to the senior team and assigned the number 22 shirt. On 9 November, he made his professional debut appearing as a substitute in the 89th minute in a 3–1 victory over Germinal Beerschot.
He made another late match appearance against Gent before earning his first career league start against Dender on 17 January 2009. In the match, Mangala provided the assist on the opening goal scored by Milan Jovanović
Milan Jovanovic (footballer born 1981)
Milan Jovanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Anderlecht and the Serbia national team.-Early life:...
in the 3rd minute of play. Standard won the match 3–2 with Mangala playing the entire match. He finished the season with 11 league appearances as Standard Liège were crowned champions. He also appeared in UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
matches against Italian club Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
, German club Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
, and Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
outfit Sporting, starting the match against the latter.
Mangala was inserted as a starter for the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Belgian First Division
The 2009–10 season of the Belgian Pro League was the 107th season of top-tier football in Belgium. The season began on 31 July 2009 with the first matches of the regular season, and ended in May 2010 with the last matches of the playoff round...
making his debut in the club's 2–0 victory over Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...
in the Belgian Supercup
Belgian Supercup
The Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...
on 25 July 2009. On 12 September, Mangala scored his first professional goal in a league match against Mechelen in a 3–0 victory. Fours days later, Mangala converted another goal against English club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the club's opening UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage match. Mangala scored the goal in the 3rd minute and Standard striker Jovanović scored two minutes later to put Standard Liège up 2–0, however, the club went on to lose the match 3–2 following three unanswered goals from the English side.
International career
Due to being raised in Belgium, Mangala didn't feature with any of France's youth football teamsFrance national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
. In 2008, he was approached by the Belgium Football Association who called the player up to the country's under-18 national team. However, due to not possessing a passport at the time, the call up was deemed futile. After excelling with Standard Liège's senior team, Mangala drew the interest of the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
with France under-21
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
manager Erick Mombaerts
Erick Mombaerts
Erick Mombaerts is a French football coach and retired player. He is currently involved with the youth sections of the French national side.-Playing career:...
attending a match between Liège and Mouscron
R.E. Mouscron
R.E. Mouscron was a Belgian association football club from the municipality of Mouscron, Hainaut. In December 2009 they were declared bankrupt and suspended operations soon after marking the end of professional football in Mouscron.-History:...
at the Stade Le Canonnier
Stade Le Canonnier
Stade Le Canonnier is a multi-use stadium in Mouscron, Belgium. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of R.E. Mouscron. The stadium holds 11,300....
in November. On 5 November 2009, Mangala was selected, for the first time, to the under-21 team for a friendly match against Tunisia on 13 November and a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
The 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship started with a qualifying competition which began on 27 March 2009 and finished on 13 October 2010. The final tournament is being held in Denmark between 11–25 June 2011....
match against Slovenia
Slovenia national under-21 football team
The Slovenia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Current squad:...
on 17 November. Mangala made his under-21 debut in the Tunisia match, but missed the match against Slovenia after withdrawing from the team due to an injury suffered the previous day in training. On 2 March 2010, he earned his second straight selection to the under-21 team and started in central defence alongside captain Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a centre back for his club, but can also deputized as a left back if necessary. Sakho is known for his leadership credentials, his tireless engine,...
in the team's 3–1 win over Croatia
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
.
Club
(Correct as of 5 June 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Belgian Cup Belgian Cup The Belgian Cup is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Belgian Football Association. The first cup was held in 1911-12. The most successful cup club is Club Brugge KV with 10 titles followed by RSC Anderlecht and R Standard de Liège... , Belgian Supercup Belgian Supercup The Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Standard Liège Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège.... |
2008–09 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Belgian First Division The 2009–10 season of the Belgian Pro League was the 107th season of top-tier football in Belgium. The season began on 31 July 2009 with the first matches of the regular season, and ended in May 2010 with the last matches of the playoff round... |
30 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Belgian First Division -Personnel and sponsoring:-During summer break:-During regular season:-During playoffs:-League table:-Positions by round:... |
35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 76 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 98 | 4 | 1 | |
| Career total | 76 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 98 | 4 | 1 | |
Club
Standard LiègeStandard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
- Belgian First Division: 2008–09
- Belgian SupercupBelgian SupercupThe Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...
: 20092009 Belgian Super CupThe 2009 Belgian Super Cup is a football match that was played on 25 July 2009, between league winners Standard Liège and cup winners K.R.C. Genk. It was won easily by Standard Liège.-Match details:...