Jaouad Zairi
Encyclopedia
Jaouad Zairi is a Moroccan
footballer. He is currently free transfer and member of the Moroccan national team
. He is nicknamed The Juggler because of his impressive technical skills.
, Morocco. At the age of 2, his family moved to Mâcon
, a small French
city. His football passion started there when playing in the street very young and learning to dribble, as the streets were very tight.
In 1997 a scout for the French team FC Gueugnon was very impressed by Zairi's skills and took him to France.
Ligue 2
team FC Gueugnon
at the age of 15.
In the summer of 2001, he joined FC Sochaux
as a Right Winger and has a contract with them through 2008. Unhappy with the amount of play time he was getting under manager Dominique Bijotat, he was entertaining talks with Lyon
as well as several Saudi teams.
In January 2006 he was loaned to the Saudi giants Al-Ittihad for 800,000 US dollars, but was released back to Sochaux due to his wish no longer to stay in Saudi Arabia
.
He moved to Portugal (2006–2007) and played for one year with Boavista F.C.
He return in France and played another year with FC Nantes (2007–2008)
He moved to Greece and played with Asteras Tripolis the season 2008–2009 which plays in Super League Greece.
His skills impressed Olympiacos which offered him a 2-year deal starting from the 2009–2010 season.
.After a 2-season career with Olympiacos(when he won a Super League Championship), he was informed by Olympiacos' manager Ernesto Valverde that he was not to renew his contract with the club and so he was set free.
.
He gained particular fame within Morocco due to his performance over the course of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 when Morocco
made it to the finals but lost to their North African rivals Tunisia
.
His skills remind many football commentators and analysts of Cristiano Ronaldo
. He is often compared with him because of having the same style of playing and wearing the same shirt number.
He is a regular forward (particularly right wing) on the national team.
Zairi also played for Morocco at the 2000 Summer Olympics
.
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...
footballer. He is currently free transfer and member of 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...
. He is nicknamed The Juggler because of his impressive technical skills.
Early life
Zairi was born into a large family in TazaTaza
Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountians and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda...
, Morocco. At the age of 2, his family moved to Mâcon
Mâcon
Mâcon is a small city in central France. It is prefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department, in the region of Bourgogne, and the capital of the Mâconnais district. Mâcon is home to over 35,000 residents, called Mâconnais.-Geography:...
, a small French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
city. His football passion started there when playing in the street very young and learning to dribble, as the streets were very tight.
In 1997 a scout for the French team FC Gueugnon was very impressed by Zairi's skills and took him to France.
Club career
He joined the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
team FC Gueugnon
FC Gueugnon
Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville...
at the age of 15.
In the summer of 2001, he joined FC Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
as a Right Winger and has a contract with them through 2008. Unhappy with the amount of play time he was getting under manager Dominique Bijotat, he was entertaining talks with Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
as well as several Saudi teams.
In January 2006 he was loaned to the Saudi giants Al-Ittihad for 800,000 US dollars, but was released back to Sochaux due to his wish no longer to stay in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
He moved to Portugal (2006–2007) and played for one year with Boavista F.C.
He return in France and played another year with FC Nantes (2007–2008)
He moved to Greece and played with Asteras Tripolis the season 2008–2009 which plays in Super League Greece.
His skills impressed Olympiacos which offered him a 2-year deal starting from the 2009–2010 season.
Olympiacos
On 25 April 2009, Olympiacos announced the agreement with the player to be a part of the squad from the season 2009–2010 for 600,000 Euro per year. Zairi will have the opportunity for first time in his career to show his skills in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA 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...
.After a 2-season career with Olympiacos(when he won a Super League Championship), he was informed by Olympiacos' manager Ernesto Valverde that he was not to renew his contract with the club and so he was set free.
International career
He is regularly called up for the Moroccan national teamMorocco 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...
.
He gained particular fame within Morocco due to his performance over the course of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 when Morocco
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...
made it to the finals but lost to their North African rivals 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...
.
His skills remind many football commentators and analysts of Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
. He is often compared with him because of having the same style of playing and wearing the same shirt number.
He is a regular forward (particularly right wing) on the national team.
Zairi also played for Morocco at 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...
.
Honours
- Olympiacos:
- Superleague Greece: 2010-20112010–11 Super League GreeceThe 2010–11 Superleague Greece was the 52nd season of the highest football league of Greece and the fifth under the name Superleague. The league consisted of 16 teams, the 13 best teams of the 2009–10 season and three teams that had been promoted from the 2009–10 Beta Ethniki.The season began on 27...
- Superleague Greece: 2010-2011
External links
- Official Site
- Moroccan FootballMorocco national football teamThe 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...