Karim Haggui
Encyclopedia
Karim Haggui (born 20 January 1984 in Kasserine
) is a Tunisia
n football defender
. He currently plays for Hannover 96
.
in his home town, eventually moving to Etoile du Sahel two years later and starting his professional career there in 2003. He only spent one season as a professional with Etoile du Sahel and moved to French
club RC Strasbourg
in the summer of 2004.
debut in Strasbourg's first game of the 2004–05 season, a 2–1 away defeat at SC Bastia
on 7 August 2004, coming on as a substitute. He did not play very much in the first half of the season, but eventually managed to find his place as a regular in the final few months of the campaign, making a total of 20 Ligue 1 appearances in his first season with Strasbourg. The club also won the French League Cup
that season and qualified for the UEFA Cup
.
He started his second season with Strasbourg as a regular, scoring his only two Ligue 1 goals with a brace in the club's 4–2 defeat at home to Toulouse
on 24 September 2005. After appearing in 11 consecutive league games since the beginning of the season, he lost his place as a regular, nevertheless managing to make a total of 23 appearances in the league that season. He also appeared in six UEFA Cup matches before Strasbourg were knocked out by Basel
in the round of 16, scoring the opening goal in their 5–0 win at home to Grazer AK
on 29 September 2005. However, Strasbourg were relegated to Ligue 2
following their 19th-place finish in the 2005–06 Ligue 1 season and Haggui decided to leave the club for German
Bundesliga
side Bayer Leverkusen
in the summer of 2006.
in the German League Cup, playing the entire match which Leverkusen lost 9–8 on penalties. He once again played the entire match on his Bundesliga debut in Leverkusen's first match of the 2006–07 season, a 3–0 win at home to Alemannia Aachen
on 12 August 2006.
He experienced mixed fortunes in his first season with Leverkusen, playing regularly for the majority of the season, but also receiving a total of 11 yellow cards in the league and delivering a couple of poor performances, most notably against Bochum
in April 2007, where he was substituted only 23 minutes into the game after being directly responsible for two of Bochum's three goals in the opening 22 minutes. He finished the season with a total of 24 Bundesliga appearances. His first and only goal for Leverkusen that season came in their 2–1 away defeat at RC Lens
in the UEFA Cup, a match where he was later sent off following his second yellow card. He appeared in a total of nine UEFA Cup matches before Leverkusen were knocked out by Osasuna
in the quarter-finals.
He once again played regularly for Leverkusen in his second season with the club, eventually scoring his first Bundesliga goal when he netted the opening goal in their 2–0 win at home to Bochum on 15 September 2007. He added another Bundesliga goal to his tally when he opened the scoring in Leverkusen's 4–1 win at home to Nuremberg on 16 March 2008. He once again finished the season with a total of 24 Bundesliga appearances. In the UEFA Cup, he appeared in 11 games before Leverkusen were knocked out by eventual winners of the competition, Zenit St. Petersburg, in the quarter-finals. His only UEFA Cup goal that season came when he scored the fourth goal in Leverkusen's 5–1 win at home to Galatasaray
in the third round.
However, he lost his place in the team in his third season with Leverkusen, only appearing in 11 Bundesliga games throughout the season. He did, however, manage to score his third Bundesliga goal when he opened the scoring in Leverkusen's 5–2 win at home to 1899 Hoffenheim on 30 August 2008, his first game that season. He also appeared in two games during Leverkusen's run to the final of the German Cup
, but was left an unused substitute in the Berlin
final which they lost 1–0 to Werder Bremen.
.
Haggui made his competitive debut for Hannover on 2 August 2009 in their 3–1 defeat at Eintracht Trier in the first round of the German Cup, playing all 90 minutes. He also played the entire match on his Bundesliga debut for the club, in a 1–0 defeat at Hertha BSC on 8 August 2009. He scored his first competitive goal for Hannover in their 5–2 Bundesliga win at home to SC Freiburg
on 3 October 2009, netting Hannover's third goal of the match. Haggui scored two own goals in a 5–3 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach
on 12 December 2009, thereby defeating his own team.
In August 2010, Haggui returned to the pitch for his second season as a starter with Hannover 96.
since 2003, making his international debut on 20 August 2003 in their friendly match against Guinea
.
His first major tournament with the team was the 2004 African Cup of Nations
on home soil in Tunisia
. Haggui, who was the youngest member of the Tunisian squad at the tournament, appeared in all of the team's six matches on their way to the title. In the semifinals, he scored the decisive penalty as the team beat Nigeria
5–3 in penalty shootout to book a place in the final, which they won 2–1 against Morocco
. In 2004, he was also part of the Tunisian squad at the Summer Olympics
, appearing in all of the team's three group matches before they were knocked out of the tournament following a third-place finish in their group.
Haggui made his second appearance at the African Cup of Nations during the 2006 finals in Egypt
, appearing in all of Tunisia's four matches at the tournament. He also scored the equaliser in the quarterfinal match against Nigeria, but Tunisia eventually lost the match 6–5 on penalties and were knocked out of the tournament. The same year, he also made his FIFA World Cup
debut at the 2006 finals
in Germany
, appearing in all of Tunisia's three group matches before they were knocked out in the first round after finishing third in their group. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying
, he made a total of seven appearances and scored two goals in Tunisia's opening match of the campaign, a 4–1 win at home to Botswana
on 5 June 2004.
In 2008, Haggui appeared in all of Tunisia's four matches at the African Cup of Nations in Ghana
. At the tournament, Tunisia were knocked out in the quarterfinals after losing 3–2 to Cameroon
in extra time, with Haggui forced to leave the pitch with an injury after 38 minutes.
Kasserine
Kasserine is the capital city of the Kasserine Governorate, in west-central Tunisia. It is situated below Jebel ech Chambi, Tunisia's highest mountain. Its population is 76,243 . In classical antiquity it was a Roman colony known as Colonia Cillilana or plain Cillium.- See also :* Battle of the...
) is a Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n football 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....
. He currently plays for Hannover 96
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
.
Early career
Haggui started his career in 1998 with AS KasserineAS Kasserine
l'Avenir Sportif de Kasserine is a Tunisian football club based in Kasserine, Tunisia. The club was founded in 1948. The team plays its football in the CLP-2 from which they were promoted at the end of this saison 2007/2008 to the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1,CLP-1.The team has known its...
in his home town, eventually moving to Etoile du Sahel two years later and starting his professional career there in 2003. He only spent one season as a professional with Etoile du Sahel and moved to 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...
club RC Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
in the summer of 2004.
RC Strasbourg
Haggui made his Ligue 1Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
debut in Strasbourg's first game of the 2004–05 season, a 2–1 away defeat at SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
on 7 August 2004, coming on as a substitute. He did not play very much in the first half of the season, but eventually managed to find his place as a regular in the final few months of the campaign, making a total of 20 Ligue 1 appearances in his first season with Strasbourg. The club also won the French League Cup
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
that season and qualified for the 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...
.
He started his second season with Strasbourg as a regular, scoring his only two Ligue 1 goals with a brace in the club's 4–2 defeat at home to Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
on 24 September 2005. After appearing in 11 consecutive league games since the beginning of the season, he lost his place as a regular, nevertheless managing to make a total of 23 appearances in the league that season. He also appeared in six UEFA Cup matches before Strasbourg were knocked out by Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in the round of 16, scoring the opening goal in their 5–0 win at home to Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
on 29 September 2005. However, Strasbourg were relegated to 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...
following their 19th-place finish in the 2005–06 Ligue 1 season and Haggui decided to leave the club for German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
side Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
in the summer of 2006.
Bayer Leverkusen
Haggui made his Bayer Leverkusen debut on 29 July 2006 against Schalke 04FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
in the German League Cup, playing the entire match which Leverkusen lost 9–8 on penalties. He once again played the entire match on his Bundesliga debut in Leverkusen's first match of the 2006–07 season, a 3–0 win at home to Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play...
on 12 August 2006.
He experienced mixed fortunes in his first season with Leverkusen, playing regularly for the majority of the season, but also receiving a total of 11 yellow cards in the league and delivering a couple of poor performances, most notably against Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
in April 2007, where he was substituted only 23 minutes into the game after being directly responsible for two of Bochum's three goals in the opening 22 minutes. He finished the season with a total of 24 Bundesliga appearances. His first and only goal for Leverkusen that season came in their 2–1 away defeat at RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
in the UEFA Cup, a match where he was later sent off following his second yellow card. He appeared in a total of nine UEFA Cup matches before Leverkusen were knocked out by Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
in the quarter-finals.
He once again played regularly for Leverkusen in his second season with the club, eventually scoring his first Bundesliga goal when he netted the opening goal in their 2–0 win at home to Bochum on 15 September 2007. He added another Bundesliga goal to his tally when he opened the scoring in Leverkusen's 4–1 win at home to Nuremberg on 16 March 2008. He once again finished the season with a total of 24 Bundesliga appearances. In the UEFA Cup, he appeared in 11 games before Leverkusen were knocked out by eventual winners of the competition, Zenit St. Petersburg, in the quarter-finals. His only UEFA Cup goal that season came when he scored the fourth goal in Leverkusen's 5–1 win at home to Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
in the third round.
However, he lost his place in the team in his third season with Leverkusen, only appearing in 11 Bundesliga games throughout the season. He did, however, manage to score his third Bundesliga goal when he opened the scoring in Leverkusen's 5–2 win at home to 1899 Hoffenheim on 30 August 2008, his first game that season. He also appeared in two games during Leverkusen's run to the final of the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
, but was left an unused substitute in the Berlin
Olympic Stadium (Berlin)
The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
final which they lost 1–0 to Werder Bremen.
Hannover 96
On 1 June 2009, just two days after the German Cup final, Haggui decided to leave Leverkusen on a free transfer and signed a two-year contract with Bundesliga rivals Hannover 96Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
.
Haggui made his competitive debut for Hannover on 2 August 2009 in their 3–1 defeat at Eintracht Trier in the first round of the German Cup, playing all 90 minutes. He also played the entire match on his Bundesliga debut for the club, in a 1–0 defeat at Hertha BSC on 8 August 2009. He scored his first competitive goal for Hannover in their 5–2 Bundesliga win at home to SC Freiburg
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German association football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. SC Freiburg has played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, since their promotion in 2009...
on 3 October 2009, netting Hannover's third goal of the match. Haggui scored two own goals in a 5–3 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
on 12 December 2009, thereby defeating his own team.
In August 2010, Haggui returned to the pitch for his second season as a starter with Hannover 96.
International career
Haggui has been a member of the Tunisian national football teamTunisia 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...
since 2003, making his international debut on 20 August 2003 in their friendly match against Guinea
Guinea national football team
The Guinea national football team, nicknamed Syli national , is the national team of Guinea and is controlled by the Fédération Guinéenne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, and their best finish in the African Nations Cup was second in the 1976...
.
His first major tournament with the team was the 2004 African Cup of Nations
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
on home soil in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Haggui, who was the youngest member of the Tunisian squad at the tournament, appeared in all of the team's six matches on their way to the title. In the semifinals, he scored the decisive penalty as the team beat Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
5–3 in penalty shootout to book a place in the final, which they won 2–1 against 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...
. In 2004, he was also part of the Tunisian squad at the Summer Olympics
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
, appearing in all of the team's three group matches before they were knocked out of the tournament following a third-place finish in their group.
Haggui made his second appearance at the African Cup of Nations during the 2006 finals in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, appearing in all of Tunisia's four matches at the tournament. He also scored the equaliser in the quarterfinal match against Nigeria, but Tunisia eventually lost the match 6–5 on penalties and were knocked out of the tournament. The same year, he also made his FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
debut at the 2006 finals
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, appearing in all of Tunisia's three group matches before they were knocked out in the first round after finishing third in their group. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds...
, he made a total of seven appearances and scored two goals in Tunisia's opening match of the campaign, a 4–1 win at home to Botswana
Botswana national football team
The Botswana national football team, nicknamed 'The Zebras' is the national football team of Botswana and is controlled by the Botswana Football Association. They have never qualified for the World Cup but they have qualified for the 2012 African Nations Cup...
on 5 June 2004.
In 2008, Haggui appeared in all of Tunisia's four matches at the African Cup of Nations in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. At the tournament, Tunisia were knocked out in the quarterfinals after losing 3–2 to Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in extra time, with Haggui forced to leave the pitch with an injury after 38 minutes.
External links
- Karim Haggui at ESPN Soccernet
- Karim Haggui at worldfootball.net
- Karim Haggui at Leverkusen who's who