Louisa Necib
Encyclopedia
Louisa Nécib is a French
football player who plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais
of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a central attacking midfielder
and is described as a "gifted playmaker" who "possesses superb technique". Nécib is also known for her "elegant possession, sublime passing skills, and cultured touch on the ball". She has been labeled by the French media as "the female Zidane
", primarily due to having an Algerian background, growing up in Marseille like Zidane, and having immense skill.
Nécib began her football career playing for local youth clubs in her hometown of Marseille
, such as Union Sportive Marseille and Celtic de Marseille. With the latter club, she made her senior team debut in 2003 and, in the following season, helped the club win the Division 3 Féminine. In 2004, Nécib was selected to attend CNFE Clairefontaine
, the women's section of the Clairefontaine academy. She spent two years at the training center, and in 2006, departed for Montpellier
of the Division 1 Féminine. In her only season with Montpellier, Nécib helped the team win the 2006–07 edition of the Challenge de France
. After departing Montpellier, she joined Lyon
. Since joining the club, Nécib has won a slew of trophies, which include four league titles, one Challenge de France, and one UEFA Women's Champions League title. For her performances during the 2008–09 season, she was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Female Player of the Year.
Nécib is a former French women's youth international having represented her nation at all levels for which she was eligible. At under-19 level, she played on the teams that reached the 2004
and 2005
editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
. With the under-20 team, Nécib played at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
scoring a goal in the group stage against Argentina
as France reached the quarter-finals. Prior to playing in the U-20 Women's World Cup, Nécib made her senior international debut in February 2005 in a friendly match against Norway
. Two years later in March 2007, Nécib scored her first senior international goal in a UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying victory over Greece
. She has participated in three major international tournaments for her country; the 2005 and 2009 editions of UEFA Women's Euro and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In the latter competition, Nécib acted as the playmaker
and contributed to the team that finished in fourth place.
to parents of Algeria
n origin. Her father emigrated to France from Biskra
, while her mother moved to France from Oran
. Nécib was raised in Busserine, a quarter located in the northern suburbs of the 14th arrondissement of Marseille
and has a brother and sister. After signing with Lyon, Nécib enrolled at the Université Lyon 1 with hopes of completing her undergraduate studies in Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives (STAP) (Science and Technology of Sport and Physical Activity). She developed an interest into the sport of football at a young age. Prior to playing the sport of football, Nécib trained in gymnastics
. She, initially, did not look at the future prospects of women's football and played mainly for recreation with males stating "I'd always played with the boys in my neighborhood" and "I didn't plan to join a club because, to be honest, I didn't know girls' teams existed. Then, one day I found out there was a club in the 14th arrondissement and I signed up".
. The competition served as a training camp for the Centre National de Formation et d'Entraînement (CNFE) (National Center for Education and Training) located at the Clairefontaine
academy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
. The initiative to allow women to train at the famous national center came about in the 1990s due to the fact that center had quickly become a high-level training facility for male football players. As a result of allowing female football players to train at the academy, younger women were afforded the same benefits from the facilities offered by Clairefontaine as the men. At the National Cup, Nécib impressed and was given an award by coaches for possessing the best shot of any player. After the competition, she returned to Celtic.
At the age of 16, Nécib was promoted to the senior team by coach Yohan Silvy in the latter part of the 2002–03 season. While at the club, Nécib was teammates with future national teammate Caroline Pizzala
. In the 2003–04 season, Nécib flourished and helped the club reach the Division 3 Féminine league final where they faced the women's team of professional men's club Le Mans. In the tie, Nécib started and played the full match as Celtic cruised to a 4–1 victory. The result promoted the club to the Division 2 Féminine, the second division of French women's football. Nécib's performance that season attracted numerous attention, which resulted in her being nicknamed Titou as homage to Zinedine Zidane
, who is nicknamed Zizou.
After three years with Celtic, in July 2004, Nécib was selected to attend the CNFE academy at Clairefontaine. She initially struggled to adapt at the center admitting "the first year was really hard because I was so far from my family. I almost gave up". However, after developing a rapport with future international teammates Sarah Bouhaddi
, Élodie Thomis
, Laure Boulleau
, Jessica Houara
, and the aforementioned Pizzala, Nécib quickly returned to the form that got her selected to the center. The CNFE academy is allowed participation in the French women's football league system and, from 2002–2007, fielded a team that participated in the Division 1 Féminine. Nécib spent two seasons with the team and made her league debut on 29 August 2004 against Lyon
. In the match, she scored the only goal, a 90th minute winner, in a 1–0 win. Nécib finished the campaign with 20 league appearances and six goals. Four of her six goals came in the final four weeks of the season. On 26 March 2005, she scored a double in a 4–2 defeat to Juvisy
. A week later, she scored the only goal in a win over Olympique Saint-Memmie and, on the final match day of the season, she scored the team's fourth goal in a 5–1 win over Lyon. CNFE ultimately finished the campaign in 5th place position. In the following season, Nécib appeared in 18 matches and scored three goals, all of which came in victories.
to sign with Division 1 Féminine club Montpellier
. She joined the club alongside former Clairefontaine teammate Thomis and made her debut on 3 September 2006 in a 0–0 league draw with the women's team of professional men's club Toulouse
. She scored her first goal for the club two weeks later on 17 September converting a double in a 5–0 away win over USCO Compiègne. On 8 October, Nécib scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory against Soyaux
. In November, she scored two sets of braces in wins over FCF Condé-sur-Noireau and Hénin-Beaumont
. Nécib finished the campaign with 11 league goals, which was third-best on the team behind Thomis and Elodie Ramos
. In the Challenge de France
, the women's domestic cup competition in France, Nécib helped Montpellier reach the final where the team faced Lyon. She played the entire match as Montpellier won 3–0 on penalties. The domestic cup title was Nécib's first major honour of her career.
. A week later, she scored her first goal for Lyon converting a penalty kick
in a 2–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain. In her debut season with Lyon, Nécib also made her debut in European competition
participating in the 2007–08 edition of the UEFA Women's Cup
. On her debut against the women's team of Slovak
outfit Slovan Duslo Šaľa
in the group stage, Nécib netted a hat trick
in a 12–0 win. She ultimately finished the European campaign appearing in ten matches and scoring six goals as Lyon reached the semi-finals where the club was eliminated by Swedish
club Umeå
. While simultaneously performing well in Europe, Nécib remained productive in the league scoring in league wins over Toulouse, Hénin-Beaumont, and Soyaux late in the season. Lyon eventually pulled away from both Juvisy and Montpellier in the league standings to claim its second straight league title and Nécib's first overall. Nécib later helped Lyon capture its third Challenge de France, which completed the club's league and cup double
that season. She scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final match.
During the infancy of the 2008–09 season, Nécib was selected to join the new United States
-based women's soccer league, Women's Professional Soccer
, after her American playing rights were assigned to the Washington Freedom
in the 2008 WPS International Draft
. Her Lyon teammate Sonia Bompastor
was also assigned to the Freedom. While Bompastor was allowed to negotiate her exit out of the club, Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas
was able to convince Nécib to remain in France after having previously declared the player off limits. Nécib scored her first league goal of the campaign on 14 September 2008 in a 12–0 home win over Vendenheim. A month later, she scored a double in a 8–1 victory over Soyaux. Nécib repeated her two-goal display on 1 February 2009 in a 5–0 away win over Stade Briochin. In the UEFA Women's Cup, Nécib scored her first two goals of the campaign in a 8–0 home win over Austria
n club Neulengbach
in a second qualifying round group stage match. On 18 November, she scored the third goal in a 4–1 second leg win over Italian
club Bardolino. The 9–1 aggregate scoreline advanced Lyon to the semi-finals for the second consecutive season where Lyon were again eliminated, this time by German
team FCR 2001 Duisburg
. In the league, Lyon captured its third straight league title, but was unable to defend its Challenge de France title losing to the eventual champions Montpellier in the semi-finals. For her performances during the campaign, Nécib was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Female Player of the Year.
In the 2009–10 season, Nécib switched to the number 10 shirt and, due to participating in UEFA Women's Euro 2009, was limited to two substitute appearances in the team's first three matches of the season. In her first start of the campaign against Soyaux, she scored a double in a 5–0 win. In the team's first match following the September international break, Nécib scored a goal in the team's 7–1 away win over Toulouse. In November, while on international duty with France, Necib suffered an injury and, subsequently, missed five weeks domestically. She returned to the team in the new year in a league match against Saint-Étienne
. In the match, she scored a goal in a 4–0 win. Nécib finished the campaign scoring two goals in the team's final four league matches as Lyon claimed its fourth consecutive league championship and reached the semi-finals of the Challenge de France. In the re-branded UEFA Women's Champions League, Nécib made eight appearances scoring four goals as Lyon reached the final
. In the semi-finals against Umeå, she converted two goals in a 3–2 first leg victory. The 0–0 draw in the second leg allowed Lyon to advance to the final. In the penultimate match, Lyon faced German
club Turbine Potsdam
. Necib played the entire match in regulation time, but was substituted out prior to the start of extra time. Lyon eventually conceded defeat losing 7–6 on penalties.
For the second time in her career at Lyon, in the 2010–11 season
, Nécib converted double-digit goals scoring 14, which was third-best on the team behind Sandrine Brétigny
and Eugénie Le Sommer
. She opened the campaign by scoring in the team's first league match; a 6–0 win over Toulouse. Two weeks later, Nécib scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory against Stade Briochin. After scoring against La Roche-sur-Yon on 7 November 2010, she went scoreless for two months. On 9 January 2011, she scored two goals in a 7–0 home win over Hénin-Beaumont. Two weeks later, Nécib scored another set of goals, this time against Juvisy in a 7–1 win. In the Challenge de France, she scored in back-to-back rounds against Montigny-le-Bretonneux
and Rodez
before playing 53 minutes in a quarter-final defeat on penalties to Juvisy. On the final match day of the season, despite Lyon clinching its fifth straight league title with several matches to spare, Nécib started the match and scored her first league hat trick in a 8–0 victory. In the 2010–11 edition
of the Women's Champions League, she scored her only goal of the competition on 4 November 2010 in the first leg of Lyon's Round of 16 tie against Russia
n club Rossiyanka
. Nécib netted the final goal in a 6–1 away win. Despite her limited scoring, Lyon still reached the final
where the team faced its nemesis Turbine Potsdam. In the final, Nécib started the match and played 55 minutes before being substituted out. Lyon went on to win the match 2–0 to claim its first-ever European title.
. At under-19 level, Nécib featured heavily playing with the team at the La Manga Cup
and also representing France at the 2004
and 2005
editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
. In the 2004 competition, she appeared in two group stage matches as France suffered elimination in the group stage. In the 2005 edition, Nécib started all five matches France played as the team reached the final. She scored her only goal in the competition in a 4–0 opening group stage victory against Russia
. In the final, France faced their group stage opponents Russia and were defeated 6–5 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 in regulation time.
Due to France's second-place finish at the 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, the team qualified for the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
, which merited under-20 appearances for Nécib. She made her under-20 debut on 12 August 2006 in a World Cup preparation friendly against Mexico
. In the match, Nécib scored the team's second goal in a 4–2 victory. At the World Cup, Nécib appeared in all four matches France contested. In the team's opening group stage match against Argentina
, she scored the team's third goal in a 5–0 win. France suffered elimination in the quarter-finals losing 2–1 to North Korea.
. She started the match and was substituted out after 56 minutes as France won 2–0. The victory was France's first-ever against Norway. Despite featuring in only two senior international matches, the other match being the return leg friendly against Norway on 22 February, Nécib, at the age of 18, was included in the team to play at UEFA Women's Euro 2005 by coach Elisabeth Loisel. The midfielder featured in only one match in the competition; the final group stage match against Germany
. Nécib played the entire match as the Germans won 3–0. In 2010, Nécib admitted that she took the Germany defeat hard stating "I still have regrets because all we needed was a draw and we conceded three goals in ten minutes". France had kept the Germans at bay for the majority of the match before letting in three goals in the final 20 minutes.
Following the conclusion of the 2006 U-20 World Cup, Nécib began playing full-time with the senior team participating in qualification matches for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. During the season, Nécib also played with the team at the 2006 edition of the Algarve Cup
. On 22 April 2006, she played with the team in a 5–0 World Cup qualification win against Hungary
. Afterwards, Nécib failed to appear with the team in its final three qualification matches as France missed the World Cup after drawing 1–1 with England
in its final qualifying match. France needed an outright victory to qualify for the tournament.
After the firing of Loisel and the appointment of former youth national team coach Bruno Bini
in 2007, Nécib became a regular starter in the team and, on 11 April 2007, scored her first international goal in a 6–0 victory over Greece
in qualification for UEFA Women's Euro 2009. She featured as a starter in all seven qualification matches she appeared in and
scored another qualification goal in a 8–0 away win over Serbia
on 27 October 2007 as France qualified for the competition with one match to spare. In the lead up to UEFA Women's Euro 2009, France participated in the 2009 Cyprus Cup. In the competition, Nécib appeared in three matches and scored the team's second goal in a 3–2 group stage win over South Africa
. France later finished the competition in third place. Nécib did not participate in the third place victory over New Zealand. After being selected by Bini to participate in Women's Euro 2009, Nécib scored her fourth international goal in a preparation friendly against Scotland
on 12 August 2009. In her second major competition for France, Nécib started all four of the team's matches. She scored her first major international goal in the team's opening group stage match against Iceland
netting the final goal in a 3–1 win. France reached the quarter-finals before suffering elimination losing on penalties to the Netherlands
.
Following Women's Euro 2009, Nécib returned to the national team duty to participate in qualification
for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In qualification, she participated in nine of the ten qualifying round group stage matches France contested. France finished the stage winning all of its matches and conceding no goals. Nécib scored two goals during the round against Estionia
in a 12–0 win and Northern Ireland
in a 6–0 victory. In September 2010, she played in both legs of France's World Cup playoff match against Italy
. France won the tie 3–2 on aggregate to qualify for its second FIFA Women's World Cup
. On 19 November 2010, Nécib scored her first international double in a 5–0 friendly win over Poland
. After playing in the 2011 Cyprus Cup
and several friendly matches, on 6 June 2011, Nécib was named to the 21-woman squad to participate in the World Cup. On 18 June, in a prep friendly against Belgium
, she scored her tenth international goal in a 7–0 home win.
On 26 June 2011, in France's opening World Cup group stage match against Nigeria
, Nécib, on her competition's debut, was named the Player of the Match for her performance in the team's 1–0 victory. In the team's second group stage match against Canada, she assisted on the final goal, scored by Thomis, in a 4–0 win. Nécib started France's final four matches in the competition, which included a 4–2 loss against Germany in the team final group stage match and a 4–3 penalty shootout victory over England in the quarter-finals. France were eliminated from the competition in the semi-finals losing 3–1 to the United States
. On 16 July, in the third place match against Sweden
, Nécib was forced to leave the match after 30 minutes due to an injury. France lost 2–1. During and after the competition, Nécib was praised for her performance by several media outlets with one publication declaring that she "was largely responsible for France making it the semifinals in the first place".
role, while at international level, she plays as a winger in Bruno Bini's 4–3–3 formation. Two of Nécib's most common exemplary traits is her vision and passing, which has been described as "one-of-a-kind" and "sublime", respectively. She is also known for her distinct understanding of the game, which has led to her developing "a great football IQ". Her understanding has allowed her to determine "when to take a defender on one-on-one, how to find a teammate with a slide-rule pass, and how to exploit tight spaces to create scoring chances for herself and her cohorts". Since making her debut with Celtic de Marseille, Nécib's playing style, ability, and cultural background have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane
. The midfielder admits its an honour to be compared to Zidane, but has regularly attempted to disassociate herself from the player stating "Being compared to Zidane is really nice, but I don’t think it can harm me because I’ve been hearing it since I was very young. It always makes me proud, but as I always say, I don’t think you can compare anyone to him. He’s unique". While training at the Clairefontaine academy in 2004, Nécib met Zidane, who was at the training center in preparation for 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches. The two players exchanged shirts and the shirt Nécib acquired from Zidane is currently in the possession of her father.
Montpellier
Lyon
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...
football player who plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...
of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a central attacking midfielder
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...
and is described as a "gifted playmaker" who "possesses superb technique". Nécib is also known for her "elegant possession, sublime passing skills, and cultured touch on the ball". She has been labeled by the French media as "the female Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
", primarily due to having an Algerian background, growing up in Marseille like Zidane, and having immense skill.
Nécib began her football career playing for local youth clubs in her hometown of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, such as Union Sportive Marseille and Celtic de Marseille. With the latter club, she made her senior team debut in 2003 and, in the following season, helped the club win the Division 3 Féminine. In 2004, Nécib was selected to attend CNFE Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
, the women's section of the Clairefontaine academy. She spent two years at the training center, and in 2006, departed for Montpellier
Montpellier HSC (Ladies)
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club Féminines is a French women's football club based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a commune in the arrondissement of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1990. Montpellier currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished in 4th place in the 2009–10 season...
of the Division 1 Féminine. In her only season with Montpellier, Nécib helped the team win the 2006–07 edition of the Challenge de France
Challenge de France
The Coupe de France Féminine is a cup competition, exclusively for French women football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in France. The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2001. The final match of the competition is normally held...
. After departing Montpellier, she joined Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...
. Since joining the club, Nécib has won a slew of trophies, which include four league titles, one Challenge de France, and one UEFA Women's Champions League title. For her performances during the 2008–09 season, she was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Female Player of the Year.
Nécib is a former French women's youth international having represented her nation at all levels for which she was eligible. At under-19 level, she played on the teams that reached the 2004
2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semifinals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:6 goals Anja Mittag4 goals Annike Krahn Simone Laudehr3 goals Lena Goessling Katharina Griessemer Serena Coppolino Jade Boho Iraia Iturregui2 goals...
and 2005
2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
The 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship was the holding of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Hungary from July 20–31 2005. Russia won this edition of the competition in the final against France.-Participating teams:...
editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship is a competition in women's football for European national teams of players under 19 years of age. It is also a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup qualifying competition...
. With the under-20 team, Nécib played at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
The 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship was held in Russia from 17 August to 3 September 2006. It was the officially recognized world championship for women's under-20 national football teams...
scoring a goal in the group stage against Argentina
Argentina women's national football team
The Argentina women's national football team represents Argentina in international women's football. Since there is no professional league in Argentina, almost all its members are amateur players....
as France reached the quarter-finals. Prior to playing in the U-20 Women's World Cup, Nécib made her senior international debut in February 2005 in a friendly match against Norway
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
. Two years later in March 2007, Nécib scored her first senior international goal in a UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying victory over Greece
Greece women's national football team
The Greece women's national football team represents Greece in international women's football.Greece women's team have the first time join in 2004 Summer Olympics, losing all three matches in their group.-World Cup record:...
. She has participated in three major international tournaments for her country; the 2005 and 2009 editions of UEFA Women's Euro and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In the latter competition, Nécib acted as the playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
and contributed to the team that finished in fourth place.
Personal life
Nécib was born on 23 January 1987 in the city of MarseilleMarseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to parents of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n origin. Her father emigrated to France from Biskra
Biskra
Biskra is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.During Roman times the town was called Vescera, though this may have been simply a Latin transliteration of the native name. Around 200 AD under Septimius Severus' reign, it was seized by the...
, while her mother moved to France from Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. Nécib was raised in Busserine, a quarter located in the northern suburbs of the 14th arrondissement of Marseille
Arrondissements of Marseille
The list of Arrondissements of Marseille include their INSEE code, zip code, sectors and district.-Before French Revolution:Before the French Revolution, the town was made of 5 parishes:* La Major* Les Accoules* Saint-Laurent* Saint-Martin...
and has a brother and sister. After signing with Lyon, Nécib enrolled at the Université Lyon 1 with hopes of completing her undergraduate studies in Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives (STAP) (Science and Technology of Sport and Physical Activity). She developed an interest into the sport of football at a young age. Prior to playing the sport of football, Nécib trained in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. She, initially, did not look at the future prospects of women's football and played mainly for recreation with males stating "I'd always played with the boys in my neighborhood" and "I didn't plan to join a club because, to be honest, I didn't know girls' teams existed. Then, one day I found out there was a club in the 14th arrondissement and I signed up".
Early career
Nécib began her career as a youth player for her hometown club Union Sportive de Marseille. After spending two years at the club, she signed on with nearby club Celtic de Marseille. Nécib spent six months developing in the club's academy and, in April 2002, she was selected to attend the under-16 female National Cup representing her regionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...
. The competition served as a training camp for the Centre National de Formation et d'Entraînement (CNFE) (National Center for Education and Training) located at the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
academy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*...
. The initiative to allow women to train at the famous national center came about in the 1990s due to the fact that center had quickly become a high-level training facility for male football players. As a result of allowing female football players to train at the academy, younger women were afforded the same benefits from the facilities offered by Clairefontaine as the men. At the National Cup, Nécib impressed and was given an award by coaches for possessing the best shot of any player. After the competition, she returned to Celtic.
At the age of 16, Nécib was promoted to the senior team by coach Yohan Silvy in the latter part of the 2002–03 season. While at the club, Nécib was teammates with future national teammate Caroline Pizzala
Caroline Pizzala
Caroline Pizzala is a French football player who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a central midfielder and is a member of the France women's national football team....
. In the 2003–04 season, Nécib flourished and helped the club reach the Division 3 Féminine league final where they faced the women's team of professional men's club Le Mans. In the tie, Nécib started and played the full match as Celtic cruised to a 4–1 victory. The result promoted the club to the Division 2 Féminine, the second division of French women's football. Nécib's performance that season attracted numerous attention, which resulted in her being nicknamed Titou as homage to Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, who is nicknamed Zizou.
After three years with Celtic, in July 2004, Nécib was selected to attend the CNFE academy at Clairefontaine. She initially struggled to adapt at the center admitting "the first year was really hard because I was so far from my family. I almost gave up". However, after developing a rapport with future international teammates Sarah Bouhaddi
Sarah Bouhaddi
Sarah Bouhaddi is a French football player currently playing for Olympique Lyonnais of the Division 1 Féminine. Bouhaddi plays as a goalkeeper and is a member of the France women's national football team having made her debut in 2004...
, Élodie Thomis
Élodie Thomis
Élodie Ginette Thomis is a French football player who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays either a winger or striker and is described as a player who possesses pace comparable to that of French men's internationals Thierry Henry and Sidney Govou...
, Laure Boulleau
Laure Boulleau
Laure Boulleau is a French football player who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain of the Division 1 Féminine. Bolleau primarily plays as a defender and is a member of the France women's national football team.-External links:*...
, Jessica Houara
Jessica Houara
Jessica Houara is a French football player who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a midfielder and is a former women's youth international having played at all levels...
, and the aforementioned Pizzala, Nécib quickly returned to the form that got her selected to the center. The CNFE academy is allowed participation in the French women's football league system and, from 2002–2007, fielded a team that participated in the Division 1 Féminine. Nécib spent two seasons with the team and made her league debut on 29 August 2004 against Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...
. In the match, she scored the only goal, a 90th minute winner, in a 1–0 win. Nécib finished the campaign with 20 league appearances and six goals. Four of her six goals came in the final four weeks of the season. On 26 March 2005, she scored a double in a 4–2 defeat to Juvisy
FCF Juvisy
Football Club Féminin Juvisy-sur-Orge Essonne is a French football club based in Viry-Châtillon, a suburb of Paris. The club was founded in 1971 and currently play in the Division 1 Féminine, the first division of women's football in France...
. A week later, she scored the only goal in a win over Olympique Saint-Memmie and, on the final match day of the season, she scored the team's fourth goal in a 5–1 win over Lyon. CNFE ultimately finished the campaign in 5th place position. In the following season, Nécib appeared in 18 matches and scored three goals, all of which came in victories.
Montpellier
After completing her education and training at Clairefontaine, Nécib returned to the south of FranceSouthern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
to sign with Division 1 Féminine club Montpellier
Montpellier HSC (Ladies)
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club Féminines is a French women's football club based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a commune in the arrondissement of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1990. Montpellier currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished in 4th place in the 2009–10 season...
. She joined the club alongside former Clairefontaine teammate Thomis and made her debut on 3 September 2006 in a 0–0 league draw with the women's team of professional men's club 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...
. She scored her first goal for the club two weeks later on 17 September converting a double in a 5–0 away win over USCO Compiègne. On 8 October, Nécib scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory against Soyaux
ASJ Soyaux
ASJ Soyaux are a French football club founded in 1968 and are based in Soyaux. Until 2010 club has always been playing in the top division, when they got relegated to the D2 Féminine.-History:...
. In November, she scored two sets of braces in wins over FCF Condé-sur-Noireau and Hénin-Beaumont
FCF Hénin-Beaumont
Football Club Féminin Hénin-Beaumont is a French football club based in Hénin-Beaumont. The club was founded on 12 May 1972 and currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished 7th in the 2009–10 season. In 2010, Hénin-Beaumont moved to the Stade Octave Birembaut, 3,000 capacity stadium in...
. Nécib finished the campaign with 11 league goals, which was third-best on the team behind Thomis and Elodie Ramos
Elodie Ramos
Elodie Ramos is a French football player currently playing for Montpellier HSC of the Division 1 Féminine. Ramos plays as a striker and is currently one of the longest-serving players at the club, whom she joined in 2002....
. In the Challenge de France
Challenge de France
The Coupe de France Féminine is a cup competition, exclusively for French women football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in France. The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2001. The final match of the competition is normally held...
, the women's domestic cup competition in France, Nécib helped Montpellier reach the final where the team faced Lyon. She played the entire match as Montpellier won 3–0 on penalties. The domestic cup title was Nécib's first major honour of her career.
Lyon
Following the season, on 22 June 2007, Lyon officials announced that the club had signed both Nécib and Thomis to contracts. Nécib was handed the number 14 shirt and made her club debut on 2 September 2007 in the team's opening league match of the campaign; a 4–0 win over La Roche-sur-YonLa Roche ESOF
La Roche ESOF is a French football club founded in 1978 and is based in La Roche-sur-Yon....
. A week later, she scored her first goal for Lyon converting a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in a 2–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain. In her debut season with Lyon, Nécib also made her debut in European competition
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....
participating in the 2007–08 edition of the UEFA Women's Cup
UEFA Women's Cup
The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...
. On her debut against the women's team of Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
outfit Slovan Duslo Šaľa
FK Slovan Duslo Šala
FK Slovan Duslo Šaľa is a Slovak football team, based in the town of Šaľa.-Current squad:As of 30 July 2011...
in the group stage, Nécib netted a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in a 12–0 win. She ultimately finished the European campaign appearing in ten matches and scoring six goals as Lyon reached the semi-finals where the club was eliminated by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
club Umeå
Umeå IK
Umeå IK is a prominent women's association football club based in the city of Umeå, Sweden. The club was established in 1917 as a general sports club, and started competing in women's in 1985. In 1996 the team reached the premier division, the Damallsvenskan but was relegated the following year. In...
. While simultaneously performing well in Europe, Nécib remained productive in the league scoring in league wins over Toulouse, Hénin-Beaumont, and Soyaux late in the season. Lyon eventually pulled away from both Juvisy and Montpellier in the league standings to claim its second straight league title and Nécib's first overall. Nécib later helped Lyon capture its third Challenge de France, which completed the club's league and cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
that season. She scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final match.
During the infancy of the 2008–09 season, Nécib was selected to join the new United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based women's soccer league, Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
, after her American playing rights were assigned to the Washington Freedom
Washington Freedom
The Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...
in the 2008 WPS International Draft
2008 WPS International Draft
The 2008 WPS International Draft took place on September 24, 2008. It was the first international draft held by Women's Professional Soccer to assign the WPS rights of international players to the American-based teams...
. Her Lyon teammate Sonia Bompastor
Sonia Bompastor
Sonia Bompastor is a French football player who currently plays for French club Lyon of the Division 1 Féminine. She primarily plays in the midfield position, preferably on the left side. Bompastor can also play in the left back position...
was also assigned to the Freedom. While Bompastor was allowed to negotiate her exit out of the club, Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...
was able to convince Nécib to remain in France after having previously declared the player off limits. Nécib scored her first league goal of the campaign on 14 September 2008 in a 12–0 home win over Vendenheim. A month later, she scored a double in a 8–1 victory over Soyaux. Nécib repeated her two-goal display on 1 February 2009 in a 5–0 away win over Stade Briochin. In the UEFA Women's Cup, Nécib scored her first two goals of the campaign in a 8–0 home win over Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n club Neulengbach
SV Neulengbach
SV Neulengbach is an Austrian association football club from Neulengbach. The club was founded in 1923 but is most notably for its women's football section which was founded in 1996....
in a second qualifying round group stage match. On 18 November, she scored the third goal in a 4–1 second leg win over Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Bardolino. The 9–1 aggregate scoreline advanced Lyon to the semi-finals for the second consecutive season where Lyon were again eliminated, this time by 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...
team FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg is a German women's football club from Duisburg. The first team plays in the Fußball-Bundesliga . They originate from a women's team formed in 1977 under the umbrella of FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen and have existed as an independent club since 8th. June 2001...
. In the league, Lyon captured its third straight league title, but was unable to defend its Challenge de France title losing to the eventual champions Montpellier in the semi-finals. For her performances during the campaign, Nécib was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Female Player of the Year.
In the 2009–10 season, Nécib switched to the number 10 shirt and, due to participating in UEFA Women's Euro 2009, was limited to two substitute appearances in the team's first three matches of the season. In her first start of the campaign against Soyaux, she scored a double in a 5–0 win. In the team's first match following the September international break, Nécib scored a goal in the team's 7–1 away win over Toulouse. In November, while on international duty with France, Necib suffered an injury and, subsequently, missed five weeks domestically. She returned to the team in the new year in a league match against Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne (Ladies)
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire Féminin is a French football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club is the women's section of French football club AS Saint-Étienne and was founded in 1977 under the name Racing Club de Saint-Étienne...
. In the match, she scored a goal in a 4–0 win. Nécib finished the campaign scoring two goals in the team's final four league matches as Lyon claimed its fourth consecutive league championship and reached the semi-finals of the Challenge de France. In the re-branded UEFA Women's Champions League, Nécib made eight appearances scoring four goals as Lyon reached the final
2010 UEFA Women's Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Women's Champions League Final was held at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez in Getafe, Spain, on 20 May 2010, that saw Turbine Potsdam beat Lyon 7-6 on penalties after a 0-0 draw after extra time....
. In the semi-finals against Umeå, she converted two goals in a 3–2 first leg victory. The 0–0 draw in the second leg allowed Lyon to advance to the final. In the penultimate match, Lyon faced 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...
club Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam is a women's football club team in Potsdam, Germany. The full name is 1. Frauen-Fußball-Club Turbine Potsdam 71 e. V. . They are one of the most successful teams in Germany...
. Necib played the entire match in regulation time, but was substituted out prior to the start of extra time. Lyon eventually conceded defeat losing 7–6 on penalties.
For the second time in her career at Lyon, in the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Division 1 Féminine
The 2010–11 Division 1 Féminine season was the 36th since its establishment. Lyon were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced in August 2010 and the season began on 5 September 2010 and ended early on 31 May 2011 in order to increase the fitness of national team players ahead of the...
, Nécib converted double-digit goals scoring 14, which was third-best on the team behind Sandrine Brétigny
Sandrine Brétigny
Sandrine Brétigny is a French football player who currently plays for French club Lyon of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a striker and is known for her goalscoring output.-Career:...
and Eugénie Le Sommer
Eugénie Le Sommer
Eugénie Anne Claudine Le Sommer is a French football player who plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais of the Division 1 Féminine. Le Sommer plays as a creative attacking midfielder, but often plays as a second striker for the France women's national football team. She was awarded the Bronze...
. She opened the campaign by scoring in the team's first league match; a 6–0 win over Toulouse. Two weeks later, Nécib scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory against Stade Briochin. After scoring against La Roche-sur-Yon on 7 November 2010, she went scoreless for two months. On 9 January 2011, she scored two goals in a 7–0 home win over Hénin-Beaumont. Two weeks later, Nécib scored another set of goals, this time against Juvisy in a 7–1 win. In the Challenge de France, she scored in back-to-back rounds against Montigny-le-Bretonneux
AS Montigny-le-Bretonneux
AS Montigny-le-Bretonneux are a French football club founded in 1974. They currently play in D1 Féminine and are based in Montigny-le-Bretonneux.-History:...
and Rodez
Rodez AF
Rodez Aveyron Football is a French association football club based in Rodez. The club was founded in 1929 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur Group C, the fourth level of French football. From 1988–1993, Rodez played in Ligue 2. The club plays its home matches at the Stade Paul...
before playing 53 minutes in a quarter-final defeat on penalties to Juvisy. On the final match day of the season, despite Lyon clinching its fifth straight league title with several matches to spare, Nécib started the match and scored her first league hat trick in a 8–0 victory. In the 2010–11 edition
2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League
The 2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League was the tenth edition of the European women's championship for football clubs. The final was held in London, England on 26 May 2011 at Craven Cottage....
of the Women's Champions League, she scored her only goal of the competition on 4 November 2010 in the first leg of Lyon's Round of 16 tie against Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n club Rossiyanka
WFC Rossiyanka
WFC Rossiyanka is a Russian women's football club from Krasnoarmeysk near Moscow.The team was founded in 1990 as a futsal club. Futsal was played until 1998, when the club left it and concentrated in football. The teams first season was 1999 and ended in a 5th place...
. Nécib netted the final goal in a 6–1 away win. Despite her limited scoring, Lyon still reached the final
2011 UEFA Women's Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Women's Champions League Final was the final of the second season of the UEFA Women's Champions League and was held at Fulham's Craven Cottage in London, England, on 26 May 2011....
where the team faced its nemesis Turbine Potsdam. In the final, Nécib started the match and played 55 minutes before being substituted out. Lyon went on to win the match 2–0 to claim its first-ever European title.
Youth
Nécib is former France women's youth international having played for her nation at every level for which she was eligible. On 11 September 2003, she was called up to international level for the first time by coach Gérard Sergent to play with the under-17 team. She played with the team at the 2003 edition of the Nordic Cup, a premier women's youth tournament, before earning a call up to the under-19 team by coach Bruno BiniBruno Bini
Bruno Bini is a former French football player and the current manager of the French women's national team having managed the team since February 2007.-External links:*...
. At under-19 level, Nécib featured heavily playing with the team at the La Manga Cup
La Manga Cup
La Manga Cup is a winter football tournament played in La Manga del Mar Menor . Usual participants are clubs from countries with a summer football season: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States and Canada. The first cup was played in 1999 which was won by Rosenborg...
and also representing France at the 2004
2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semifinals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:6 goals Anja Mittag4 goals Annike Krahn Simone Laudehr3 goals Lena Goessling Katharina Griessemer Serena Coppolino Jade Boho Iraia Iturregui2 goals...
and 2005
2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
The 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship was the holding of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Hungary from July 20–31 2005. Russia won this edition of the competition in the final against France.-Participating teams:...
editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship is a competition in women's football for European national teams of players under 19 years of age. It is also a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup qualifying competition...
. In the 2004 competition, she appeared in two group stage matches as France suffered elimination in the group stage. In the 2005 edition, Nécib started all five matches France played as the team reached the final. She scored her only goal in the competition in a 4–0 opening group stage victory against Russia
Russia women's national football team
The Russia women's national football team represents Russia in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Football Union of Russia and affiliated with UEFA...
. In the final, France faced their group stage opponents Russia and were defeated 6–5 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 in regulation time.
Due to France's second-place finish at the 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, the team qualified for the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
The 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship was held in Russia from 17 August to 3 September 2006. It was the officially recognized world championship for women's under-20 national football teams...
, which merited under-20 appearances for Nécib. She made her under-20 debut on 12 August 2006 in a World Cup preparation friendly against Mexico
Mexico women's national football team
The Mexico women's national football team represents Mexico in international women's football competition and is controlled by the Mexican Football Federation. In the 1970s, the team gained popularity, with Mexico finishing 3rd in a unofficial Women's World Cup held in Italy...
. In the match, Nécib scored the team's second goal in a 4–2 victory. At the World Cup, Nécib appeared in all four matches France contested. In the team's opening group stage match against Argentina
Argentina women's national football team
The Argentina women's national football team represents Argentina in international women's football. Since there is no professional league in Argentina, almost all its members are amateur players....
, she scored the team's third goal in a 5–0 win. France suffered elimination in the quarter-finals losing 2–1 to North Korea.
Senior
Prior to playing at the 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, Nécib made her senior international debut on 19 February 2005 in a friendly match against NorwayNorway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
. She started the match and was substituted out after 56 minutes as France won 2–0. The victory was France's first-ever against Norway. Despite featuring in only two senior international matches, the other match being the return leg friendly against Norway on 22 February, Nécib, at the age of 18, was included in the team to play at UEFA Women's Euro 2005 by coach Elisabeth Loisel. The midfielder featured in only one match in the competition; the final group stage match against Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
. Nécib played the entire match as the Germans won 3–0. In 2010, Nécib admitted that she took the Germany defeat hard stating "I still have regrets because all we needed was a draw and we conceded three goals in ten minutes". France had kept the Germans at bay for the majority of the match before letting in three goals in the final 20 minutes.
Following the conclusion of the 2006 U-20 World Cup, Nécib began playing full-time with the senior team participating in qualification matches for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. During the season, Nécib also played with the team at the 2006 edition of the Algarve Cup
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
. On 22 April 2006, she played with the team in a 5–0 World Cup qualification win against Hungary
Hungary women's national football team
The Hungary women's national football team represents Hungary in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation.-World Cup record:- European Championship record :*1984 : Did Not Enter*1987 : Did not qualify...
. Afterwards, Nécib failed to appear with the team in its final three qualification matches as France missed the World Cup after drawing 1–1 with England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
in its final qualifying match. France needed an outright victory to qualify for the tournament.
After the firing of Loisel and the appointment of former youth national team coach Bruno Bini
Bruno Bini
Bruno Bini is a former French football player and the current manager of the French women's national team having managed the team since February 2007.-External links:*...
in 2007, Nécib became a regular starter in the team and, on 11 April 2007, scored her first international goal in a 6–0 victory over Greece
Greece women's national football team
The Greece women's national football team represents Greece in international women's football.Greece women's team have the first time join in 2004 Summer Olympics, losing all three matches in their group.-World Cup record:...
in qualification for UEFA Women's Euro 2009. She featured as a starter in all seven qualification matches she appeared in and
scored another qualification goal in a 8–0 away win over Serbia
Serbia women's national football team
The Serbia women's national football team represents Serbia in international women's football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia...
on 27 October 2007 as France qualified for the competition with one match to spare. In the lead up to UEFA Women's Euro 2009, France participated in the 2009 Cyprus Cup. In the competition, Nécib appeared in three matches and scored the team's second goal in a 3–2 group stage win over South Africa
South Africa women's national football team
The South Africa national women's football team, nicknamed Banyana Banyana , is the national team of South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association.Their first official match was held in 30 May 1993 against Swaziland....
. France later finished the competition in third place. Nécib did not participate in the third place victory over New Zealand. After being selected by Bini to participate in Women's Euro 2009, Nécib scored her fourth international goal in a preparation friendly against Scotland
Scotland women's national football team
The Scotland women's national football team represents Scotland in international women's football. They have yet to qualify for the final stages of the World Cup or European Championships and are currently ranked 23rd in the world and 14th in Europe....
on 12 August 2009. In her second major competition for France, Nécib started all four of the team's matches. She scored her first major international goal in the team's opening group stage match against Iceland
Iceland women's national football team
The Iceland women's national football team represents Iceland in international women's football. It is currently ranked as the 15th best national team in the world by FIFA...
netting the final goal in a 3–1 win. France reached the quarter-finals before suffering elimination losing on penalties to the Netherlands
Netherlands women's national football team
The Netherlands women's national football team represents the Netherlands in international women's football. The team played the first women's international recognized by FIFA, on 17 April 1971 against France.-World Cup record:-Current squad:...
.
Following Women's Euro 2009, Nécib returned to the national team duty to participate in qualification
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)
In the UEFA qualification for 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 41 entrants were drawn into eight groups, from which the group winners advanced to a play-off round...
for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In qualification, she participated in nine of the ten qualifying round group stage matches France contested. France finished the stage winning all of its matches and conceding no goals. Nécib scored two goals during the round against Estionia
Estonia women's national football team
The Estonia women's national team is controlled by the Estonian Football Association. The team is composed of players from the domestic league.-World Cup record:-European Championship record:*1984 to 1991 – Did not enter, was part of Soviet Union...
in a 12–0 win and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland women's national football team
The Northern Ireland women's national football team represents Northern Ireland in international women's football.-World Cup record:-Current squad:Northern Ireland squad for 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers versus France on 27 and 31 March 2010...
in a 6–0 victory. In September 2010, she played in both legs of France's World Cup playoff match against Italy
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...
. France won the tie 3–2 on aggregate to qualify for its second FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
. On 19 November 2010, Nécib scored her first international double in a 5–0 friendly win over Poland
Poland women's national football team
The Poland women's national football team represents Poland in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Polish Football Association, has never qualified for a major international tournament.-World Cup record:...
. After playing in the 2011 Cyprus Cup
2011 Cyprus Cup
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------11th Place:-9th Place:-7th Place:-5th Place:-3rd Place:-Final:...
and several friendly matches, on 6 June 2011, Nécib was named to the 21-woman squad to participate in the World Cup. On 18 June, in a prep friendly against Belgium
Belgium women's national football team
The Belgium women's national football team represents Belgium in international women's football. They are currently 33rd at the FIFA Women's World Rankings.-World Cup record:- UEFA Women's Championship Record :*1984 : did not qualify...
, she scored her tenth international goal in a 7–0 home win.
On 26 June 2011, in France's opening World Cup group stage match against Nigeria
Nigeria women's national football team
The Nigeria national women's football team, nicknamed the Super Falcons, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation...
, Nécib, on her competition's debut, was named the Player of the Match for her performance in the team's 1–0 victory. In the team's second group stage match against Canada, she assisted on the final goal, scored by Thomis, in a 4–0 win. Nécib started France's final four matches in the competition, which included a 4–2 loss against Germany in the team final group stage match and a 4–3 penalty shootout victory over England in the quarter-finals. France were eliminated from the competition in the semi-finals losing 3–1 to the United States
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
. On 16 July, in the third place match against Sweden
Sweden women's national football team
Sweden women's national football team are a football team officially representing Sweden in women's football. They won the unofficial European Championships in 1984, a success the team has not managed to repeat, it has however won one World Cup-silver as well as three European Cup-silvers...
, Nécib was forced to leave the match after 30 minutes due to an injury. France lost 2–1. During and after the competition, Nécib was praised for her performance by several media outlets with one publication declaring that she "was largely responsible for France making it the semifinals in the first place".
Style of play
Nécib primarily plays as a central attacking midfielder, but can also occupy the roles of a deep-lying midfielder and a winger. Domestically, she primarily plays in the playmakerPlaymaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
role, while at international level, she plays as a winger in Bruno Bini's 4–3–3 formation. Two of Nécib's most common exemplary traits is her vision and passing, which has been described as "one-of-a-kind" and "sublime", respectively. She is also known for her distinct understanding of the game, which has led to her developing "a great football IQ". Her understanding has allowed her to determine "when to take a defender on one-on-one, how to find a teammate with a slide-rule pass, and how to exploit tight spaces to create scoring chances for herself and her cohorts". Since making her debut with Celtic de Marseille, Nécib's playing style, ability, and cultural background have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
. The midfielder admits its an honour to be compared to Zidane, but has regularly attempted to disassociate herself from the player stating "Being compared to Zidane is really nice, but I don’t think it can harm me because I’ve been hearing it since I was very young. It always makes me proud, but as I always say, I don’t think you can compare anyone to him. He’s unique". While training at the Clairefontaine academy in 2004, Nécib met Zidane, who was at the training center in preparation for 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...
matches. The two players exchanged shirts and the shirt Nécib acquired from Zidane is currently in the possession of her father.
Club
Statistics accurate as of 18 October 2011| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| CNFE Clairefontaine Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players... |
2004–05 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 6 |
| 2005–06 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 3 | |
| Total | 38 | 9 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 38 | 9 | |
| Montpellier Montpellier HSC (Ladies) Montpellier Hérault Sport Club Féminines is a French women's football club based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a commune in the arrondissement of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1990. Montpellier currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished in 4th place in the 2009–10 season... |
2006–07 | 20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 11 |
| Total | 20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 11 | |
| Lyon Olympique Lyonnais (ladies) Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as... |
2007–08 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 36 | 21 |
| 2008–09 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 14 | |
| 2009–10 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 26 | 11 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Division 1 Féminine The 2010–11 Division 1 Féminine season was the 36th since its establishment. Lyon were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced in August 2010 and the season began on 5 September 2010 and ended early on 31 May 2011 in order to increase the fitness of national team players ahead of the... |
21 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 33 | 17 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Division 1 Féminine The 2011–12 Division 1 Féminine season is the 37th since its establishment. Lyon are the defending champions.The league schedule was announced on 31 March 2011 and the fixtures were determined on 10 June. The season began on 3 September 2011 and will end on 3 June 2012... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | 39 | 13 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 129 | 58 | |
| Career total | 139 | 59 | 13 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 187 | 78 | |
International
- (Correct as of 20 November 2011)
National team Season Apps Goals France France women's national football teamThe French women's national football team represents France in international women's football. The team is directed by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer...2004–05 3 0 2005–06 8 0 2006–07 7 1 2007–08 6 1 2008–09 7 1 2009–10 2009–10 in French footballThe 2009–10 season was the 77th season of competitive professional football in France.The season began on 7 August 2009 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 8 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur...15 4 2010–11 2010–11 in French footballThe 2010–11 season is the 78th season of competitive professional football in France. The league season began on 6 August 2010 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 7 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur. The season concluded on 26 May 2011 for Ligue 2, 27 May for the...18 3 2011–12 2011–12 in French footballThe 2011–12 season is the 118th overall season of football and the 79th season of competitive professional football in France.The men's French national team began play on 10 August 2011 contesting a friendly match against Chile. The team will continue its qualification matches for the upcoming UEFA...6 3 Total 70 13
International goals
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11 April 2007 | Stade Georges Pompidou Stade Georges Pompidou Stade Georges Pompidou is a stadium in Valence, France. It is currently used for football matches and was the home stadium of ASOA Valence. The stadium holds 15,128 spectators. It is named after Georges Pompidou.... , Valence Valence, Drôme Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois... , France 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... |
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UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying | ||||||
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27 October 2007 | Stadion Kralj Petar I Stadion Kralj Petar I Stadion Kralj Petar I is the home ground of FK Rad. It's also known simply as Stadion FK Rad. The all-seated stadium was named after Kralj Petar I, a famous Serbian king from the early 1900s. The stadium has a seating capacity for around 6,000 people.... , Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe... , Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans... |
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UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying | ||||||
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10 March 2009 | Makario Stadium Makario Stadium Makario Stadium is an all seater Multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the new GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly used for football matches and is the home ground of Digenis Morphou and Ethnikos Assia.... , Nicosia Nicosia Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
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2009 Cyprus Cup Cyprus Cup The Cypriot Cup or Cyprus Coca Cola Cup is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association. It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club teams. The sponsor of the competition is... |
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12 August 2009 | Stade des Grands Prés, Chartres Chartres Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country... , France 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... |
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Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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24 August 2009 | Ratina Stadion Ratina Stadion Ratina Stadion, built in 1965, is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampere, Finland, with a seating capacity of 17,000 people, and up to 32,000 people for concerts.... , Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
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UEFA Women's Euro 2009 | ||||||
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28 October 2009 | Stade Jules Deschaseaux Stade Jules Deschaseaux Stade Jules Deschaseaux, is a multi-purpose stadium in Le Havre, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is able to hold 16,400 people and was built in 1932. During the 1938 World Cup, it hosted one game. In 2012 it will be replaced by the currently under... , Le Havre Le Havre Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total... , France |
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2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA) In the UEFA qualification for 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 41 entrants were drawn into eight groups, from which the group winners advanced to a play-off round... |
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27 March 2010 | Stade de la Libération Stade de la Libération Stade de la Libération is a multi-use stadium in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of US Boulogne. The stadium is able to hold 15,034 people.... , Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer -Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city.... , France |
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2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification | ||||||
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19 November 2010 | Stade Jean Bouin, Angers Angers Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins.... , France |
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Friendly | ||||||
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19 November 2010 | Stade Jean Bouin, Angers, France | |
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Friendly | ||||||
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18 June 2011 | Stade de l'Épopée Stade de l'Épopée Stade de l'Épopée is a stadium in Calais, France. It is currently used for football matches and is the home stadium of Calais RUFC. The stadium holds about 12,000 spectators. The first game was a 1-4 defeat to Stade Lavallois on 27 September 2008.... , Calais Calais Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras.... , France |
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Friendly | ||||||
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22 September 2011 | Turners Cross Turners Cross (stadium) Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. It is home to the Munster Football Association, and League of Ireland side Cork City FC.... , Cork Cork (city) Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban... , Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
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UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying The Qualifying rounds for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 will determine which 11 teams join Sweden, the hosts of the 2013 tournament, to play for the UEFA Women's Championship.-Tie breakers:... |
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16 November 2011 | Stade René Serge Nabajoth Stade René Serge Nabajoth Stade René Serge Nabajoth is a multi-use stadium in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 7,500 people. It is currently the home ground of the Guadeloupe national football team.... , Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre.... , Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... |
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Friendly | ||||||
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20 November 2011 | Stade Pierre-Aliker, Fort-de-France Fort-de-France Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:... , Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... |
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Friendly | ||||||
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Club
Celtic Marseille- Division 3 Féminine (1): 2003–04
Montpellier
- Challenge de FranceChallenge de FranceThe Coupe de France Féminine is a cup competition, exclusively for French women football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in France. The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2001. The final match of the competition is normally held...
(1): 2006–07
Lyon
- Division 1 Féminine (4): 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–112010–11 Division 1 FéminineThe 2010–11 Division 1 Féminine season was the 36th since its establishment. Lyon were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced in August 2010 and the season began on 5 September 2010 and ended early on 31 May 2011 in order to increase the fitness of national team players ahead of the...
- Challenge de FranceChallenge de FranceThe Coupe de France Féminine is a cup competition, exclusively for French women football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in France. The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2001. The final match of the competition is normally held...
(1): 2007–08 - UEFA Women's Champions League (1): 2010–112011 UEFA Women's Champions League FinalThe 2011 UEFA Women's Champions League Final was the final of the second season of the UEFA Women's Champions League and was held at Fulham's Craven Cottage in London, England, on 26 May 2011....
Individual
- UNFP Female Player of the Year (1): 2008–09