Wassim El Banna
Encyclopedia
Wassim El Banna (born May 10, 1979) is a Danish
-Palestinian
football
forward
who currently plays for BK Glostrup-Albertslund
in the Danish 2nd Division West
. He has represented Odense Boldklub, Aarhus Fremad
, and Vejle Boldklub
in the Danish Superliga
championship.
, moved to Germany
at the age of five before settling with his family in the Odense
suburb Vollsmose
. In 1997, El Banna obtained Danish citizenship
.
, making his Danish Superliga
debut at age 18 in August 1997. He scored four goals in 12 games, including a hattrick
against Ikast FS
, but could not keep Odense from being relegated at the end of the Danish Superliga 1997-98
season. From September 1997 to December 1998, El Banna played seven games for the Denmark national under-19
and under-20 teams.
He spent time on loan with Superliga club Aarhus Fremad
in 1999, scoring two goals in nine games in the last half of the Danish Superliga 1998-99
season, as Aarhus Fremad was relegated. He then enjoyed spells in the Danish 1st Division
with all of the other big Odense
clubs Dalum IF
, B 1913, and B 1909, before moving to Copenhagen
club BK Frem in the summer of 2005. El Banna played a total of 66 matches, scoring 28 goals during his first spell with Frem, before he was sold to Ajman Club
in the United Arab Emirates
in 2007. He returned to Frem in March 2008 on an amateur contract. It was to be a rather short second stay with Frem, as he transferred to Superliga club Vejle Boldklub
by the end of the season. After half a season in Vejle, the striker returned to Frem in to begin his third spell at the club, staying with Frem until the summer 2009.
In September 2009, El Banna signed an amateur contract for the remainder of the year with FC Hjørring
in the Danish 2nd Division
. He was without a club for a while, before signing with 2nd Division team BK Glostrup-Albertslund
in April 2010.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
-Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who currently plays for BK Glostrup-Albertslund
Boldklubberne Glostrup Albertslund
Boldklubberne Glostrup Albertslund is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at Glostrup Idrætspark in Glostrup, Metropolitan Copenhagen, which has a capacity of 4,000....
in the Danish 2nd Division West
Danish 2nd Division West
The 2nd Division West is a group in the Danish 2nd Division with teams from Jutland and Funen Football Associations. The winners gain promotion for the Danish 1st Division, while the last-place finishers risk relegation into the Denmark Series....
. He has represented Odense Boldklub, Aarhus Fremad
Aarhus Fremad
Aarhus Fremad is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division West. They play at Riisvangen Stadion in Aarhus in Jutland, which has a capacity of 4,500.-History:...
, and Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship.
Early life
El Banna, who was born in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, moved to 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...
at the age of five before settling with his family in the Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
suburb Vollsmose
Vollsmose
Vollsmose is a suburb of Odense, Denmark, approximately 3 km North-East of central Odense. The city is made up by large concrete blocks and few row-houses. It has 12,000 inhabitants. The area has in the 90's been known throughout Denmark because of the high crime-rate. In the latest years many...
. In 1997, El Banna obtained Danish citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
.
Footballing career
El Banna started his senior career with Odense BKOdense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
, making his Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
debut at age 18 in August 1997. He scored four goals in 12 games, including a hattrick
Hattrick
Hattrick is an online, browser-based, football management game developed in Sweden. Currently the game contains 128 different countries, each with its own league pyramid, and 51 different language versions...
against Ikast FS
Ikast FS
Ikast FS is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division West. In 1999, their first team merged with Herning Fremad, to found FC Midtjylland and Ikast now operates as FCM's reserve team....
, but could not keep Odense from being relegated at the end of the Danish Superliga 1997-98
Danish Superliga 1997-98
The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998....
season. From September 1997 to December 1998, El Banna played seven games for the Denmark national under-19
Denmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
and under-20 teams.
He spent time on loan with Superliga club Aarhus Fremad
Aarhus Fremad
Aarhus Fremad is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division West. They play at Riisvangen Stadion in Aarhus in Jutland, which has a capacity of 4,500.-History:...
in 1999, scoring two goals in nine games in the last half of the Danish Superliga 1998-99
Danish Superliga 1998-99
The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
season, as Aarhus Fremad was relegated. He then enjoyed spells in the Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
with all of the other big Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
clubs Dalum IF
Dalum IF
Dalum IF is a Danish association football club currently playing in the Denmark Series pool 2. They play at Dalum Stadion in the southern Odense on Funen, which has a capacity of 4,000...
, B 1913, and B 1909, before moving to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
club BK Frem in the summer of 2005. El Banna played a total of 66 matches, scoring 28 goals during his first spell with Frem, before he was sold to Ajman Club
Ajman Club
Ajman Club is a United Arab Emirati football club based in Ajman, UAE. As of the 2011-12 season they will compete in the UAE Pro-League.Ajman club is one of the biggest clubs in the UAE, they are also one of the best clubs in the season of 2008....
in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
in 2007. He returned to Frem in March 2008 on an amateur contract. It was to be a rather short second stay with Frem, as he transferred to Superliga club Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
by the end of the season. After half a season in Vejle, the striker returned to Frem in to begin his third spell at the club, staying with Frem until the summer 2009.
In September 2009, El Banna signed an amateur contract for the remainder of the year with FC Hjørring
FC Hjørring
FC Hjørring is a Danish football club from Hjørring, Vendsyssel. It currently plays in the Danish 1st Division. It was formerly known as Hjørring IF.-Current squad:-External links:...
in the Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
. He was without a club for a while, before signing with 2nd Division team BK Glostrup-Albertslund
Boldklubberne Glostrup Albertslund
Boldklubberne Glostrup Albertslund is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at Glostrup Idrætspark in Glostrup, Metropolitan Copenhagen, which has a capacity of 4,000....
in April 2010.