Djamel Belmadi (Arabic: جامل بلماضي) (born March 27, 1976 in Champigny-sur-Marne, France) is an Algerian football player, who currently plays for Southampton. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Champigny-sur-Marne is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Southampton Football Club (originally St Marys YMA) are an English football team, nicknamed The Saints. ...

Playing career

France and Spain

He started his career at Paris St Germain, making his debut in January 1996 against Gueugnon before spending a season at Martigues. He spent the 1997-98 season at Marseille, and then moved to Cannes for the 1998-99 season. In August 1999 he was signed again by Marseille but immediately went on loan to Spanish club Celta Vigo, where he counted Benni McCarthy of South Africa among his team-mates. For other uses, see Saint-Germain. ... History Football Club de Gueugnon was founded in 1940. ... FC Martigues (Football Club de Martigues) play in the CFA Groupe B, which is the fourth level of football in France. ... Olympique de Marseille is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ... Association Sportive de Cannes Football (a. ... Real Club Celta de Vigo is a Spanish football team from Vigo in Galicia. ... Benedict Saul Benni McCarthy (born 12 November 1977 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a professional footballer, currently playing for English side Blackburn Rovers and South Africa. ...

In January 2000, he returned to Marseille, eventually securing a regular place in the first team’s midfield in 2000-01. In January 2001, he made good use of a rare opportunity presented him to play in Marseille's attack, when Liberian maestro George Weah - who had been the main attacker - was away on international duty with the Lone Stars of Liberia. Belmadi seized the opportunity to score a vital goal for Marseille against fellow strugglers Toulouse to keep Marseille just outside the relegation zone. George Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born October 1, 1966 in Monrovia[1]) is a Liberian politician and former football forward. ... Toulouse FC is a French football team, playing in the city of Toulouse. ...

On 14 April 2001, he scored the winning goal in Marseille's 2-1 victory over Sedan, before a near-60,000 crowd, giving Bernard Tapie's team a much needed lifeline out of relegation. April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105 in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes is a French football club, based in Sedan. ... Bernard Tapie (born January 26, 1943 in Paris) is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. ...

Manchester City

In January 2003, he had fallen out of favour at Marseille, now managed by Alain Perrin, who agreed to loan him to Kevin Keegan’s Manchester City after a successful trial. He joined ranks with fellow Algerian, Ali Benarbia. Alain Perrin, (born October 7, 1956 in Lure, Haute-Saône), is a French association football coach and the manager of FC Sochaux. ... Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born February 14, 1951 in Armthorpe, South Yorkshire, England)[1] is a former English football coach and one of the all-time greatest players. ... Manchester City Football Club are an English football club based in the city of Manchester. ... Ali Benarbia (Arabic: ‎) (born October 8, 1968 in Oran, Algeria) is an Algerian footballer, who came to France at a young age and began his career at FC Martigues in 1987. ...

He made his full debut for Manchester City on 29 January 2003 at Maine Road in a 4-1 victory against Fulham (alongside another recruit from the French league - David Sommeil). January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England. ... Fulham Football Club (FFC) are an English football team based in Fulham, London. ... © http://soccer-europe. ...

In his brief time at Manchester City, he only made 2 starts and 6 substitute appearances, the last of which was in a 1-0 defeat against Southampton on 11 May 2003 in the final league game at Maine Road. Southampton Football Club (originally St Marys YMA) are an English football team, nicknamed The Saints. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ...

Although Kevin Keegan liked Belmadi’s style of play, he conceded that he could not afford another free spirit in a side already containing Eyal Berkovic and Ali Bernabia, so Belmadi returned to Marseille. Eyal Berkovic (he: , also spelled Berkovich, born April 2, 1972 in Nahariya, Israel) is a former Israeli footballer. ...

In August 2003, he was released by Marseille and played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons in Qatar with Al-Ittihad and Al-Kharitiyath. Al-Gharrafa (Arabic: الغرافة) is a Qatari football club from Doha. ... Al-Kharitiyath Sports Club is a Qatari multi-sports club. ...

Southampton

In July 2005, after trials at Celtic, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, he joined Southampton (now playing in the Football League Championship) for their pre-season tour of Scotland. Harry Redknapp initially gave Belmadi a one-month contract, and he made his debut on 6 August 2005 in a 0-0 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His contract was extended until the end of the 2005-06 season after impressive performances in his early games, including a goal against Crewe Alexandra on 27 August 2005. In January 2006 he picked up a thigh injury which put him out of the team until April. Celtic Football Club (pronounced seltik in IPA; AIM: CCP) is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... Wigan Athletic Football Club are a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... Sunderland Association Football Club is professional football club, based at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North-East England. ... Southampton Football Club (originally St Marys YMA) are an English football team, nicknamed The Saints. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. is a Wolverhampton-based football club playing at Molineux. ... Crewe Alexandra Football Club are an English football team based at Gresty Road in Crewe, Cheshire, England and nicknamed The Railwaymen due to that towns links with the rail industry. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ...

He had, however, done enough to persuade Southampton, now managed by George Burley, to sign him for the 2006-07 season, but again this was blighted by injury problems, including a knee injury picked up in September which has prevented him playing since. George Burley George Elder Burley (born June 3, 1956 in Cumnock, Kyle, East Ayrshire) is an ex-footballer. ...

International career

He made his debut for Algeria on 9 July 2000 against Morocco. July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 175 days remaining. ...

He was part of the Algerian 2004 African Nations Cup team, who finished second in their group in the first round of competition before being defeated by Morocco in the quarter-finals. The 2004 African Nations Cup was the 24th edition of the African Nations Cup, the Tunisia. ...

He last played for Algeria in a World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on 20 June 2004, having made 20 appearances scoring 5 goals. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ...

Honours

• DZFoot d'Or : 2000, 2001[1]

The is a football award, created in 2000 by the Algerian football website DZFoot. ...

Victim of bank theft

Whilst he was with Manchester City, he, along with players Daniel Van Buyten and Vicente Vuoso, was the victim of a theft by two bankers. At the time Belmadi left Manchester City, he left £230,000 in an account with the Co-operative Bank. In total the bank workers stole more than £350,000 from the accounts of the three players. Daniel Van Buyten (born February 7, 1978 in Belgium) is a Belgian international footballer who currently plays as a defender for Bayern Munich, following a June 2006 transfer from Hamburger SV. His father Franz was a popular catcher/wrestler in Europe from 1960 to 1980. ... Vicente José Matías Vuoso (born November 3, 1981 in Mar del Plata, Argentina) is an Argentine football striker, who currently plays for Santos Laguna of the Primera División de México. ...

In January 2006[2][3], the bank workers, Paul Sherwood, a cashier, and Paul Hanley, his supervisor, were jailed for 32 months and 12 months respectively.

External links

• Djamel Belmadi career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile on Southampton club website
• Sporting Heroes article re Manchester City career
• Sporting Heroes article re 2004 African Cup of Nations
• Career history, including International appearances