Hatem Ben Arfa - TheSportsDB.com

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Name
Hatem Ben Arfa

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(0 users)

Complete

60%

Born
1987 (37 years old)

Birth Place

Clamart, France

Position
Attacking Midfield

Status
Retired

Ethnicity
Arabic

Team Number
8

Height
1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)

Weight
65 kg (143 lb)

Outfitter

Kit

Side

Agent

Market Value
Free

Wage Year

Player Manager ID
919707

Player Cutout

Full Body Render

Sport

Soccer

Team
_Retired Soccer

2nd Team

League
_No League Soccer

Creative Commons Artwork
Yes

Description
Available in:

Hatem Ben Arfa (Arabic: حاتم بن عرفة, French pronunciation: ; born 7 March 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder. He is currently a free agent. Known for his flair and dribbling ability, Ben Arfa is regarded as a fan favourite with a cult following. He was once described as "one of the best-rated talents in France" but has been criticised by the media and players alike for lacking discipline.

Ben Arfa's career started in the Île-de-France region, where he trained at Boulogne-Billancourt and Versailles. In 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy. He spent three years there before leaving for Lyon, where he won four Ligue 1 titles. In his early career at Lyon, he played as a centre forward but moved into a striker role during the 2007–08 season. In the summer of 2008, Ben Arfa signed with rivals Marseille for €11 million in a move that required the intervention of the Ligue de Football Professionnel. With Marseille, he won the 2009–10 league title, his fifth overall, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue in 2010. After two years at Marseille, Ben Arfa joined English club Newcastle United on loan for the 2010–11 season. The deal was made permanent later in the season.

Ben Arfa spent four years at Newcastle, with a loan spell at Hull City in his final season at the club. He signed for Nice in January 2015 but was unable to make his debut until August, having already represented Newcastle United Reserves and Hull City the previous season. He scored 17 goals in 32 league appearances for Nice, attracting the interest of several European clubs, and signed for Paris Saint-Germain on 1 July 2016. After failing to make a competitive appearance in the 2017–18 season, Ben Arfa signed for Rennes, where he won the Coupe de France over Paris Saint-Germain. He then went on to play for Valladolid and Bordeaux before joining Lille in 2022.

Ben Arfa is a former French youth international and has played at all levels for France. At the under-17 level, he was a part of the team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He was called up to the senior team for the first time in October 2007 for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands. He has made 15 appearances for France, scoring twice.

Career Honours

French Coupe de France 2018-2019 Paris SG	French Coupe de France 2016-2017 Nice	French Coupe de la Ligue 2016-2017 Nice	French Trophée des Champions 2016 Nice
French Trophée des Champions 2010 Marseille	French Ligue 1 2009-2010 Marseille	French Coupe de la Ligue 2009-2010 Marseille	French Ligue 1 2007-2008 Lyon
French Coupe de France 2007-2008 Lyon	French Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year 2007-2008 Lyon	French Trophée des Champions 2007 Lyon	French Ligue 1 2006-2007 Lyon
French Trophée des Champions 2006 Lyon	French Ligue 1 2005-2006 Lyon	French Ligue 1 2004-2005 Lyon