.jpg) Beye playing forNewcastle United in 2008 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Habib Frédéric Beye[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-10-19)19 October 1977 (age 47)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Suresnes, France | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back[4] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rennes (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1997 | US Marly Le Roi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Paris Saint-Germain II | 17 | (2) |
| 1998–2003 | Strasbourg | 134 | (8) |
| 2003–2007 | Marseille | 128 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle United | 52 | (1) |
| 2009–2012 | Aston Villa | 9 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | →Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2012 | Doncaster Rovers | 13 | (2) |
| Total | 381 | (17) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2008 | Senegal | 45 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021–2024 | Red Star | ||
| 2025– | Rennes | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Habib Frédéric Beye (born 19 October 1977) is a former professionalfootballer who played as aright-back. He is currently the manager of FrenchLigue 1 clubRennes.
Formed atParis Saint-Germain, where he was only areserve, he played inLigue 1 forStrasbourg andMarseille. From 2007, he spent five years in England, withNewcastle United andAston Villa in thePremier League, andDoncaster Rovers in theChampionship.
Born and raised in France, Beye represented theSenegal national team, earning 45caps between 2001 and 2008. He was part of their squads at theAfrica Cup of Nations in2002 (runners-up),2004,2006 (semi-finalists) and2008, as well as a quarter-finalist at the2002 FIFA World Cup.
Beye was born inSuresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, and grew up inLe Port-Marly.[5][6] He is a Muslim.[7]
Beye joinedParis Saint-Germain in 1997, though he progressed no further than the reserve side, playing in the national fifth division. He transferred at the end of the season toStrasbourg in 1998 for an undisclosed amount.[citation needed]
Following his summer move to Strasbourg in 1998, Beye made his league debut on 8 August 1998 in a home 0–0 draw againstLyon, and played a total of 23 times in his first season at the club. He missed just five league matches in the following season, and netted for the first time on 2 October 1999 in a 2–2 home draw withBordeaux. He was a member of the Strasbourg side that won the 2001French Cup, eventually defeating third divisionAmiens in a penalty shoot-out, which helped his team achieveUEFA Cup qualification in the following season.[8] He appeared a total of 134 times in the league for Strasbourg, scoring 8 goals.
On 6 August 2003, Beye signed a three-year contract atMarseille under managerAlain Perrin, for a reported fee of €1.2 million. He said that despite his Parisian upbringing, he had always supported the club.[9]
He was in the side that reached the2004 UEFA Cup Final, a run which involved a performance as a central defender againstNewcastle United. He ended up on the losing side as Marseille lost thefinal toValencia 2–0. He missed only one game in the2004–05 Ligue 1 season as his team came fifth, and then extended his contract to 2008.[10]
He was also a beaten finalist in the2006 Coupe de France final against former club Paris Saint-Germain, a match which his team lost 2–1, and again in 2007, when his Marseille team lost on penalties toSochaux. He was voted the fans’ Player of the Year in 2006. He was captain of the club for two years prior to his move to Newcastle United.[citation needed]
Beye signed for Newcastle United for a fee of £2 million (€3 million) on 31 August 2007, during the closing minutes of the summer transfer window. He signed a three-year contract, with then Newcastle managerSam Allardyce declaring that he was very pleased with the transfer. Allardyce said in a later interview on the club's website that he felt he acquired Beye for a "bargain" price and that he and his international colleague who also signed with him,Abdoulaye Faye, would be excellent signings for Newcastle.[11]
He made his Newcastle debut on 17 September 2007, as a substitute in the 1–0 defeat atDerby County. He then made his full debut at home toWest Ham United. He scored his only Premier League goal for Newcastle in the 2–1 win againstBirmingham City on 8 December, with a near-post header in second-half injury time.[12] The Newcastle fans chanted his name to the tune of theHappy Days theme.[13] On 22 May 2008, Beye was named Newcastle player of the season based on fan votes to a poll organised by theEvening Chronicle,[14] he was then named the official Newcastle player of the season on 23 May 2008,[15] as well as being named the Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association Player of the Season on 22 August.[16]
After missing the start of the2008–09 season from injury, Beye started againstManchester City on 20 October 2008. He was sent off after only 12 minutes for a challenge onRobinho, the first red card of his Newcastle career. Newcastle appealed the red card and on 23 October the claim of wrongful dismissal was upheld.[17] After Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League at the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, an article on the club's official website stated Beye's intention to remain at the club to help get them back into the Premier League.[18] However, the continuing problems behind the scenes at Newcastle would lead to Beye stating that he would have to leave the club in order to save his career.[19]
DespiteHull City chairmanPaul Duffen revealing that theTigers had agreed a fee with Newcastle United to sign Beye on 6 August 2009,[20] it was announced the following day that Beye had signed forAston Villa.[21] Beye was substituted late into his Villa debut on the opening day of the 2009–10 season, a 2–0 defeat byWigan Athletic. He was sent off near the end of his third game for Villa in an away tie againstWest Ham United. Beye found it hard to break into the Villa first team with the likes ofCarlos Cuéllar andLuke Young ahead of him in the pecking order and often found himself restricted to bench appearances. In February 2012, it was announced that Beye's contract had been cancelled by mutual consent.[22]
After making just nine league appearances for Aston Villa since the summer of 2009 and being surplus to requirements, Beye signed on loan forDoncaster Rovers in November 2011, in a hope to revive his career after a turbulent two years spell in Aston Villa. After his first three games for the club, he received big praise from Rovers fans and Rovers managerDean Saunders following some impressive displays in the centre of defence. He helped Doncaster to two home clean sheets in a row, whilst winning the sponsors man of the match award in both games (againstWatford andSouthampton) and has been a regular starter in the team. On 22 January 2012, Beye was sent off during a match againstBristol City in a Championship game which ended in a 2–1 defeat, resulting in a three-match ban.[citation needed]
Following his release by Aston Villa, Beye signed an 18-month deal to permanently join Rovers on 13 February 2012.[23] After completing his domestic three-game ban, he played his first game after signing permanently againstPeterborough United in a 1–1 draw on 25 February 2012. He scored his first goal for the club against fellow relegation candidatesPortsmouth on 14 April. At the same time, he was sent off for the second time this season for a foul on Portsmouth'sDave Kitson, which conceded a penalty for the opposing side. That result ended 4–3 in favour of Portsmouth and Birmingham City's 2–2 draw against Bristol City confirmed Doncaster's relegation toLeague One for the upcoming 2012–13 season. He returned from suspension on 28 April, and scored a late consolation goal for Doncaster Rovers, in a 3–2 defeat byIpswich Town on the final day of the season. Beye retired from football after his contract ended.[citation needed]
Beye played in theSenegal national squad from 2001 to 2008, winning 45 caps and scoring one goal. His debut came on 6 May 2001 in a 1–0 loss away toEgypt in2002 FIFA World Cupqualification.[24] He was part of the squad that finished runners-up at the2002 Africa Cup of Nations and then became quarter-finalists at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, making substitute appearances againstDenmark,Uruguay andSweden.[25]
At the2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, Beye scored his only international goal, equalising in a 1–1 draw with neighboursMali.[26] At thefollowing edition in 2006 in Egypt, where his team were semi-finalists, he was sent off for an off-the-ball clash withGhana'sLaryea Kingston in a group-stage draw. Both players were fined US$1,000 by theConfederation of African Football and banned for four games, ruling each out for the remainder of the tournament.[27]
Beye retired from international football in an effort to concentrate on his club career following a first-round exit at the2008 Africa Cup of Nations.[28]
After retiring, Beye became a pundit on France'sCanal+.[29] In May 2021, he was named assistant manager at Paris-basedRed Star in the third-tierChampionnat National, as assistant to Vincent Bordot.[30] He was put in interim charge in September after Bordot's dismissal following six games of the season.[31] On his debut on 17 September, the team lost 1–0 at home toVillefranche;[32] he took them to the last 64 of theCoupe de France where they were defeated 2–0 byMonaco at theStade Bauer.[33] Having saved the team from relegation with an 11th-place finish, his contract was extended to 2024 in May 2022.[34] In the2022–23 Championnat National, Red Star came third, two points off the promoted pair ofConcarneau andDunkerque.[35] Thefollowing season, Beye led Red Star to promotion toLigue 2 for the first time in six years, and then allowed his contract to expire.[36]
On 30 January 2025, Beye signed withLigue 1 sideRennes, until the end of the season with the option for one more campaign. He joined the club with them in the relegation play-off place in 16th, afterJorge Sampaoli had left by mutual consent.[37] Three days later, in his first game as a top-flight manager, his team won 1–0 at home toStrasbourg with a late goal byLudovic Blas.[38]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Marseille | 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13[c] | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | Ligue 1 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 | 1 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 128 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 167 | 2 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 24 | 0 | ||
| Total | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 54 | 1 | |||
| Aston Villa | 2009–10 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2011–12 | Championship | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 | 2 | |
| Career total | 211 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 262 | 5 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
 Red Star | 17 September 2021 | 18 May 2024 | 103 | 51 | 23 | 29 | 172 | 112 | +60 | 049.51 |
| Rennes | 30 January 2025 | present | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 057.14 |
| Total | 110 | 55 | 23 | 32 | 181 | 119 | +62 | 050.00 | ||
Strasbourg
Marseille
Aston Villa
Individual
Senegal squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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