.jpg) Afellay with theNetherlands in 2011 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ibrahim Afellay[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1986-04-02)2 April 1986 (age 39)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Utrecht, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | USV Elinkwijk | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | PSV Eindhoven | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | PSV Eindhoven | 221 | (35) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Barcelona | 41 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | →Schalke 04 (loan) | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Olympiacos (loan) | 28 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Stoke City | 49 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | PSV Eindhoven | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 353 | (44) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2016 | Netherlands | 53 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Ibrahim Afellay (Arabic:إبراهيم أفيلاي; born 2 April 1986) is a Dutch former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder orwinger. He currently works for Dutch broadcasterNOS as a football pundit.
He played youth football atElinkwijk before joining thePSV Eindhoven youth academy at age 10. After debuting in 2004, he represented PSV for eight seasons, helping them to fourEredivisie titles before moving toBarcelona for €3 million in January 2011. Rarely used by Barcelona and marred by injury, he was loaned toSchalke 04 andOlympiacos before signing forStoke City in 2015. Afellay spent three seasons with Stoke before ending his career back at PSV.
Making hisNetherlands national team debut in 2007, Afellay appeared at the2010 World Cup, contributing to the Dutch side finishing in second place in the tournament. He was also present atEuro 2008 andEuro 2012, making over 50 appearances in total.
Afellay is ofMoroccanRiffian descent; his parents left their hometownAl Hoceima in the 1960s to work in the Netherlands. He grew up in Overvecht, a neighbourhood inUtrecht with a large immigrant population.[3] Afellay and his brother, Ali, were brought up by their mother, Habiba, after his father died when he was young.[4]
Afellay started to play football at local side VSK, but joinedUSV Elinkwijk after one season.[5]
Afellay left Elinkwijk in 1996 for PSV.[6] Afellay's official debut for PSV was on 4 February 2004 during aKNVB Cup match againstNAC Breda at the age of 17. His firstEredivisie fixture followed ten days later againstFC Twente.[7] Afellay played one more senior match in the2003–04 season.[8] He signed a new contract at PSV in May that would run until 2007.[9] In thenext season, Afellay got a place in the first eleven againstRoda JC in December.[10] But during the winter break training camp inDubai, he suffered a broken toe.[11] Afellay was unable to play for three months.[12] He played nine matches in total in the2004–05 season; his most memorable being PSV's final home match againstFeyenoord (2–4). Afellay scored twice and provided an assist in the match.[6][13] He also won theKNVB Cup after appearing as a substitute in thefinal againstWillem II, which PSV won 4–0.[8]
In the2005–06 season, Afellay established himself as a first-team regular at PSV.[7] He formed a midfield partnership withTimmy Simons andPhillip Cocu.[14] In his first four matches (Johan Cruijff Shield and league), Afellay received four yellow cards, resulting in an immediate suspension.[15] In September, Afellay made hisChampions League debut againstSchalke 04 (1–0 win).[8] Overall, he managed to play a total of 23 league matches during a season hit with a string of minor injuries. PSV won the Eredivisie in 2006; Afellay's second title in a row.[16] In thenext season, he played 27 league matches and scored six goals for PSV. The team won the Eredivisie on a single goal difference after defeating Vitesse (5–1) in the last league round. Afellay made the third goal of the match.[8] For his performances that year, Afellay was awarded theJohan Cruijff Award for being the most promising youngster in The Netherlands.[6]
Afellay started the2007–08 season well by scoring the first goal and assisted the second in the away match againstHeracles Almelo (0–2).[17] A month later, a broken toe forced Afellay into a two-month recovery.[18][19] He extended his contract until 2011 in December.[20] Afellay played 24 Eredivisie matches in the 2007–08 season.[8] He missed second-to-final match againstFC Twente in which PSV could seal the championship, but the team failed to do so.[21] The league title was eventually won in the last match against Vitesse with Afellay in the team.[8] The start of the2008–09 season was troublesome for Afellay when he received less holiday then desired afterEuro 2008.[22] His season started well though, with theJohan Cruyff Shield victory againstFeyenoord (0–2) and three goals in the opening two Eredivisie matches. Afellay scored 13 league goals in total, including the only goal in the home match against Feyenoord in December. The 2008–09 season, in which PSV finished fourth, ended prematurely after he suffered an injury in April.[8][23][24]
For the2009–10 season, Afellay shifted to a more defensive midfield position under new coachFred Rutten.[25] In February, Afellay was promoted to second captain of the team. But because first captainTimmy Simons was mostly on the bench that season, Afellay was effectively the new captain.[26] In March, Afellay received a three-match ban after video evidence showed foul play againstEyong Enoh in the match against Ajax.[27] PSV and Afellay ended the Eredivisie season in third.[28] In the summer, he was officially appointed as team captain.[29] In October, Afellay announced he would not sign a new contract with PSV.[30] With the contract nearing its end, PSV was willing to sell in the winter break.[31] On 15 November, it wasFC Barcelona who agreed on a deal with PSV.[7] Afellay signed a contract for four and a half years.[31] In his last PSV match against Roda JC, he was granted a farewell by the fans.[32]
After completing the €3 million transfer, Afellay signed a contract for four and a half years at FC Barcelona.[31][33][34] He made his Blaugrana debut on 5 January 2011 in theCopa del Rey match againstAthletic Bilbao, replacingDavid Villa in injury time. He continued to play 28 Barcelona matches in his first season, of which 18 were as a substitute. Afellay was given his first start on 19 January 2011 againstReal Betis in the Copa del Rey.[35] His first goal also occurred in the Copa del Rey againstUD Almería in February.[36] Afellay scored his first league goal in a 3–1 away win againstMálaga CF on the last day of the season.[35] The2010–11 season ended in the title win for Barcelona and the fifth league championship for Afellay overall.[37] He made his Champions League debut for Barcelona againstArsenal and also went on to appear in the quarter-finals againstShakhtar Donetsk. He then played a vital role in the first match of the semi-finals against archrivalsReal Madrid by coming on as a late substitute, dribbling pastMarcelo into the box and assistingLionel Messi for Barcelona's crucial opening goal in their 2–0 away victory. Afellay and Barcelona eventuallywon the Champions League after beatingManchester United (3–1). Afellay came on in the 90th minute of the final.[35][36]
Afellay had a minor hamstring injury in the2011–12 pre-season, therefore missing out on theSupercopa de España matches against Real Madrid.[38] He returned in time for one Champions League and one La Liga match before suffering ananterior cruciate ligament injury during training in September.[39][40] After undergoing surgery, Afellay went through a seven-month recovery period. On 29 April, he returned to the field as a substitute in the 71st minute replacing teammateSergio Busquets againstRayo Vallecano on a 7–0 away trashing win for the Catalan side.[39] Although he appeared in two more La Liga fixtures, managerPep Guardiola did not call-up Afellay for the major matches againstChelsea and Real Madrid.[3][39]
In the build-up for the2012–13 season, Barcelona managerTito Vilanova notified Afellay of his decreased playing time in the upcoming year. It prompted him to accept a loan offer fromFC Schalke 04 on 31 August. He was reunited withJefferson Farfán and coachHuub Stevens.[41][42][43] Afellay made his debut the next day againstFC Augsburg. He scored four goals at Schalke, including the opening goal in theRevierderby againstBorussia Dortmund (1–2) and a goal against Arsenal in theChampions League. Afellay played his last Schalke match on 10 November; he picked up a muscle injury in aDutch national team friendly againstGermany a few days later.[44] The injury prevented Afellay from playing until January, when he suffered a similar muscle strain in a friendly againstAl Sadd SC.[45] With the recovery this time taking the remainder of the season, Afellay returned to The Netherlands after expressing his discontent with the medical treatment at Schalke 04.[46] Although both parties kept in contact, Afellay did not return toGelsenkirchen anymore after the injury; a move that led to criticism from Schalke's general managerHorst Heldt.[47]
Afellay returned to Spain in May to evaluate his problems with the FC Barcelona medical staff.[48] He decided to start training two weeks earlier than the rest of the squad in order to focus on his recovery.[49] But in August, Afellay had to undergo another surgery on a thigh injury in Barcelona, sidelining him for another four months.[50] Although he was originally not given a squad number, Barcelona assigned Afellay the number 19 jersey after the transfer window deadline had passed.[51]
On 10 August 2014Olympiacos announced the acquisition of Afellay on a season long deal. He scored his first goal in theSuperleague on his debut on 23 August, receiving the ball in the 32nd minute following a pass fromAlejandro Domínguez.[52] Afellay enjoyed a successfulseason in Greece with Olympiacos as they won the league andcup double.[53] At the end of the 2014–15 season, he was released by Barcelona after his injury hit stay at the club.[54]
Afellay joinedPremier League sideStoke City on a two-year contract on 27 July 2015.[55][56] He made his debut on 9 August, in a 1–0 defeat againstLiverpool at theBritannia Stadium, playing 78 minutes before making way forPeter Odemwingie.[57] He was sent-off againstWest Bromwich Albion on 29 August 2015, for slappingCraig Gardner.[58] He scored his first goal for Stoke on 1 December 2015 in a 2–0League Cup victory againstSheffield Wednesday.[59] Afellay scored his first Premier League goal on 13 February 2016 in a 3–1 win againstAFC Bournemouth.[60] He scored his second Premier League goal on his 30th birthday in a 2–2 draw withSwansea City on 2 April 2016.[61] On 22 April 2016 Afellay suffered a serious knee injury in training, ruling him out for up to eight months.[62] In total Afellay played 36 times for Stoke in2015–16 scoring three goals as the side finished in ninth position.
Afellay made his return from injury against Liverpool on 27 December 2016.[63] Afellay signed a two-year contract extension with Stoke on 2 March 2017.[64][65] He suffered another injury in April 2017 and underwent knee surgery.[66] Afellay managed to make 13 appearances in2016–17, of which 3 were starts as Stoke finished in 13th position.[67][68] He returned from injury in September 2017 but was unable to establish himself in Mark Hughes' in2017–18 team making just six appearances. Afellay then had a training ground bust up with new managerPaul Lambert in March 2018 and was told to stay away from the club.[69][70] Afellay returned to the club for pre-season ahead of the2018–19 season and scored in a friendly againstWalsall but suffered another long-term knee injury.[71] His contract with Stoke was terminated by mutual consent on 28 January 2019.[72]
On 18 June 2019, PSV announced the return of Afellay after nine years.[73]
On 31 January 2021, Afellay announced his retirement from professional football.[74] He stated: "What I wanted has not happened. But I am at peace with it. You know that this moment will come sooner or later. It's fine like this."[74]
Afellay and his family areMoroccan Dutch. After both the Moroccan and the Dutch national teams managers selected him for their squads, he was caught in the dilemma to either play for the Moroccan national team, because of his Moroccan descent, or to play for the Dutch team, the Netherlands being his place of birth and residence. He ultimately decided to play for the Dutch national team despite the heavy competition for places in midfield.[75] He made his international debut in a Euro 2008 qualifier againstSlovenia on 28 March 2007. He played in the2008 European Championships as a substitute.[76] Just seconds after replacingDirk Kuyt in the group match againstItaly he nearly scored a goal but his shot hit the top of the crossbar. In their last group match againstRomania, he was given a place in the starting eleven alongsideArjen Robben in midfield. On 12 October 2010, Afellay scored his first international goals in aEuro 2012 qualifier againstSweden.
Afellay was part of the Dutch team for the2010 World Cup managed byBert van Marwijk.[77] The player came on as a substitute for their first and second matches in the competition, a 2–0 victory overDenmark[78] and 1–0 victory overJapan respectively, as well as the round of 16 match againstSlovakia.
Despite being injured for most of the2011–12 season, he was included in the Netherlands'Euro 2012 squad. On 2 June 2012, Afellay scored two goals in a 6–0 friendly win overNorthern Ireland, which was the Netherlands' final match ahead of the tournament. In the first match of the tournament, his team suffered a1–0 loss toDenmark. He was part of the starting eleven againstGermany as well. After the second loss, the head coachBert van Marwijk decided to replace him withRafael van der Vaart.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2003–04[80] | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004–05[80] | Eredivisie | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| 2005–06[80] | Eredivisie | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 34 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07[80] | Eredivisie | 27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 5[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08[80] | Eredivisie | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 8[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09[80] | Eredivisie | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 34 | 13 | ||
| 2009–10[80] | Eredivisie | 29 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 11[c] | 1 | — | 44 | 6 | |||
| 2010–11[81] | Eredivisie | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 1 | — | 26 | 7 | |||
| Total | 159 | 35 | 13 | 1 | — | 42 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 217 | 38 | |||
| Barcelona | 2010–11[81] | La Liga | 16 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 6[a] | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12[81] | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[81] | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 21 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |||
| Schalke 04 (loan) | 2012–13[82] | Bundesliga | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 4[a] | 1 | — | 15 | 4 | ||
| Olympiacos (loan) | 2014–15[83] | Superleague Greece | 19 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[a] | 2 | — | 29 | 6 | ||
| Stoke City | 2015–16[84] | Premier League | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17[67] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18[85] | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19[86] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 49 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 55 | 3 | ||||
| Stoke City U23 | 2017–18[85] | — | — | — | — | — | 2[d] | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2019–20[80] | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 261 | 44 | 25 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 61 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 357 | 54 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Netherlands | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 53 | 7 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA,Amsterdam, Netherlands | 30 |  Sweden | 2–0 | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 2 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 25 March 2011 | Stadium Puskás Ferenc,Budapest, Hungary | 33 |  Hungary | 2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 4 | 2 June 2012 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 38 |  Northern Ireland | 4–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 6 | 10 October 2014 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 45 |  Kazakhstan | 2–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 7 | 25 March 2016 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 52 |  France | 2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly |
PSV[89]
Barcelona[89]
Olympiacos[89]
Netherlands[89]
Individual[89]
| Dutch Football Talent of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Johan Cruyff Trophy |
|
Netherlands squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
