Noureddine Naybet

Noureddine Naybet
Naybet in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1970-02-10) 10 February 1970 (age 53)
Place of birth Casablanca, Morocco
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 Wydad Casablanca 85 (4)
1993–1994 Nantes 34 (1)
1994–1996 Sporting CP 64 (5)
1996–2004 Deportivo La Coruña 211 (11)
2004–2006 Tottenham Hotspur 30 (1)
Total 424 (22)
International career
1990–2006 Morocco 115 (4)
Medal record
Representing  Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up 2004 Tunisia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Noureddine Naybet (Arabic: نور الدين نيبت; born 10 February 1970) is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a central defender. He played in Spain for Deportivo de La Coruña and in Portugal for Sporting CP, as well as in France for FC Nantes and in England for Tottenham Hotspur. He is considered one of the best defenders in La Liga of his generation. Naybet spent the longest and most successful period of his career with Deportivo La Coruña in Spain's La Liga, from 1996 to 2004. He was named the 44th greatest African player of all time by the African football expert Ed Dove.

Naybet played a record 115 matches for the Morocco national team scoring four goals, representing the country in two World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Early life

Born in Casablanca on 10 February 1970, the young toddler, addicted to football, spent much of his time teasing the ball, in the streets of Derb Chorfa. Already talented and hardworking, he was quickly spotted by the Étoile de Casablanca, where he only stayed a week before joining Wydad Casablanca.

Club career

Wydad

Naybet began his professional career playing for Wydad, being part of the squads that won three Botola championships as well as the 1992 edition of the CAF Champions League.

Nantes and Sporting

From 1993 to 1996 he represented FC Nantes (France) and Sporting CP (Portugal), being always an important first-team member and winning one domestic cup in each country. He played the 1995 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in 2 legged match against Porto, the first match ended in a 0–0 tie, as-well the second match ended in a 2–2 tie. Naybet found the net in the 42nd minute. Sporting won the replay match in a 3–0 victory.

Deportivo de La Coruña

In the 1996 summer Naybet signed a four-year deal with Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, for roughly 1.6 million. He made his La Liga debut on 31 August 1996, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Real Madrid.

Naybet scored a career best four goals in the 1997–98 season, but the Galicians could only finish in 12th position. He was still an undisputed starter in 1999–2000 – often partnering Argentine Gabriel Schürrer – as the club conquered the first league in its history.

He won one La Liga league title in 1999–2000 La Liga, one Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cup. and for Sporting CP won Cup of Portugal.

In the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, Naybet passed the first round qualification with ease, In the second round they were placed with Galatasaray, AC Milan, and PSG. In his first qualification match Naybet managed to defeat PSG, 3–1. They qualified to the knock out stages after topping the second round group stages. But were knocked out by Leeds United in the quarter-finals.

In the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, Naybet played a major role during the Group stages playing its first match against Olympiacos which ended in a tie. They defeated Manchester United in their second match, 2–1, the winning Naybet goal in the last minute. They qualified top of their group and to the second round. On 12 March 2002, Naybet defeated Arsenal, 2–0. They were defeated by Manchester United in the quarter-final in a 5–2 aggregate.

Naybet started in all his 13 UEFA Champions League appearances in the 2003–04 campaign, helping Dépor to the semi-finals of the competition. In the last-four's second leg, at home against FC Porto, he was sent off by Pierluigi Collina after two bookable offenses, and the tie ended 1–0 in favour of the Portuguese.

Tottenham Hotspur

On 12 August 2004, aged 34, Naybet joined Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £700,000. He netted his first and only goal for Spurs on 13 November, in a 5–4 North London derby loss to Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

After only three games in 2005–06, under new manager Martin Jol, Naybet was released and retired from football. In June 2005, however, he had renewed his contract for a further season.

He spent most of his 17-year professional career with Deportivo La Coruña, appearing in 284 competitive games and winning four major titles, including the 2000 national championship. He also competed in France, Portugal and England.

International career

Naybet was a Moroccan international for 16 years, gaining his first cap on 9 August 1990 in a 0–0 friendly draw in Tunisia.

He competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.[citation needed]

He proceeded to appear for his country in two FIFA World Cups, playing two games in 1994 and three in 1998 as both editions ended in group stage elimination.

Naybet played all six contests in the 2004 African Cup of Nations, helping the Atlas Lions finish second in Tunisia. In early January 2006, five months after announcing his international retirement after falling out of favour with coach Ezzaki Badou, he returned to the national team just ahead of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

In August 2007, Naybet was named assistant manager under Henri Michel.

Style of play

"When I was in Deportivo La Coruna, I played with 3 Moroccan players.” He added, "I played with Naybet, who for me is among the top 5 defenders I've seen in my life. He's an amazing player. I also know Salaheddine Bassir and Mustapha Hadji.

Lionel Scaloni.

He is a magnificent and well-rounded centre-back, who boasted all of the physical attributes as well as the mental qualities to excel in the heart of the defence for major European sides.

Personal life

A devout Muslim, Naybet observed fasting during the month of Ramadan, even when it coincided with the football season.

Career statistics

International

As of match played 28 January 2006
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Morocco 1990 4 0
1991 4 0
1992 7 0
1993 8 0
1994 7 0
1995 3 0
1996 6 0
1997 7 2
1998 12 1
1999 7 0
2000 9 1
2001 9 0
2002 8 0
2003 6 0
2004 9 0
2005 3 0
2006 16 0
Total 115 4
Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Naybet goal.
List of international goals scored by Noureddine Naybet
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 31 May 1997 Stade Moulay Abdellah, Rabat, Morocco  Ethiopia 3–0 4–0 1998 African Cup of Nations qualification
2 16 August 1997 Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco  Gabon 1–0 2–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 23 December 1998 Agadir, Morocco  Bulgaria 1–0 4–1 Friendly
4 6 June 2000 Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco  France 1–2 1–5 Hassan II Trophy

Honours

Wydad Casablanca

Sporting CP

Deportivo La Coruña

Morocco

Individual

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-21 02:57 UTC. Update now. View original page.

All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.


Top

If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari