Djamel Abdoun

Djamel Abdoun was born on the 14^th February 1986. He is a footballer from Algeria and he is presently playing the role of a midfielder for the club, Nothingham Forest in the Football League Championship.

source of picture: 2000.uefa.com

In the summer of the year 2011, Abdoun had a 3-year deal with Olympiacos, it was a free transfer from his former club, Kavala because of the relegation of the team to the 4^th division. Since then he has won with the club the double, winning the 2001/12 Superleague Greece and the 2012 Greek Cup. In the summer of the year 2013, he had a 3-year deal with the club, Nothingham Forest in the Football League Championship.

He has player for the youth national team of France and he was among the players that won the 2005 UEFA European U-19 Football Championship that took place in Ireland and he was among the team that won the Toulon Tournament in the year 2007. He decided to play the for the Algerian national team at the senior level in the September of the year 2009, as he took advantage of the new FIFA rule, permitting him to change his national team allegiance even though he was more than 21. He played his first game for the national team of the country in the match that was played against Angola in the group match at the 2010 African Cup of Nations on the 18^thJanuary 2010, the match finished 0-0. He played for the country in the 2010 African Cup of Nation in Angola and his team finished 4^th in the tournament. And he also played for the national team of the country in the 2010 World Cup that took place in South Africa.

Personal Life

Abdoun was born in France to Algerian parents; he grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris in the commune of Montreuil. His parents originate from the villages of Tifrit and Biziou in the commune of the Akbou Bejaia in the Petite Kabylie province of Algeria.

Club Career

Abdoun began his football career as a youth player of the club, Paris Saint-Germain in the year 2002, and it was there that he dropped off from the team at the finishing part of the season. In the year 2003, he had a deal with the club, Ajaccio, and he played the total of 13 games for the club in four good seasons and scored two goals for them. He was sent to Manchester City on a loan deal in January of the year 2007, he played just one game for the club, coming into the game he played as a replacement on the 27^th January 2007 in a 3-1 win against Southampton. He went back to his club Ajaccio at the end of the season after Manchester City decided not to permanently sign the player.

On the 24^th of August 2010, he was transferred to Kavala, the Greek club from Nantes, and he signed a 3-year deal with the club. The details of the transfer were not revealed to the public. In the 1^st season he played with the new club, he finished the season as the top assist player of the team in the Greek Super League with the total of 8 assists in 26 matches he played for the club. He scored the total of 3 goals for the club and he was named the 2^nd best player of the tournament in the league after Ariel Ibagaza of Olympiacos. On the 23^rd May 2011, Karim Aklil, Abdoun’s Agent declared that the player was about to sign a deal with another club, Panathinaikos. Meanwhile on the 25thb August 2011, he started to train with Olympiacos and he went through the traditional medical test visit to the club.

In the 2011/12 season, on the 31^st August 2011, he made a 3-year deal with another club, Olympiacos, he joined them on a free transfer from his former club, Kavala after they were relegated to the 4^th division football of the country. He scored his first goal for the club in the match that was played against Paok and he scored his 2^nd goal for the club in the match that was played against Panathinaikos. He played the total of 29 matches for the club and scored 4 goals in total for the club in the first season he spent at the club.

In the 2012/13 season with the club, he managed to score his first goal for the club in the match that was played against Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League; the match finished 1-2 home loss. He scored his 2^nd goal for the club in the match that was played against Aris Thessaloniki from the penalty spot; the next two goals he scored for the club came from the penalty spot in the matches that was played against Platanias and AEK Athens at home.

On the 25^th July 2013, the chairman of the club, Nothingham Forest, Fawaz Al Hasawi announced that the club has landed the midfielder to the club on a 3-year deal through his twitter account.

Abdoun scored his first goal for the club in the match that played against West Ham i9n the FA Cup 3^rd Round tie. The goal came from the penalty spot that was given to his team for a challenge on Jamie Paterson. Abdoun was persistent  on taking the penalty for the club and he was even arguing with his team mates on the pitch, and his insistence paid off as he scored the goal for the club in the game that later finished 5-0 in favor of his side.

International Career

Abdoun played for the French national team in the U-17, U-18 and U-20 level. The best achievement he made was the winning of the 2007 Toulon Tournament with the Under-18 national team of France.

Meanwhile, being a descendant from Algeria, he has dual nationality and he has the right to play for any of the two countries at the senior level. On the 15^th September 2009, he was chosen for the first time to play for the Algerian senior national team by the head coach of the country, Rabah Saadane, to join the ranks of the national team of the country for the qualifying match that was played against Rwanda.

On the 18^th January 2010, he played his first game for the national team of the country, coming into the game as a replacement in the 88^th minute of the game in the match that was played against Angola at the 2010 African Cup of Nation. He was also named to be part of the national team that played for the country 9n the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Honours

Olympiacos

Ø  Superleague Greece (2) : 2011/12, 2012/13

Ø  Greek Cup (2) : 2011/12, 2012/13

Ø  Cinco Violinos Trophy: 2012 Silver Medal

France

Ø  UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2005

Ø  Toulon Tournament: 2007