Billel Omrani

Abdel Slem Billel Omrani (Arabic: عبد السلام بلال عمراني; born 2 June 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești.

Billel Omrani
Omrani with FCSB in 2023
Personal information
Full name Abdel Slem Billel Omrani
Date of birth (1993-06-02) 2 June 1993
Place of birth Forbach, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Petrolul Ploiești
Number 9
Youth career
1999–2006 SO Merlebach
2004–2006 Gymnastique Marienau
2007–2011 Marseille
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2016 Marseille 6 (1)
2012–2016 Marseille B 62 (24)
2013–2014 → Arles-Avignon (loan) 13 (0)
2016–2022 CFR Cluj 164 (33)
2022–2023 FCSB 22 (2)
2023– Petrolul Ploiești 0 (0)
International career‡
2009–2010 France U17 11 (4)
2010 France U18 5 (1)
2012 France U19 2 (0)
2022– Algeria 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 June 2022

A product of the Marseille academy, Omrani made his Ligue 1 debut for the club in 2011. He amassed ten games for the first team and had a loan stint at Arles-Avignon, before moving to Romania with CFR Cluj in 2016. In the latter country, Omrani won seven domestic trophies and was named the league's Foreign Player of the Year in 2019. He moved to rivals FCSB on a free transfer in 2022.

Born in France, Omrani represented the nation at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. In June 2022, he switched his allegiance to Algeria by making his full debut in a 2–1 friendly win over Iran.

Club career

Early career / Marseille

Omrani joined the youth system of Marseille in 2007, after spells with two amateur clubs in the Moselle area. On 19 March 2011, he agreed to a three-year professional contract with the Stade Vélodrome side.[1]

Omrani was subsequently promoted to the senior squad by manager Didier Deschamps for the 2011–12 season, being assigned the number 25 shirt. He made his senior debut by coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Alou Diarra in a 1–1 Ligue 1 draw with Brest, on 2 October 2011.[2]

CFR Cluj

Omrani moved abroad for the first time by signing a contract with Romanian team CFR Cluj in September 2016.[3][4] On the 17th that month, he recorded his debut and scored in a 5–0 Liga I thrashing of Voluntari.[5]

During the following season, Omrani totalled nine goals from 31 appearances in all competitions as "the White-Burgundies" won the national championship.[6] On 8 July 2018, amid rumours regarding a transfer to title contenders FCSB,[7] CFR announced that he penned down a three-year contract extension.[8] Six days later, Omrani obtained the penalty kick from which Emmanuel Culio scored the only goal of the 2018 Supercupa României win over Universitatea Craiova.[9]

In 2019, Omrani was linked with a move to Celtic after netting against them twice in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League,[10] but nothing came of it. That year, he was handed the Foreign Player of the Year award by the Gazeta Sporturilor daily.[11]

Omrani left Cluj-Napoca as a free agent in the summer of 2022, after aiding the team in winning five national titles and two supercups during his six-year stint.

FCSB

On 13 September 2022, Omrani continued in Romania and its Liga I by signing a one-year contract with the option of another two years for FCSB.[12][13] He scored his first goal on 11 December, in a 2–0 away league win over Chindia Târgoviște.[14]

Omrani made 22 appearances and only netted two goals, and the club chose not to renew his deal at the end of the campaign.[15]

Petrolul Ploiești

On 28 September 2023, Omrani moved to fellow Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești as a free agent.[16]

International career
Omrani playing for CFR Cluj in April 2022.

France

Omrani is a former France youth international, having represented the country at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. With the under-17 side, he played at the 2010 UEFA European Championship.

Algeria

Omrani was also eligible to represent Algeria, and in October 2011 was called up to the under-23 team to participate in the friendly matches ahead of the 2011 CAF Championship.[17][18] However, the report of the call-up was deemed erroneous due to a misunderstanding between the team's coach and the Algerian media; the latter assumed the coach was calling up Omrani, when he was in fact calling up another French-born player who was also featuring for Marseille.

In February 2013, Omrani was invited by the Algeria under-20 national team coach Jean-Marc Nobilo to be a member of the squad for the 2013 African Championship, but declined the offer.[19] In May 2022, he received his first call-up to the Algeria senior team for the 2023 AFCON qualification matches against Uganda and Tanzania.[20] He made his debut on 12 June, coming on for Rachid Ghezzal in the 71st minute of a 2–1 friendly win against Iran in Doha.

Personal life

Omrani's elder brother Abdelhakim also played professional football in Romania for Dunărea Călărași,[21] and his elder sister Yasmina was an international heptathlete.[22]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 27 May 2023[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Marseille 2011–12 Ligue 1 10101000—30
2012–13 Ligue 1 10000020—30
2014–15 Ligue 1 410000——41
Total 61101020—101
Marseille B 2012–13 CFA 2 2214————2214
2014–15 CFA 2 188————188
2015–16 CFA 222————222
Total 6224————6224
Arles-Avignon (loan) 2013–14 Ligue 2 1300021——151
CFR Cluj 2016–17 Liga I 2852100——306
2017–18 Liga I 30811———319
2018–19 Liga I 32640—5310429
2019–20 Liga I 28600—167104513
2020–21 Liga I 16300—30—193
2021–22 Liga I 30500—11210427
Total 16433720035123020947
FCSB 2022–23 Liga I 22200———222
Petrolul Ploiești 2023–24 Liga I 0000———00
Career total 26760823137123031875

International
As of match played 12 June 2022
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Algeria
202210
Total10

Honours

Marseille[23]

Marseille B

CFR Cluj[23]

Individual

References
  1. "Billel Omrani, un nouveau pro à l'OM!". Le Phoceen (in French). 19 March 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  2. "Marseille v. Brest Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel (in French). 2 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  3. "CFR Cluj a găsit înlocuitor pentru Lopez: un atacant de la Olympique Marseille" [CFR Cluj found a replacement for López: a forward from Olympique Marseille] (in Romanian). Ziua de Cluj. 1 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. "Billel Omrani, jucător crescut de Olympique Marseille, a semnat un contract cu CFR Cluj" [Billel Omrani, youth exponent of Olympique Marseille, signed a contract with CFR Cluj] (in Romanian). News.ro. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  5. "Liga 1: CFR Cluj - FC Voluntari 5-0/ Bud a inscris de trei ori" [Liga 1: CFR Cluj - FC Voluntari 5–0/ Bud scored three times] (in Romanian). HotNews.ro. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  6. "CFR Cluj: lotul de jucători și alte date statistice" [CFR Cluj: player squad and other statistics] (in Romanian). Liga Profesionistă de Fotbal. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  7. "Omrani nu s-a urcat în avionul CFR-ului spre cantonamentul din Polonia! Va semna cu FCSB?" [Omrani did not board CFR's plane to Poland! Will he sign for FCSB?] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  8. "Billel Omrani ramane la CFR Cluj!" [Billel Omrani stays at CFR Cluj!] (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  9. "CFR Cluj a câștigat Supercupa României 2018" [CFR Cluj won the 2018 Romanian Supercup] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 14 July 2018. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  10. Il mai vand pe Omrani la Celtic?! CFR da IAR peste SUPER CAMPIOANA din Scotia, dupa ce a scos-o din Champions League
  11. "Gala GSP 2019 // Billel Omrani, jucătorul străin al anului: "Mulțumesc, România!"" [GSP Gala 2019 // Billel Omrani, foreign player of the year: "Thank you, Romania!"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 17 December 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  12. "Billel Omrani, la FCSB! Salariu uriaș pentru atacantul francez" [Billel Omrani, to FCSB! Huge salary for the French forward] (in Romanian). Sport Total FM. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  13. "Bine ai venit, Billel Omrani!" [Welcome, Billel Omrani!] (in Romanian). FCSB. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. "Billel Omrani a înscris primul său gol pentru FCSB: "Nu e frumos dacă nu ai concurență" Ce spune despre meciul cu CFR Cluj, fosta sa echipă" [Billel Omrani scored his first goal for FCSB: "It's not nice if there's no competition" What he says about the match against CFR Cluj, his former team] (in Romanian). ProSport. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  15. "Țeapă uriașă luată de Gigi Becali! A luat 200.000 de euro pentru fiecare gol dat la FCSB, iar acum pleacă liber de contract" [Gigi Becali was fooled! He took home 200,000 euros for every goal he scored for FCSB, and now he is leaving as a free agent] (in Romanian). ProSport. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  16. "Oficial: Billel Omrani este jucătorul Petrolului Ploiești!" [Official: Billel Omrani is the player of Petrolul Ploiești!] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  17. "Mehdi Abid et Billel Omrani seront bientôt parmi nous". El Watan (in French). 1 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  18. "Billel Omrani, la 1re cible de Vahid". Algerie360 (in French). 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  19. Walid Z. (February 10, 2013). "Omrani (OM) et Ferretti (Milan) déclinent la sélection" (in French). DZFoot. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  20. "Billel Omrani ratează șansa debutului la naționala Algeriei, după o gafă inexplicabilă" [Billel Omrani misses the chance to make his debut for the Algeria national team, after an inexplicable error] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  21. "Omrani, la famille en or". Le Républicain Lorrain. 8 May 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  22. Abdelhakim Omrani : « Mon choix est déjà fait, c’est l’Algérie ! » Archived 2013-01-25 at the Wayback Machine (in French). La Gazette Du Fennec. Retrieved on 2013-07-02.
  23. Billel Omrani at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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