Younès Belhanda

Younès Belhanda (Arabic: يونس بلهندة; born 25 February 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor and the Morocco national team. Born in France, he initially represented his native country internationally at youth level before switching to Morocco at senior level.

Younès Belhanda
Belhanda with Adana Demirspor in 2022
Personal information
Full name Younès Belhanda[1]
Date of birth (1990-02-25) 25 February 1990
Place of birth Avignon, France
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
Adana Demirspor
Number 10
Youth career
1997–1998 RC Aramonais
1998–2003 MJC Avignon
2003–2009 Montpellier
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2013 Montpellier 127 (26)
2013–2017 Dynamo Kyiv 56 (8)
2016Schalke 04 (loan) 15 (2)
2016–2017Nice (loan) 31 (3)
2017–2021 Galatasaray 99 (18)
2021– Adana Demirspor 53 (16)
International career
2010 France U20 4 (0)
2010– Morocco 59 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 August 2023

Early life

Belhanda was born in Avignon, a commune in southeastern France, and was raised in nearby Aramon.[3] He is of Moroccan descent (from Taza) and has five other siblings.[3]

Belhanda began his football career playing for hometown club Racing Club Aramon.[4] He spent one year at the club before joining MJC Avignon, a local cultural center based in his birthplace.[4] While at the club, Belhanda was utilized as a libero and mentored by trainer Jean-Christophe Gleyze.[5][6] The player admitted that Gleyze played a huge part in determining his future, stating: "he is more than a coach. Since my father worked and I lived in the Gard, it was him who took me to training and my home for three years. Without him and MJC Avignon, I would never have been spotted by other clubs".[6]

At the age of 13, Belhanda was scouted by several professional clubs, most notably Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, and Saint-Étienne.[5] He ultimately decided to join Saint-Étienne, but changed his mind after discussing the move with his parents, who recommended that he join Montpellier in order to remain close to home.[3]

Club career

Montpellier

While in Montpellier's youth academy, Belhanda was converted into a defensive midfielder.[5] He spent five years in the club's academy developing alongside fellow youth teammates Benjamin Stambouli, Abdelhamid El Kaoutari, and Rémy Cabella.[3] Towards the end of the 2007–08 season, Belhanda was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur (CFA), the fourth level of French football.[7] In the ensuing season, he simultaneously played on the reserve team and with the club's under-19 team in the Coupe Gambardella, the national youth cup competition in France.[8] In the latter competition, Montpellier won the title, capturing its second Gambardella cup. Belhanda appeared in all six matches the team contested. In the final, he played the entire match as Montpellier defeated Nantes 2–0.[9]

2009–10 season

As a result of the under-19 team's cup success, several of the members of the squad were awarded professional contracts. Belhanda was among them and, on 27 July 2009, agreed to a three-year deal.[10] He was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team by new incoming manager René Girard and assigned the number 29 shirt. Despite being brought up under a defensive mentality, Girard preferred to utilize Belhanda as an attacker by placing him on the left side of the team's 4–2–3–1 formation. Girard gave his reasons for converting Belhanda stating "his desire to get on the ball combined with excellent technique means he can play through the middle or on the wings". He subsequently likened the player to former France international Robert Pires.[11]

Belhanda made his professional debut in the team's opening league match of the 2009–10 season against Paris Saint-Germain. The match ended 1–1 with French media outlet La Provence describing the match as a "baptism of fire" for Belhanda.[6][12] The midfielder admitted to having nerves declaring "I was playing against Makélélé, a player I admired when I was little. These are moments to live. I had pressure; I used to play in front of 200 or 300 people in the CFA".[6] On 19 September 2009, Belhanda scored his first professional goal in a 4–2 defeat to Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome.[13] In his next eight matches with the team, he featured as a starter. On 11 November, he assisted on Montpellier's only goal, scored by Víctor Montaño, in a 1–1 draw with Valenciennes.[14] On 13 January 2010, Belhanda received his first red card after incurring a second yellow card in a 4–0 loss away to Monaco.[15] After starting in the team's 1–0 win over Lens on 20 January,[16]

2010–11 season

Belhanda opened the 2010–11 campaign by making his European debut on 29 July 2010 in the first leg of Montpellier's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round with Hungarian club Győri ETO. He started the match, but was substituted out after 71 minutes as the match finished 1–0.[17] In the second leg, Montpellier were defeated losing on penalties after the match finished 1–0 in favor of Győri in regular and extra time.[18] Belhanda appeared as a second-half substitute in the match and did not attempt a penalty in the shootout. On 19 August, he signed a two-year contract extension with Montpellier until 2014.[19] In the league, Belhanda appeared as a substitute in the team's first two matches of the campaign. He made his first start on 22 August in a 0–0 draw with Caen.[20] On 16 October, Belhanda scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 victory over Sochaux.[21] He went another two months without scoring before converting the opening goal in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre.[22]

In the Coupe de la Ligue, Montpellier surprisingly reached the final of the competition.[23][24] Belhanda appeared as a substitute in the team's first two matches of the competition, but was inserted as a starter in the team's 1–0 semi-final extra time win over Paris Saint-Germain. The win over Les Parisiens sent Montpellier to its first major final since the 1993–94 season when the club reached the final of the Coupe de France.[25][26] In the final, Montpellier faced Marseille and were defeated 1–0 courtesy of a goal by Taye Taiwo.[27][28] Belhanda played the entire match.[29]

On 20 February 2011, Belhanda assisted on Olivier Giroud's first goal in Montpellier's 2–2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain.[30] A month later, he scored the match-winning goal against the eventual league champions Lille.[31]

2011–12 season

Younès Belhanda 18 September 2012, in the UEFA Champions League.

Following the disappointing campaign, Girard sought to change the team's style of play. One of his changes was to move Belhanda into the playmaker position just behind the striker.[32] To coincide with the position switch, Belhanda was given the number ten shirt.[33] The move was ultimately a success as Belhanda opened the campaign scoring two goals in his first three matches in wins over Auxerre and Rennes.[34][35] On 27 August 2011, in a 2–1 defeat to Lyon, Belhanda received a straight red card after kicking out at Lyon midfielder Miralem Pjanić following a challenge.[36][37] He returned to the team following the September international break and, after two matches, scored his third goal of the season in a 2–2 draw with Bordeaux.[38] Two weeks later, Belhanda scored and assisted on a goal in a 3–1 away win against Caen.[39][40] For his performances in the month of November, Belhanda was awarded the UNFP Player of the Month award.[41]

Belhanda went scoreless for the next two months, though he did assist on an Olivier Giroud goal in a 3–1 win over Sochaux.[42] On 21 December, in his final match before departing the club to participate in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Belhanda scored the opening goal in a league match against Evian in the 47th minute. Minutes later, he assisted on a goal by Giroud to put Montpellier up 2–1. However, Montpellier were unable to retain the lead after conceding three second-half goals to lose 4–2.[43] Belhanda returned to the team on 4 February 2012 appearing as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Brest.[44] Fours days later, Belhanda returned to the starting lineup against Châteauroux in the Coupe de France. In the match, he scored the final goal in a 2–0 win.[45] On 11 February, he converted a penalty in a 3–0 win against Ajaccio.[46] A week later, against first place Paris Saint-Germain, Belhanda scored the equalizing goal just before half-time to draw the match at 1–1.[47] The match eventually finished 2–2 after Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain each scored a second-half goal.[48]

On 20 May 2012, for the first time in the club's history, Montpellier HSC won the Ligue 1 title.[49]

Dynamo Kyiv

On 1 July 2013, Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv announced the signing of Belhanda on a 5-year contract.[50] Media reports had previously linked him with a move to Premier League sides Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Aston Villa.[51] Belhanda was assigned shirt number 90. His contract with Montpellier was due to expire in June 2014, with his transfer fee believed to be in the region of €10 million.[50]

In the 2014–15 season, Belhanda helped Dynamo reach the 1/4 final of the UEFA Europa League, getting eliminated by ACF Fiorentina 1-3 on aggregate, as well as winning the Ukrainian Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup. In the 2015/16 season, Belhanda helped Dynamo reach the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 16 years.

Schalke 04 (loan)

On 5 January 2016, Belhanda was loaned out to German club FC Schalke 04 until the end of the season.[52]

Nice (loan)

On 31 August 2016, Belhanda signed for French club Nice on loan.[53][54]

Galatasaray

On 28 June 2017, Belhanda signed for Turkish club Galatasaray S.K.,[55] where he will wear the number '10' shirt previously worn by former Galatasaray player Wesley Sneijder. On 10 March 2021, Belhanda's contract was unilaterally cancelled by Galatasaray.[56]

International career

Younès Belhanda representing Morocco against Niger

In May 2018, Belhanda was named in Morocco's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Belhanda started in all three matches as Morocco were eliminated in the group stage.[57]

He was excluded from manager Walid Regragui’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[58]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 August 2023[59][60]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Montpellier 2009–10 Ligue 1 33110341
2010–11 3634020423
2011–12 2812313113
2012–13 301010623712
Total 12726918214429
Dynamo Kyiv 2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League 2263081338
2014–15 2428191414
2015–16 1002020140
Total 5681311928812
Schalke 04 (loan) 2015–16 Bundesliga 1520020172
Nice (loan) 2016–17 Ligue 1 3130050363
Galatasaray 2017–18 Süper Lig 3034010353
2018–19 244406010354
2019–20 235514010337
2020–21 2263131288
Total 99181621412013122
Adana Demirspor 2021–22 Süper Lig 22321244
2022–23 30123012
2023–24 11004051
Total 531621405917
Career total 381734055252047585

International

As of match played 27 September 2022.[61]
National team YearAppsGoals
Morocco 201010
201180
201281
201371
201471
201520
201630
201770
201892
201960
202000
202100
202210
Total595
Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.[62]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
131 January 2012Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon Niger1–01–02012 Africa Cup of Nations
215 June 2013Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco Gambia2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
37 September 2014Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco Libya1–03–0Friendly
44 June 2018Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland Slovakia2–12–1 Friendly
59 June 2018A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia Estonia1–03–1 Friendly

Honours

Montpellier

Dynamo Kyiv[59]

Galatasaray

Individual

References

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