:Camel Meriem

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Camel Meriem

| image = Loco-Appolon (4).jpg

| caption = Meriem with Apollon Limassol in 2014

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|10|18|df=y}}{{cite news |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur6298.html |title=Camel Meriem |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |access-date=18 April 2025 |language=fr}}

| birth_place = Audincourt, Doubs, France

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 1992–1998

| youthclubs1 = Sochaux

| years1 = 1998–2002 | clubs1 = Sochaux | caps1 = 82 | goals1 = 9

| years2 = 2002–2005 | clubs2 = Bordeaux | caps2 = 82 | goals2 = 8

| years3 = 2003–2004 | clubs3 = → Marseille (loan) | caps3 = 31 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2005–2010 | clubs4 = Monaco | caps4 = 110 | goals4 = 8

| years5 = 2010 | clubs5 = Aris | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2010–2011 | clubs6 = Arles-Avignon | caps6 = 32 | goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2011–2013 | clubs7 = Nice | caps7 = 38 | goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2013–2015 | clubs8 = Apollon Limassol | caps8 = 61 | goals8 = 4

| totalcaps = 445

| totalgoals = 37

| nationalyears1 = 1999–2002 | nationalteam1 = France U21 | nationalcaps1 = 12 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2004–2005 | nationalteam2 = France | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's football}}

{{medal|Country|{{fb|FRA}}}}

}}

Camel Meriem (born 18 October 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Sochaux, Bordeaux, Marseille, AS Monaco, Aris, Arles-Avignon, OGC Nice, and Apollon Limassol. He has represented France at international level.

Club career

Born in Audincourt, Doubs, to Algerian parents,{{cite news |title=Camel Meriem : "Si les règlements changent, je jouerai pour l'Algérie" |author=Fellak, Said |url=http://www.lebuteur.com/entretien/actualites/camel-meriem-si-les-reglements-changent-je-jouerai-pour-lalgerie |newspaper=Le Buteur |date=5 May 2010 |accessdate=7 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623024708/http://www.lebuteur.com/entretien/actualites/camel-meriem-si-les-reglements-changent-je-jouerai-pour-lalgerie |archivedate=23 June 2013}} Meriem began his career with Sochaux, where he played 82 games and scored eight goals in five years.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

In January 2002 he signed for Bordeaux and later that season he played and scored as his new side won the 2002 Coupe de la Ligue Final.{{cite news |url=https://www.lfp.fr/ligue1/feuille_match/47229/infos |title=FC Lorient - Girondins de Bordeaux |publisher=lfp.fr |accessdate=8 January 2020}} He played three seasons with Bordeaux, representing his team in another 82 games, scoring eight goals before playing in the 2003–04 season on loan for Marseille, for whom he played in the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

After the end of the season 2003–04 he returned to Bordeaux before signing in August 2005 for Monaco. After 110 games and eight goals in four seasons he was released by Monaco in the summer of 2009. He became a free agent and joined Bolton Wanderers on trial on 14 October 2009. On 26 October 2009, it was revealed that Meriem was now training and having talks with Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers in a deal that could see him joining the Lancashire based club until the end of the 2009–10 Premier League season.{{cite web|url=http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackburn-plan-transfer-swoop-for-former-Monaco-star-article202085.html |title=Camel joins Blackburn Rovers for a trial/talks Blackburn plan transfer swoop for former Monaco star |accessdate=26 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008170613/http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackburn-plan-transfer-swoop-for-former-Monaco-star-article202085.html |archivedate=8 October 2011}} He returned to Blackburn Rovers for a second round of trials, however the trial was terminated early when Meriem picked up a knee injury. He returned to Rovers just after the new year (2009–2010) for a third trial and talks over a deal to join the club.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

On 5 February 2010, Meriem signed a contract with Greek club Aris on a 1.5-year contract. On 24 June 2010, Aris re-signed his contract and released the French midfielder into the free agent pool.{{Cite web |url=http://www.arisfc.gr/index.cfm?pid=2&view=detail&id=1626 |title=Λύση της συνεργασίας με τον Καμέλ Μεριέμ |access-date=27 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626075207/http://www.arisfc.gr/index.cfm?pid=2&view=detail&id=1626 |archive-date=26 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}

On 9 August, Meriem signed a one-year contract plus an option for another year with newly promoted Ligue 1 club AC Arles-Avignon. He left Arles-Avignon in June 2011 on a free transfer and OGC Nice. Nice released him after him in 2013.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Apollon Limassol announced the signing of 33-year-old French midfielder Camel Meriem on a 1+1 year contract. At the end of the season 2014–15 Meriem decided to leave the island of Cyprus, leaving behind two successful years with Apollon Limassol. Apollon Limassol finished 3rd and participated in the Europa League group stages both years.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

In January 2017, Meriem joined AS Monaco third's team in the French seventh tier.{{cite web |title=Camel Meriem rejoint l'équipe trois de Monaco, qui évolue en DHR |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Camel-meriem-rejoint-l-equipe-trois-de-monaco-qui-evolue-en-dhr/769360 |website=L'Équipe |accessdate=8 January 2020 |language=French |date=16 January 2017}}

International career

Meriem earned his first national cap with the France national team on 17 November 2004 against Poland in a 0–0 draw.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}