Kévin Malcuit

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Kévin Malcuit

| image = FC Salzburg gegen SSC Napoli (Championsleague 3. Runde 23. Oktober 2019) 38.jpg

| caption = Malcuit playing for Napoli in 2019

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|7|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Châtenay-Malabry, France

| height = 1.78 m{{cite web|url=http://www.sscnapoli.it/Squadra/K%C3%A9vin-Malcuit|title=Kévin Malcuit|publisher=S.S.C. Napoli|access-date=7 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117014052/http://www.sscnapoli.it/Squadra/K%C3%A9vin-Malcuit|archive-date=17 November 2018}}

| position = Full-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2008

| youthclubs1 = Racing Club

| youthyears2 = 2008–2010

| youthclubs2 = Monaco

| years1 = 2010–2012

| clubs1 = Monaco II

| caps1 = 39

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 2010–2012

| clubs2 = Monaco

| caps2 = 3

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2012

| clubs3 = → Vannes (loan)

| caps3 = 12

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2012–2014

| clubs4 = Fréjus Saint-Raphaël

| caps4 = 38

| goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2014–2015

| clubs5 = Niort

| caps5 = 39

| goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2015–2017

| clubs6 = Saint-Étienne

| caps6 = 34

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2017–2018

| clubs7 = Lille

| caps7 = 23

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2018–2022

| clubs8 = Napoli

| caps8 = 38

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2021

| clubs9 = → Fiorentina (loan)

| caps9 = 5

| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2022–2023

| clubs10 = Ankaragücü

| caps10 = 20

| goals10 = 1

| club-update = 7 June 2023

}}

Kévin Malcuit (born 31 July 1991) is a French professional footballer. He predominantly plays as a full-back. He is also capable of playing in a number of different positions, including as a winger and as an attacker.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Deux-Sevres/Sport/Football/Ligue-2/n/Contenus/Articles/2014/01/09/Niort-mise-sur-Malcuit-1750537|title=Niort mise sur Malcuit|date=9 January 2014|access-date=15 May 2014|publisher=La Nouvelle République|language=fr}}

Malcuit started his career with Monaco, but after finding his first-team opportunities limited and being sent out on loan to Vannes, he joined Fréjus Saint-Raphaël in the summer of 2012. Good performances in the Championnat National led to a return to professional football with Chamois Niortais in January 2014. During his time at Niort, he was named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Season for 2014–15. He played more than 40 matches in all competitions for the club during an 18-month spell before transferring to Saint-Étienne in August 2015.

Club career

=Early career=

Malcuit was born in Châtenay-Malabry, a suburb of Paris. As a youth he represented Parisian side Racing Club before being scouted by Monaco at the age of 17. At Monaco, he began his senior career, breaking into the professional setup towards the end of the 2009–10 season. He was first included in the match-day squad for the Ligue 1 game against Lorient on 5 May 2010, although he was an unused substitute.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/match-foot-lorient-monaco-13475.html|title=Lorient - Monaco - Match en direct: Mercredi 05 mai 2010 à 19h00|publisher=foot-national.com|date=5 May 2010|access-date=28 August 2015}} He eventually made his debut early the following season, coming on as a late substitute for Vincent Muratori in the 0–0 draw with Toulouse on 18 September 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.lfp.fr/ligue1/feuille_match/53687|title=Ligue 1 - Saison 2010/2011 - 6ème journée - AS Monaco/Toulouse FC|publisher=LFP.fr|date=18 September 2010|access-date=28 August 2015}} This proved to be his only senior appearance of the campaign, although he was a regular for the reserve side, making 28 appearances in the Championnat de France amateur.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/5239-joueur-football-Malcuit-Kevin.html|title=Kevin Malcuit profile|publisher=foot-national.com|access-date=28 August 2015}}

After making four first-team appearances for Monaco during the first half of the 2011–12 season, two of them in the league, Malcuit was loaned to Championnat National side Vannes in January 2012 for the remainder of the season.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-vannes-kevin-malcuit-monaco-debarque-en-pret-31929.html|title=Vannes: Kévin Malcuit (Monaco) débarque en prêt|publisher=foot-national.com|author=Alexandre Chochois|date=30 January 2012|access-date=28 August 2015|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307223252/http://www.foot-national.com/foot-vannes-kevin-malcuit-monaco-debarque-en-pret-31929.html|url-status=dead}} He made his debut as a substitute for Mohamed Youssouf in the goalless draw with Chamois Niortais on 17 February 2012. Malcuit scored his first senior goal in the 2–2 draw away at Orléans on 1 March 2012.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} In total, he played 12 times for Vannes during his loan spell, scoring twice. Malcuit was released by Monaco in the summer of 2012 and subsequently returned to the Championnat National, signing for Fréjus Saint-Raphaël on a free transfer following a successful trial period.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-frejus-st-raphael-kevin-malcuit-monaco-a-signe-37171.html|title=Fréjus St Raphaël : Kevin Malcuit (Monaco) a signé|publisher=foot-national.com|author=Erwann Penland|date=27 July 2012|access-date=28 August 2015|archive-date=14 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814003043/http://www.foot-national.com/foot-frejus-st-raphael-kevin-malcuit-monaco-a-signe-37171.html|url-status=dead}} He went on to spend one-and-a-half seasons with the Varois club, making 38 league appearances and scoring two goals.

=Niort=

On 9 January 2014, it was announced that Ligue 2 side Chamois Niortais had signed Malcuit on an 18-month contract after agreeing a fee with Fréjus. He did not break into the first team immediately upon his arrival at Niort, and had to wait until 18 April 2014 to make his debut for the club, when he replaced Tristan Lahaye late in a 1–2 home defeat to Brest at the Stade René Gaillard.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} He went on to play in each of the final six matches of the season, two of them from a starting berth. During the 2014–15 campaign, Malcuit found himself a regular in the first team under new manager Régis Brouard, starting 28 of the club's 38 league fixtures that season. He was often utilised in a midfield role, preferred on the right wing to loan signing Adama Ba. Malcuit scored two goals during the 2014–15 season, including one in a 1–3 away win at Valenciennes on 20 February 2015.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} His performances led to him being named the best outfield player in Ligue 2 in 2014–15 by France Football magazine.{{cite web|url=http://www.francefootball.fr/news/L-equipe-type-de-la-saison/561509|title=Ligue 2 - L'équipe type de la saison|publisher=francefootball.fr|author=Olivier Brossard|date=26 May 2015|access-date=30 August 2015}} He was also selected in the Ligue 2 Team of the Season alongside teammates Paul Delecroix and Florian Martin.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Deux-Sevres/Sport/Autres-Sports/n/Contenus/Articles/2015/05/28/FOOTBALL-Chamois-niortais-Malcuit-et-Delecroix-finissent-en-tete-2344106|title=Chamois niortais : Malcuit et Delecroix finissent en tête|publisher=lanouvellerepublique.fr|date=28 May 2015|access-date=28 August 2015}}

Despite links with a number of Ligue 1 clubs during the summer of 2015, including Nice and Bordeaux,{{cite web|url=http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Deux-Sevres/Sport/Autres-Sports/n/Contenus/Articles/2015/07/06/FOOTBALL-Kevin-Malcuit-interesse-Nice-2393893|title=Kévin Malcuit intéresse Nice|publisher=lanouvellerepublique.fr|date=6 July 2015|access-date=28 August 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-bordeaux-un-nouveau-joueur-de-niort-recrute-70147.html|title=Bordeaux: Un nouveau joueur de Niort recruté?|publisher=foot-national.com|author=Alexandre Chochois|date=29 April 2015|access-date=28 August 2015}} Malcuit remained at Niort and featured in the opening four matches of the 2015–16 campaign.

=Saint-Étienne=

On 28 August 2015, Malcuit joined Saint-Étienne on a four-year contract,{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-saint-etienne-malcuit-a-signe-officiel-74789.html|title=Saint-Étienne : Malcuit a signé (officiel)|publisher=foot-national.com|author=Andrea Chazy|date=28 August 2015|access-date=28 August 2015}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} for a reported transfer fee of €800,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Deux-Sevres/Sport/Football/Ligue-2/n/Contenus/Articles/2015/08/28/Malcuit-presque-Stephanois-2443800|title=Malcuit presque Stéphanois|publisher=lanouvellerepublique.fr|date=28 August 2015|access-date=28 August 2015}}

=Lille=

Malcuit signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 rivals Lille on 8 July 2017, after being signed by Head Coach Marcelo Bielsa.{{cite news|title=Lille finalise deals for Mendes and Malcuit|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/lille-finalise-deals-mendes-and-malcuit|access-date=9 July 2017|work=FourFourTwo|date=8 July 2017}}{{cite news|title=Transferts : Kévin Malcuit (Saint-Étienne) cinq ans à Lille|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-kevin-malcuit-saint-etienne-cinq-ans-a-lille/816762|access-date=9 July 2017|work=L'Équipe|date=8 July 2017|language=fr}}

=Napoli=

On 8 August 2018, Malcuit signed to Italian Serie A side Napoli. The transfer fee paid to Lille was reported as €11 million plus possible bonuses.{{cite news |title=Kévin Malcuit rejoint Naples (officiel) |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Kevin-malcuit-rejoint-naples-officiel/928955 |access-date=8 August 2018 |work=L'Équipe |date=8 August 2018 |language=fr}}{{cite news |last1=Dove |first1=Ed |title=Kevin Malcuit completes Napoli switch |url=http://global.espn.com/football/soccer-transfers/story/3589372/kevin-malcuit-completes-napoli-switch |access-date=8 August 2018 |work=ESPN FC |date=8 August 2018}}

=Fiorentina=

On 28 January 2021, Malcuit joined Fiorentina on loan until 30 June 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-fiorentina-ecco-malcuit-il-francese-arriva-in-prestito-secco-dal-napoli-1488364|title=UFFICIALE: Fiorentina, ecco Malcuit: il francese arriva in prestito secco dal Napoli|website=www.tuttomercatoweb.com}}

=Ankaragücü=

On 8 September 2022, Malcuit signed a one-year contract with Süper Lig club Ankaragücü.{{cite web|publisher=Ankaragücü|url=https://ankaragucu.org.tr/kevin-malcuit-ankaragucumuzde/|title=Kévin Malcuit Ankaragücümüzde!|date=8 September 2022|access-date=15 September 2022|language=tr}} He made his debut for the club on 18 September, coming on as a late substitute for Oğuz Ceylan in a 2–1 league win over Sivasspor.{{cite news |title=Ankaragücü 2–1 Sivasspor MAÇ SONUCU-ÖZET |url=https://www.aspor.com.tr/ankaragucu/2022/09/18/ankaragucu-2-1-sivasspor-mac-sonucu-ozet |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=Aspor |date=18 September 2022 |language=tr}}

International career

Malcuit was called up to the Morocco national team in 2016.{{cite news|title=Kevin Malcuit sondé par le Maroc|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Kevin-malcuit-sonde-par-le-maroc/640315|access-date=9 July 2017|work=L'Équipe|date=5 March 2016|language=fr}}

In October 2019, Malcuit had rejected the opportunity to play for Morocco internationally and that he harboured an ambition of playing for France.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Premiere-selection-avec-le-maroc-pour-kevin-malcuit/1065827|title=Première sélection avec le Maroc pour Kévin Malcuit|website=L'Équipe}}

Personal life

Malcuit was born in France to a Mauritanian father{{cite web |url=http://mountakhab.net/www/modules/article_une/index.php?storyid=20520 |title=Mountakhab.net - Samir Malcuit: " Quand je rentre sur un terrain, c'est pour gagner et marquer. " |website=mountakhab.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003140301/http://mountakhab.net/www/modules/article_une/index.php?storyid=20520 |archive-date=3 October 2014}} and Moroccan mother. His brother Samir is also a professional footballer.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-monaco-un-malcuit-peut-en-cacher-un-autre-16625.html|title=Monaco: Un Malcuit peut en cacher un autre|publisher=foot-national.com|author=Damien A.|date=4 May 2010|access-date=28 August 2015}}