Rabah Madjer
{{Short description|Algerian footballer (born 1958)}}
{{For|the Portuguese beach soccer player|Madjer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Rabah Madjer
| image = FC Porto (in verband met wedstrijd om Super Cup tegen Ajax) speler Madjer (l) e, Bestanddeelnr 934-1340 (cropped).jpg
| upright = 0.8
| caption = Madjer in 1987
| fullname = Rabah Mustapha Madjer
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|12|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Hussein Dey, Algeria
| height = 1.79 m
| position = Striker
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 = 1972–1973 | youthclubs1 = Onalait Hussein Dey
| youthyears2 = 1973–1978 | youthclubs2 = NA Hussein Dey
| years1 = 1978–1983 | clubs1 = NA Hussein Dey | caps1 = 94 | goals1 = 58
| years2 = 1983–1985 | clubs2 = Racing Paris | caps2 = 50 | goals2 = 23
| years3 = 1985 | clubs3 = → Tours (loan) | caps3 = 7 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 1985–1991 | clubs4 = Porto | caps4 = 108 | goals4 = 50
| years5 = 1988 | clubs5 = → Valencia (loan) | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 4
| years6 = 1991–1992 | clubs6 = Qatar SC | caps6 = 9 | goals6 = 6
| totalcaps = 282 | totalgoals = 143
| nationalyears1 = 1978–1992 | nationalteam1 = Algeria | nationalcaps1 = 87 | nationalgoals1 = 28
| manageryears1 = 1993–1995 | managerclubs1 = Algeria
| manageryears2 = 1995–1997 | managerclubs2 = Porto (youth)
| manageryears3 = 1997–1998 | managerclubs3 = Al Sadd
| manageryears4 = 1998–1999 | managerclubs4 = Al-Wakrah
| manageryears5 = 1999 | managerclubs5 = Algeria
| manageryears6 = 2001–2002 | managerclubs6 = Algeria
| manageryears7 = 2005–2006 | managerclubs7 = Al-Rayyan
| manageryears8 = 2017–2018 | managerclubs8 = Algeria
| manageryears9 = 2017–2018 | managerclubs9 = Algeria A'
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|ALG}}}}
{{Medal|Sport|Men's football}}
{{Medal|Competition|Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Medal|W|1990 Algeria|}}
{{Medal|RU|1980 Nigeria|}}
{{Medal|3rd|1988 Morocco|}}
{{Medal|3rd|1984 Ivory Coast|}}
}}
Rabah Mustapha Madjer ({{langx|ar|رابح مصطفى ماجر}}; born 15 December 1958) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He reached stardom as a Porto player during the 1980s, being widely regarded as one of the best Algerian football players of all time.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/3196013.stm African legends: Rabah Madjer]; BBC Sport, 1 September 2003[http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=50084.html Rabah Madjer]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}; UEFA, 16 January 2003 In his six-year spell with that club, he won nine major titles, including three national championships and the 1987 European Cup.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/3196013.stm|title=African legends: Rabah Madjer|publisher=BBC Sport|author=Peter Law|date=1 September 2003|access-date=28 November 2011}}
One of the most prolific Algeria internationals in number of games and goals, Madjer played in two World Cups with his national team, helping it to its first ever participation in 1982. Having taken up coaching immediately after retiring, he managed several clubs, and also had several spells with the Algeria national team.
Club career
Born in the Algiers district of Hussein Dey of Kabyle origin (Tigzirt), Madjer started his European career in 1983, moving to Racing Club de France football Colombes 92 from local NA Hussein Dey. He stayed there for one and a half seasons, finishing 1984–85 with another French side, Tours FC.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-06 |title=SportMob – FC Porto Best Players of All Time |url=https://sportmob.com/en/article/949444-FC-Porto-Best-Players-of-All-Time |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=SportMob |language=en}}
Madjer arrived at FC Porto in 1985–86 and, the following campaign, entered the club's history books in the final of the European Cup against Bayern Munich, scoring the 1–1 equalizer in a memorable final, which eventually ended 2–1 to the Portuguese, and also setting up the winner of Juary.[https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01d8-0e7125ba5b40-bea3dcf78153-1000--madjer-calls-on-porto-to-do-it-again/ Madjer calls on Porto to do it again]; UEFA, 2 April 2009{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/season=1986/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503152346/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/season=1986/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 May 2010|title=1986/87: Madjer inspires Porto triumph|publisher=UEFA|date=27 May 1987|access-date=28 November 2011}} Pelé is believed to have said of this goal: "It would have been the greatest goal I have ever seen, if he had not looked back at it." He also netted in the club's Intercontinental Cup conquest the same year.{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=265269.html|title=Porto, snow and Tokyo|publisher=UEFA|date=9 December 2004|access-date=23 March 2018}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/live-scores/news/y=2012/m=12/news=madjer-lobs-porto-glory-the-snow-1970330.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106204423/https://www.fifa.com/live-scores/news/y=2012/m=12/news=madjer-lobs-porto-glory-the-snow-1970330.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 January 2019|title=Madjer lobs Porto to glory in the snow|publisher=FIFA|date=13 December 2012|access-date=23 March 2018}}[https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyota87.html Intercontinental Club Cup 1987]; at RSSSF
After that stellar 1987, Madjer won the [[African Footballer of the Year|Ballon
d'or Africain]],[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/afrpoy87.html African Player of the Year 1987]; at RSSSF but was not allowed to compete for the European Golden Ball as he was not born in the region. In the first part of 1987–88 he scored ten times from only 11 appearances. In the summer 1988 he moved to Inter Milan but the medical exams detected a serious thigh muscle injury that the player had in the past and the contract was never officially signed (despite the initial announcement and the official photos already taken).{{cite news |last= Granello|first= Licia|date= 22 June 1988|title= L'Inter rinuncia a Madjer|trans-title= Inter renounces to Madjer|url= http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1988/06/22/inter-rinuncia-madjer.html|language= it|work= La Repubblica|location= Milan|access-date= 8 May 2018}}
After being close to transferring to Bayern Munich,{{cite magazine |last= Chiesa|first= Carlo F.|date= February 2000|language= it|title= Regine del mondo - La storia della Coppa Intercontinentale| trans-title= Queens of the world - The history of Intercontinental Cup|magazine= Calcio 2000|publisher= Action Group S.r.l.|page= 72}} Madjer signed for La Liga's Valencia CF in January 1988, returning to his previous team after only a few months for a further three seasons. Johan Cruyff had also attempted to sign Madjer for AFC Ajax at the time the clubs met in the 1987 European Super Cup. Cruyff was unhappy with his own club's board, believing that they leaked details of the transfer which caused Porto to pull out of the deal.{{cite book |last1=Cruyff |first1=Johan |title=My Turn: The Autobiography |publisher=Pan Macmillan |page=122}}
Madjer retired from the game in 1992 at the age of nearly 34, after a brief stint with Qatar SC.
International career
Madjer played for the Algeria national team for 19 years, and was present at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup finals. He retired as the nation's top goalscorer at 28, in 87 caps, having also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1990 as the hosts incidentally beat Nigeria twice, in the opening match 5–1 and the final 1–0.{{Cite web |title=Rabah Madjer: The Fennec who conquered Europe {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/rabah-madjer-the-fennec-who-conquered-europe/15nerpb2cxnl81b3z370s4av0v |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=www.goal.com |language=en}}
Madjer's most famous goal came in Algeria's 2–1 win over Germany in the 1982 World Cup, when he opened the scoring in the 53rd minute.{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1982/06/17/055.html|title=Argelia, con fútbol disciplinado, humilló a la poderosa Alemania|trans-title=Algeria, with disciplined football, humiliated powerful Germany|publisher=ABC|language=es|date=17 June 1982|access-date=14 June 2015}}
Post-playing career
In 1993, Madjer began coaching the Algeria national team but after failing to qualify for two 1994 major competitions, the World Cup and the CAN, he resigned, returning to Porto as a youth coordinator.
He subsequently managed Qatari clubs Al Sadd SC (1997–1998) and Al-Wakrah Sport Club (1998–1999).{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaeworldcup/news/y=2008/m=10/news=madjer-the-magnificent-911200.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323092541/http://www.fifa.com/fifaeworldcup/news/y=2008/m=10/news=madjer-the-magnificent-911200.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 March 2018|title=Madjer the magnificent|publisher=FIFA|date=14 October 2008|access-date=22 March 2018}}
After a quick spell with the Algeria national team in 1999, Madjer returned two years later, only to resign with aggravation in the 2002 summer.{{cite news |title=Madjer shuts door on Algeria |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/2134355.stm |access-date=9 January 2022 |work=BBC Sport |date=17 July 2002}}
In 2005 he was appointed coach of Qatari club Al Rayyan SC.{{cite news |last1=Shaheen |first1=Amr |title=Madjer to coach Qatari club |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/4548720.stm |access-date=9 January 2022 |work=BBC Sport |date=21 December 2005}}
He controversially returned to the post of Algeria national team coach in October 2017, his first managerial work for over a decade, after Lucas Alcaraz failed to take the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41808295|title=Former players rally behind Algeria coach Madjer|publisher=BBC Sport|date=30 October 2017|access-date=15 March 2018}} The following June he was dismissed, having won twice in seven games of which six were friendlies.{{cite news |title=Algeria part ways with coach Rabah Madjer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44603850 |access-date=21 December 2019 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 June 2018}}
After his coaching spells, Madjer started a career as a professional analyst in Qatar, for Al-Jazeera Sports (beIN Sports now).{{cite news|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/10/390922-algerian-soccer-great-rabah-madjer-become-un-goodwill-ambassador|title=Algerian soccer great Rabah Madjer to become UN Goodwill Ambassador|publisher=United Nations|date=10 October 2011|access-date=22 March 2018}}
In 2011 he became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.{{cite web |title=Rabah Madjer |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/goodwill-ambassadors/rabah-madjer/ |website=Goodwill Ambassador |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=26 February 2020}}
Personal life
Madjer's son Lotfi is also a footballer and represented Qatar at youth level.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alhurra.com/sport/2020/06/27/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%B6%D8%AC%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AD-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1|title="اختار تمثيل قطر".. ضجة في الجزائر بسبب ابن رابح ماجر|work=الحرة |date=June 27, 2020}}
Career statistics
=Club=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="6"|Hussein Dey
|rowspan="5"|National 1 | |colspan="2"|— | 6 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | ||||||||
| 1979–80 | |colspan="2"|— | 4 | 3 | colspan="2"|– | ||||||||
| 1980–81 | |colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | |||||||||
| 1981–82 | |colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | |||||||||
| 1982–83 | |colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | |||||||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!94 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 62 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Racing Paris
|27 | 20 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 20 | ||||
| 1984–85
|23 | 3 | 5 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | 28 | 5 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!50 | 23 | 10 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|–||60 | 25 | |||||
| Tours (loan)
|7 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | ||||||||
| rowspan="7"|Porto
|rowspan="6"|Primeira Liga |19 | 12 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|name=supert|Appearances in Supertaça}} | 0 | 23 | 13 | |||
| 1986–87
|20 | 6 | 6 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | 6{{efn|name=EC|Appearance(s) in European Cup}} | 3 | 1{{efn|Appearance in Intercontinental Cup}} | 1 | 33 | 14 | ||
| 1987–88
|11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|name=EC}} | 4 | 1{{efn|name=supert}} | 1 | 16 | 15 | ||
| 1988–89
|24 | 6 | 2 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=EC}} | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 10 | |||
| 1989–90
|26 | 13 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 6{{efn|Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup}} | 2 | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 16 | |||
| 1990–91
|8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|name=EC}} | 4 | 1{{efn|name=supert}} | 0 | 13 | 5 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!108 | 46 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 138 | 71 | |
| Valencia (loan)
|14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | 14 | 4 | ||||
| Qatar
|9 | 6 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|– | 9 | 6 | ||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!282 | 139 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
:Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Madjer goal.
Honours
Hussein Dey
- Algerian Cup: 1978–79
- African Cup Winners' Cup: Runner-up 1978
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90
- Taça de Portugal: 1987–88, 1990–91
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1986, 1990
- European Cup: 1986–87
- Intercontinental Cup: 1987
- European Super Cup: 1987
International
Individual
- Best goal scorer of the 1987–88 European Cup with four goals.
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1982, 1990
- African Footballer of the Year: 1987
- Intercontinental Cup: Most Valuable Player of the Match Award 1987
- Best player of the Africa Cup of Nations: 1990
- MasterCard African Team of the 20th Century: 1998{{cite web |url=http://www.soccertimes.com/international/1998/may15.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990221145250/http://www.soccertimes.com/international/1998/may15.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 February 1999 |title=Ramos, Balboa named to MasterCard CONCACAF 20th Century team. |work=Soccer Times|date=15 May 1998 |access-date=1 April 2020}}
- IFFHS World Player of the Century #62: 2000
- Arab Footballer of the 20th century: 2004
- Algerian Footballer of the 20th century: 2009 (with Lakhdar Belloumi)
- Algerian Footballer of the Year: Several awards
- African Footballer of the 20th century: Fifth place
- Golden Foot Legends Award: 2011{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenfoot.com/legends.php?l=en|title=Legends|publisher=Golden Foot|access-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925120930/http://www.goldenfoot.com/legends.php?l=en|archive-date=25 September 2015}}
- IFFHS Legends: 2016{{cite web|url=http://iffhs.de/iffhs-has-announced-the-48-football-legend-players/|title=IFFHS announce the 48 football legend players|publisher=IFFHS|date=25 January 2016|access-date=6 October 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{ForaDeJogo}}
- {{BDFutbol|3163}}
- {{NFT player|17382}}
- {{FIFA player|53379}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Algeria squads
|bg=white
|fg=#006633
|bordercolor=#006633
|list1=
{{Algeria Squad 1980 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria Squad 1980 Olympic Football Tournament}}
{{Algeria squad 1982 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria Squad 1982 World Cup}}
{{Algeria squad 1984 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria squad 1986 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria Squad 1986 World Cup}}
{{Algeria Squad 1990 African Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria Squad 1992 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Algeria Squad 2002 Africa Cup of Nations}}
}}
{{1982 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament}}
{{1990 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament}}
{{Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament}}
{{Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match}}
{{UEFA Champions League top scorers}}
{{African Footballer of the Year}}
{{Golden Foot Legends Award}}
{{Algeria national football team managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madjer, Rabah}}
Category:People from Hussein Dey (commune)
Category:Algerian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 players
Category:NA Hussein Dey players
Category:Racing Club de France Football players
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:Qatar Stars League players
Category:Algeria men's youth international footballers
Category:Algeria men's international footballers
Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1980 African Cup of Nations players
Category:1982 African Cup of Nations players
Category:1984 African Cup of Nations players
Category:1986 African Cup of Nations players
Category:1990 African Cup of Nations players
Category:1992 African Cup of Nations players
Category:Africa Cup of Nations–winning players
Category:Olympic footballers for Algeria
Category:Footballers at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Category:African Games gold medalists for Algeria
Category:African Games gold medalists in football
Category:Algerian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar
Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in France
Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Category:African Footballer of the Year winners
Category:Algerian football managers
Category:Algeria national football team managers
Category:2002 African Cup of Nations managers
Category:Expatriate football managers in Qatar
Category:Footballers at the 1978 All-Africa Games
Category:21st-century Algerian people
Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players