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Rachid Ghezzal

{{Short description|Algerian footballer (born 1992)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rachid Ghezzal

| image = Rachid Ghezzal 20231008 1 (cropped).jpg

| image_size = 260px

| caption = Ghezzal with Beşiktaş in 2023

| full_name = Rachid Ghezzal{{cite web |url=https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiId=2292891 |title=Rachid Ghezzal |publisher=Turkish Football Federation |access-date=2 December 2020}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|9|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/6889/Rachid-Ghezzal/overview |title=Rachid Ghezzal: Overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=27 August 2019}}

| birth_place = Décines-Charpieu, France

| height = 1.82 m{{cite web |url=https://www.lcfc.com/players/6889/Rachid-Ghezzal/profile |title=Rachid Ghezzal |publisher=Leicester City F.C. |access-date=22 December 2018}}

| position = Winger

| currentclub = Çaykur Rizespor

| clubnumber = 19

| youthyears1 = 1998–2004

| youthclubs1 = Vaulx-en-Velin

| youthyears2 = 2004–2012

| youthclubs2 = Lyon

| years1 = 2010–2017

| clubs1 = Lyon B

| caps1 = 54

| goals1 = 11

| years2 = 2012–2017

| clubs2 = Lyon

| caps2 = 87

| goals2 = 11

| years3 = 2017–2018

| clubs3 = Monaco

| caps3 = 26

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2018–2021

| clubs4 = Leicester City

| caps4 = 19

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2019–2020

| clubs5 = → Fiorentina (loan)

| caps5 = 19

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2020–2021

| clubs6 = → Beşiktaş (loan)

| caps6 = 31

| goals6 = 8

| years7 = 2021–2024

| clubs7 = Beşiktaş

| caps7 = 73

| goals7 = 7

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = Çaykur Rizespor

| caps8 = 19

| goals8 = 4

| nationalyears1 = 2013

| nationalteam1 = France U20

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2022

| nationalteam2 = Algeria

| nationalcaps2 = 22

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| club-update = 20:50, 9 February 2025 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update = 23:10, 12 June 2022 (UTC)

}}

Rachid Ghezzal ({{langx|ar|رَشِيد غَزَال}}; born 9 May 1992) is an Algerian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor. Born in France, he represents the Algeria national football team.{{cite news |title=Rachid Ghezzal: "Je choisirai l'Algérie" |url=http://www.lebuteur.com/foot-en-vrac/actualites/rachid-ghezzal-je-choisirai-l-algerie |work=Le Buteur |date=20 August 2010 |access-date=7 October 2012 |language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815001044/http://www.lebuteur.com/foot-en-vrac/actualites/rachid-ghezzal-je-choisirai-l-algerie |archive-date=15 August 2011 }}

He began his career at Lyon, where he made his debut in October 2012. He played 119 games and scored 13 goals for them across all competitions. In August 2017, he moved to Monaco on a free transfer. After a season at Monaco, he was sold to Leicester as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez. Ghezzal failed to nail down a first-team spot at Leicester in his first season, leading him to go on loan to Fiorentina in his second season and Besiktas in his third. He signed permanently for Besiktas in 2021. In December 2023, he was excluded from the first-team at Besiktas.{{Cite news |date=2023-12-11 |title=Bailly among five players excluded by Besiktas |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67679807}}

Ghezzal represented France at under-20 level. He made his senior debut for Algeria in 2015 and was part of their squad at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

=Lyon=

Born in Décines-Charpieu, Metropolitan Lyon, in July 2010 Ghezzal signed a five-year élite contract with Lyon.{{cite news |title=Rachid Ghezzal signe un contrat Elite à l'OL |url=http://www.dzfoot.com/news-6886/verts-rachid-ghezzal-signe-un-contrat-elite-a-l-ol/ |work=DZFoot |date=7 July 2010 |access-date=7 October 2012 |language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210232308/http://www.dzfoot.com/news-6886/verts-rachid-ghezzal-signe-un-contrat-elite-a-l-ol |archive-date=10 December 2010 }} After featuring with the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France Amateur for two consecutive seasons, ahead of the 2012–13 season, he was promoted to the senior team by manager Rémi Garde and assigned the number 31 shirt. Ghezzal made his senior team debut on 4 October 2012 in a UEFA Europa League group stage away match against Israeli club Ironi Kiryat Shmona; he started the match as Lyon won the contest 4–3.{{cite news |title=Lyon leave it late to see off Kiryat Shmona |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0202-0e803dfa4874-59cdee82feee-1000--lyon-leave-it-late-to-see-off-kiryat-shmona/ |work=Union of European Football Associations |date=4 October 2012 |access-date=7 October 2012 }}

In the 2013–14 season, Ghezzal suffered a back injury for the first six months of Lyon's campaign, which saw him out of action until 10 January 2014, missing 32 of Lyon's games in the process. He then returned to the squad but did not make any appearances for Lyon for the rest of the season; either being not named in match day squads or being named on the bench. Since January 2016, he had been playing regularly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} He finished the 2015–16 season with 8 goals and 8 assists in 29 Ligue 1 matches.{{cite news|last1=Jamieson|first1=Stuart|title=Who is Sunderland target Rachid Ghezzal? Why Lyon star is attracting so much attention|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-sunderland-target-rachid-ghezzal-11377895|access-date=17 August 2016|work=Evening Chronicle|date=24 May 2016}} In June 2017, Lyon announced that Ghezzal's contract would not be renewed.{{cite web|title=Transfer news: Lyon sign Mendy but lose Ghezzal|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2017/06/29/36719732/lyon-sign-mendy-but-ghezzal-and-gonalons-to-depart|website=Goal|access-date=1 July 2017|date=29 June 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Nick|title=Free agents XI: the best out-of-contract bargains available this summer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/28/free-agents-xi-best-out-of-contract-bargains-football|access-date=1 July 2017|work=The Guardian|date=28 June 2017}}

=Monaco=

On 7 August 2017, Ghezzal joined fellow Ligue 1 team Monaco by signing a four-year contract that would run until June 2021. It was reported that Monaco would pay him a signing bonus of €3 million and a monthly salary of about €180,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-rachid-ghezzal-lyon-file-vers-monaco/822955|title=Transferts : Rachid Ghezzal (Lyon) file vers Monaco|publisher=L'Équipe|date=4 August 2017}} As his Lyon contract had expired on 30 June 2017, he arrived on a free transfer.{{cite news|last1=Okeleji|first1=Oluwashina|title=French champions Monaco sign Algerian winger Rachid Ghezzal|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40851309|access-date=16 August 2017|work=BBC Sport|date=7 August 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Rachid-ghezzal-a-signe-a-monaco/823911|title=Rachid Ghezzal a signé à Monaco|publisher=L'Équipe|date=7 August 2017}}

=Leicester City=

On 5 August 2018, Ghezzal signed for English Premier League club Leicester City as a direct replacement for outgoing fellow countryman Riyad Mahrez, signing a four-year deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/794576/leicester-city-sign-winger-rachid-ghezzal-from-as-monaco/press-release|title=Leicester City sign winger Rachid Ghezzal from AS Monaco|publisher=Leicester City F.C.|date=5 August 2018|access-date=5 August 2018}} In his first start for the club, he scored his first Leicester goal, a long range strike from outside the box, in a 4–0 win over Fleetwood Town.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/leicester-vs-fleetwood/401655|title=Leicester 4-0 Fleetwood: Rachid Ghezzal strike caps off Foxes stroll|publisher=Sky Sports|date=28 August 2018|access-date=27 August 2019}}

==Fiorentina (loan)==

On 2 September 2019, Ghezzal was loaned to Italian Serie A side ACF Fiorentina on a season-long deal that included an option to buy.{{cite web|url=http://it.violachannel.tv/vc13-dettaglio-breaking/items/id-02-09-2019_23-25-44_ghezzal-e-un-nuovo-calciatore-viola.html|title=Ghezzal e' un nuovo calciatore viola|trans-title=Ghezzal is a new Viola footballer|language=it|publisher=ACF Fiorentina|date=2 September 2019|access-date=3 September 2019}}

==Beşiktaş (loan)==

On 5 September 2020, Ghezzal joined Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş on a season-long loan.{{cite web|title=Rachid Ghezzal Signs For Beşiktaş On Loan|url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/1856772/rachid-ghezzal-signs-for-beikta-on-loan/press-release|publisher=Leicester City|date=5 October 2020|access-date=5 October 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://bjk.com.tr/tr/haber/79637/rachid-ghezzal-besiktasta.html |title=Rachid Ghezzal, Beşiktaş'ta |website=Beşiktaş |language=tr |date=5 October 2020 }} On 15 May 2021, he scored a penalty in a 2–1 away win over Göztepe, to secure the 2020–21 Süper Lig title for Beşiktaş.{{cite web |url=https://tr.beinsports.com/haber/klip-tarihi-sezonun-krali-besiktas |title=KLİP: Tarihi sezonun kralı Beşiktaş! |website=beIN SPORTS |language=Turkish |date=15 May 2021 }}

=Beşiktaş=

On 12 August 2021, Beşiktaş announced the signing of Ghezzal from Leicester City on a three-year deal.{{Cite web|title=Yuvana Hoş Geldin Rachid Ghezzal|url=https://bjk.com.tr/tr/haber/81472/yuvana-hos-geldin-rachid-ghezzal.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=bjk.com.tr}}

On 11 December 2023, it was officially announced that Ghezzal has been excluded from the squad along with Vincent Aboubakar, Valentin Rosier, Eric Bailly and Jean Onana due to poor performance and incompatibility within the team.{{cite web |url=https://bjk.com.tr/tr/haber/87745/kulubumuzden-bilgilendirme.html|title=Kulübümüzden Bilgilendirme

|publisher=Beşiktaş J.K.|access-date=11 December 2023}}

On 6 January 2024, Ghezzal has been pardoned and included in the squad for the upcoming game against Kasımpaşa.{{cite web |url=https://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/spor/besiktasta-kadro-disi-birakilan-5-isimden-biri-olan-rachid-ghezzal-1012834|title=Beşiktaş'ta kadro dışı bırakılan 5 isimden biri olan Rachid Ghezzal affedildi

|publisher=Türkiye Gazetesi|access-date=4 January 2024}}

On 2 June 2024, Ghezzal announced his farewell to Beşiktaş with a post on his social media account.{{cite web |url=https://www.trtspor.com.tr/haber/futbol/trendyol-super-lig/rachid-ghezzal-besiktasa-veda-etti-293751.html|title=Rachid Ghezzal, Beşiktaş’a veda etti|publisher=trtspor |access-date=2 June 2024}}

International career

At international senior level, Ghezzal was eligible to represent both France and Algeria and had stated his preference is to represent the latter nation. In 2013, he received the call from France U20 to compete in the Toulon Tournament.{{cite web|title=Tournoi de Toulon : Rachid Ghezzal sélectionné avec l'équipe de France des U-20|url=http://www.djazairess.com/fr/letemps/93680|website=Djazairess|access-date=17 August 2016|language=fr|date=17 May 2013}} However, Ghezzal later chose to play for Algeria, scoring his first goal in March 2016 against Ethiopia.

Philanthropy

On 9 December 2018, Ghezzal appeared on a Sport dans la Ville digital philanthropy card. The digital philanthropy card featured the French non-profit, serving disadvantaged kids through sports and job training.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportdanslaville.com/la-premiere-carte-de-philanthropie-numerique-lancee-sur-phil-ropy/|title=La première carte de philanthropie numérique lancée sur philropy|last=Noémie|first=Vincent|date=27 May 2019|website=Sport dans la Ville (In French)}} It was his tribute to the organization of which he was part until the age of 12 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.leprogres.fr/rhone-69-edition-lyon-metropole/2019/06/07/sport-dans-la-ville-rachid-ghezzal-comme-porte-drapeau|title=Sport dans la ville : Rachid Ghezzal comme porte-drapeau|last=Tapissier|first=David|date=7 June 2019|work=Le Progres (In French)|access-date=7 June 2019}} During a meeting on 31 December 2013 with young members of Sport dans la Ville, Rachid explained the time he spent with Sport dans la Ville allowed him to reach the status of professional player.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ol.fr/fr-fr/contenus/articles/2013/01/31/rachid-ghezzal-retrouve-sport-dans-la-ville-20810|title=Rachid Ghezzal retrouve Sport dans la Ville|last=Madelon|first=Joseph|date=31 January 2013|website=OL Foundation (In French)}}

Personal life

He's the younger brother of Algerian international Abdelkader Ghezzal.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/3045065/arsenal-could-pounce-on-rachid-ghezzals-lyon-conundrum|title=Arsenal could pounce on Rachid Ghezzal's Lyon conundrum|first=Michael|last=Yokhin|publisher=ESPN FC|date=24 January 2017}}

Career statistics

= Club =

{{updated|match played 17 January 2024}}{{cite web | url = https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur36627.html | publisher=L'Equipe | title = Rachid Ghezzal L'EQUIPE Profile | access-date = 9 January 2016 }}{{cite web|title=R. Ghezzal|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/rachid-ghezzal/158393/|website=Soccerway|access-date=17 August 2016}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup, Coppa Italia, Turkish Cup}}

!colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Coupe de la Ligue, EFL Cup}}

!colspan="2"|Europe

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan="6"|Lyon

|2012–13

|Ligue 1

|14

110104{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}}0colspan="2"|–201
2013–14

|Ligue 1

|0

0000000colspan="2"|–00
2014–15

|Ligue 1

|18

020102{{efn|name=UEL}}0colspan="2"|–230
2015–16

|Ligue 1

|29

822204{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}01{{efn|Appearance in Trophée des Champions}}03810
2016–17

|Ligue 1

|26

2100011{{efn|Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League}}100383
colspan="2"|Total

!87

1162402111011914
Monaco

|2017–18

|Ligue 1

|26

220304{{efn|name=UCL}}0colspan="2"|–352
Leicester City

|2018–19

|Premier League

|19

1113100colspan="2"|–233
Fiorentina (loan)

|2019–20

|Serie A

|19

120colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–211
Beşiktaş (loan)

|2020–21

|Süper Lig

|31

840colspan="2"|–00colspan="2"|–358
rowspan="4"|Beşiktaş

|2021–22

|Süper Lig

|35

430colspan="2"|–5{{efn|name=UCL}}100435
2022–23

|Süper Lig

|11

200colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|–112
2023–24

|Süper Lig

|27

151colspan="2"|–2{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}}0colspan="2"|–342
colspan="2"|Total

!104

1512100710012317
colspan="3"|Career total

!255

302341013221032137

{{notelist}}

=International=

{{updated|match played 12 June 2022}}{{NFT|58827|access-date=4 June 2021}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="8"|Algeria

|2015

30
201641
201760
201830
201900
202000
202131
202230
colspan="2"|Total222

:Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ghezzal goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Rachid Ghezzal

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|123 March 2016Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria{{fb|ETH}}align="center"|6–0align="center"|7–12017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
align="center"|225 March 2021National Heroes Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia{{fb|ZAM}}align="center"|1–0align="center"|3–32021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Lyon Reserves

Beşiktaş

Individual

  • Süper Lig Best Foreign Player: 2020–21{{Cite web |last=SABAH |first=DAILY |date=2021-10-27 |title=Champion Beşiktaş sweeps Fotomaç "Süper Lig Best of the Best" awards |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/sports/football/champion-besiktas-sweeps-fotomac-super-lig-best-of-the-best-awards |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}
  • Süper Lig top assist provider: 2020–21{{cite web |title=Süper Lig|url=https://www.sofascore.com/tournament/football/turkey/super-lig/52|website=Sofascore|access-date=15 May 2021}}
  • Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2020–21{{Citation |title=Süper Lig 2020/2021 Sezonu Altın 11’i |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_0pLWxcGCI |access-date=2023-09-24 |language=en}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

  • {{FFF player|8917-ghezzal-rachid}}
  • {{FFF male player|2588610679|archive=}}
  • {{lfpfr2}}
  • {{leqstat}}
  • {{UEFA player}}

{{Çaykur Rizespor squad}}

{{Algeria squad 2017 Africa Cup of Nations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghezzal, Rachid}}

Category:1992 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Décines-Charpieu

Category:Algerian men's footballers

Category:Algeria men's international footballers

Category:French men's footballers

Category:France men's youth international footballers

Category:Men's association football wingers

Category:Olympique Lyonnais players

Category:AS Monaco FC players

Category:Leicester City F.C. players

Category:ACF Fiorentina players

Category:Beşiktaş J.K. footballers

Category:Çaykur Rizespor footballers

Category:Ligue 1 players

Category:Premier League players

Category:Serie A players

Category:Süper Lig players

Category:2017 Africa Cup of Nations players

Category:Algerian expatriate men's footballers

Category:French expatriate men's footballers

Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in England

Category:French expatriate sportspeople in England

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England

Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Italy

Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Italy

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy

Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Turkey

Category:Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey

Category:French sportspeople of Algerian descent

Category:Footballers from Lyon Metropolis

Category:21st-century French sportsmen