Sofyane Cherfa

{{short description|Algerian professional footballer (born 1984)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sofyane Cherfa

| image = Sofyane 2.JPG

| caption = Cherfa in action for Omonia in 2012

| fullname = Sofyane Cherfa

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|8|13|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Toulouse, France

| height = 1.84 m

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub = AEK Athens U19 (manager)

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Monaco

| years1 = 2002–2005

| years2 = 2005–2007

| years3 = 2007–2008

| years4 = 2008–2009

| years5 = 2009–2011

| years6 = 2011–2014

| years7 = 2012–2013

| years8 = 2014–2016

| years9 = 2016–2017

| years10 = 2018

| years11 = 2018–2019

| years12 = 2019–2020

| clubs1 = Monaco B

| clubs2 = Louhans-Cuiseaux

| clubs3 = Reims

| clubs4 = Sedan

| clubs5 = Châteauroux

| clubs6 = Omonia

| clubs7 = → Panthrakikos (loan)

| clubs8 = Panthrakikos

| clubs9 = Costantine

| clubs10 = Abano

| clubs11 = Alki Oroklini

| clubs12 = Akritas Chlorakas

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 59

| caps3 = 30

| caps4 = 15

| caps5 = 40

| caps6 = 49

| caps7 = 29

| caps8 = 29

| caps9 = 33

| caps10 = 2

| caps11 = 20

| caps12 = 10

| totalcaps =

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 5

| goals3 = 2

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 3

| goals7 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 1

| goals10 = 0

| goals11 = 0

| goals12 = 0

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 =

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

| manageryears1 = 2020–2021

| managerclubs1 = Omonia Aradippou (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2021

| managerclubs2 = Doxa Katokopias (assistant)

| manageryears3 = 2021–2023

| managerclubs3 = Thonon Evian

| manageryears4 = 2023–2024

| managerclubs4 = Bourg-Péronnas U19

| manageryears5 = 2024–

| managerclubs5 = AEK Athens U19

}}

Sofyane Cherfa ({{langx|ar|سفيان شرفة}}; born 13 August 1984) is an Algerian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Greek club AEK Athens U19.

Club career

File:Sofyane 4.JPG in April 2012.]]

=Early career=

Born in Toulouse, France, Cherfa played youth football with AS Monaco FC, but only appeared for its reserve team as a senior. After playing with CS Louhans-Cuiseaux in the lower leagues he signed with Ligue 2 club Stade de Reims in the summer of 2007, before going on to represent also in the competition CS Sedan Ardennes and LB Châteauroux.{{cite news|url=http://www.kathimerini.com.cy/index.php?pageaction=kat&modid=1&artid=51901|title=Oμόνοια: Σοφιάν Σερφά για το κέντρο της άμυνας (video)|trans-title=Agreement: Sofyane Cherfa for the center of the defense (video)|newspaper=Kathimerini|language=Greek|date=20 July 2011|accessdate=29 January 2013}}

=Omonia=

In 2011, Cherfa joined AC Omonia in the Cypriot First Division, after fellow league side Ermis Aradippou FC did not have the financial means to complete the transfer. He scored his first goal as a professional on 29 October of that year in a 2–0 away win against Olympiakos Nicosia, and also contributed with six appearances in the season's Cypriot Cup, which ended in conquest as in the previous year.

In the 2012 summer transfer window, after being deemed surplus to requirements, Cherfa was loaned to Panthrakikos F.C. from Greece.{{cite web|url=http://www.pamesports.gr/41161/ston-panthrakiko-o-sofian-serfa|title=Στον Πανθρακικό ο Σοφιάν Σερφά|trans-title=Sofyane Cherfa to Panthrakikos|publisher=Pamesports|language=Greek|date=28 June 2012|accessdate=29 January 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://assistgr.blogspot.gr/2012/08/blog-post_4360.html|title=Πανθρακικός : Ήρθε και υπέγραψε ο Σοφιάν Σερφά!|trans-title=Panthrakikos: Sofyane Cherfa arrived and signed!|publisher=Assist GR|language=Greek|date=2 August 2012|accessdate=29 January 2013}} At the end of the campaign he returned to Omonia, who had just lost fellow stoppers Christos Karipidis and Savo Pavićević to other clubs, but Panthrakikos contested that the agreement ended sooner than it should have.{{cite web|url=http://www.onsports.gr/Podosfairo/Super-League/item/267319-Panthrakikos-Kamia-anhsychia-gia-Serfa|title=Πανθρακικός: Καμία ανησυχία για Σερφά|trans-title=Panthrakikos: No worries about Cherfa|publisher=Onsports|language=Greek|date=7 November 2012|accessdate=29 January 2013}}

After failing to negotiate a new contract with a smaller wage, due to Omonia's financial situation, Cherfa was made to train alone, and was eventually linked to OFI Crete F.C. even though the former stated it did not have the intention of releasing him.{{cite web|url=http://www.contra.gr/Soccer/Hellas/Superleague/ofi/kokkino-gia-serfa.2340209.html|title="Κόκκινο" για Σερφά|trans-title="Red" for Cherfa|publisher=Contra|language=Greek|date=19 July 2013|accessdate=24 August 2013}} After the team failed to perform in their UEFA Europa League campaign, both defensively and overall, a new round of talks started, and he eventually put pen to paper to a new three-year deal.{{cite web|url=http://www.omonoia.com.cy/default.asp?lang=GR&tab=football§ion=news&nid=1421#|title=Επανεντάσσεται στο ρόστερ της ομάδας μας ο Σοφιάν Σερφά|trans-title=Sofyane Cherfa reinstated in our squad|publisher=AC Omonia|language=Greek|date=2013|accessdate=24 August 2013}}

=Later years=

On 15 January 2016, four days after being released by Panthrakikos,{{cite web|url=http://www.sport24.gr/football/omades/Panthrakikos/telos-kai-epishma-serfa-seti-apo-ton-panthrakiko.3855662.html|title=Τέλος και επίσημα Σερφά – Σέτι από τον Πανθρακικό|trans-title=Finally official – Seti to Panthrakikos|publisher=Sport 24|language=Greek|date=11 January 2016|accessdate=17 January 2016}} Cherfa signed a two-year contract with Algerian club CS Constantine.{{cite web|url=http://www.dzfoot.com/2016/01/15/transferts-mellouli-et-s-cherfa-arrivent-au-csc-80357.php|title=Transferts: Mellouli et S. Cherfa arrivent au CSC|trans-title=Transfers: Mellouli and S. Cherfa arrive at CSC|publisher=DZFoot|language=French|date=15 January 2016|accessdate=17 January 2016}} Two years later, the free agent agreed to a one-year deal at Italian amateurs Abano Calcio.

Cherfa returned to the Cypriot top level on 27 July 2018, joining Alki Oroklini for one season.{{cite web|url=http://goal.philenews.com/podosfero/kypros/a-katigoria/alki/kyanerythro-kalosorisma-ston-serfa/|title="Κυανέρυθρο" καλωσόρισμα στον Σερφά|trans-title=Red-and-blue welcome to Cherfa|publisher=Goal|language=Greek|date=27 July 2018|accessdate=30 July 2018}} On 18 August 2019, he joined Akritas Chlorakas.[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2533342463551797&set=a.1529792350573485&type=3&theater Με μεγάλη χαρά ανακοινώνουμε την απόκτηση του γάλλου ποδοσφαιριστή SOFYANE CHERFA], facebook.com, 18 August 2019

International

In April 2005, Cherfa was called up to the Algerian under-23 team for a mini training camp in France.{{cite web|url=http://www.dzfoot.com/news.php?hot_id=976|title=Jeunes: regroupement des "pros"|trans-title=Youngsters: "pros" regroup|publisher=DZFoot|language=French|date=April 2005|access-date=29 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212122712/http://www.dzfoot.com/news.php?hot_id=976|archive-date=12 February 2012|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dzfoot.com/article-674.php|title=Présélection de joueurs Algériens de France|trans-title=Preselection of Algerian players in France|publisher=DZFoot|language=French|date=April 2005|access-date=29 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827033531/http://www.dzfoot.com/article-674.php|archive-date=27 August 2012|df=dmy-all}}

Personal life

Cherfa's younger brother, Walid, was also a footballer. A defender, he too played most of his career in France.{{cite news|url=http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2010/11/18/950720-dupuis-retrouve-des-amis.html|title=Dupuis retrouve des amis|trans-title=Dupuis reunites with friends|newspaper=La Dépêche du Midi|language=French|date=18 November 2010|accessdate=9 December 2015}}

Club statistics

{{updated|match played 2 January 2016

}}

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|CupIncludes the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue, Cypriot Cup, Cypriot Super Cup, Greek Football Cup !colspan="2"\|EuropeIncludes the UEFA Europa League !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|Louhans-Cuiseaux \|2005–06{{cite news\|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur22800.html\|title=Sofyane Cherfa\|newspaper=L'Équipe\|language=French\|accessdate=9 December 2015}} \|rowspan="2"\|Championnat National \|29	2	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	30	2
2006–07 \|30	3	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	32	3
colspan="2"\|Total !59	5	3	0	0	0	62	5
Reims \|2007–08 \|Ligue 2 \|30	2	4	0	colspan="2"\|—	34	2
Sedan \|2008–09 \|Ligue 2 \|15	0	1	0	colspan="2" \|—	16	0
rowspan="3"\|Châteauroux \|2009–10 \|rowspan="2"\|Ligue 2 \|8	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|—	8	0
2010–11 \|32	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	35	0
colspan="2"\|Total !40	0	3	0	0	0	43	0
rowspan="3"\|Omonia \|2011–12{{cite web\|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/-sofyane-cherfa/37876/\|title=S. Cherfa\|work=Soccerway\|accessdate=8 December 2015}} \|rowspan="2"\|Cypriot First Division \|22	2	7	1	1	0	30	3
2013–14 \|27	1	3	0	colspan="2"\|—	30	1
colspan="2"\|Total !49	3	10	1	1	0	60	4
rowspan="4"\|Panthrakikos \|2012–13 (loan) \|rowspan="3"\|Superleague Greece \|29	0	8	1	colspan="2"\|—	37	1
2014–15 \|14	0	2	0	colspan="2"\|—	16	0
2015–16 \|15	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	15	0
colspan="2"\|Total !58	0	10	1	0	0	68	1
colspan="3"\|Career total !251	10	31	2	1	0	283	12