Mehdi Benatia

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Mehdi Benatia
Personal information
Benatia playing for Morocco in 2011
Full name	Mehdi Amine El Moutaqui Benatia
Date of birth	(1987-04-17) 17 April 1987
Place of birth	Courcouronnes, France
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Centre Back
Club information
Current club	Roma
Number	17
Youth career
2000–2002	Clairefontaine
2002–2003	Guingamp
2003–2005	Marseille
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2005–2008	Marseille	0	(0)
2006–2007	→ Tours (loan)	29	(0)
2007–2008	→ Lorient (loan)	0	(0)
2008–2010	Clermont	57	(2)
2010–2013	Udinese	72	(5)
2013–	Roma	18	(5)
National team^‡
2005	France U18	1	(0)
2008–	Morocco	31	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 January 2014. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 September 2013

Mehdi Benatia (born 17 April 1987 in Évry, Essonne, France) is a Moroccan football defender, who plays for Italian Serie A side Roma.

Early life

Mehdi Benatia was born in France to a Moroccan father and an Algerian mother.^[1]

Career

On 3 February 2010 Udinese Calcio signed the Moroccan defender from French Ligue 2 club Clermont, however he joined the Italian side in the following summer.^[2]

On 5 July 2013 A.S. Roma signed the Moroccan defender from Italian Serie A club Udinese for €13.5m. On 26 September 2013 Benatia scored his first goal for Roma in victory 2-0 against Sampdoria.^[3]

International career

Benatia represented France at the U-18 level but later decided to represent Morocco U-20.

On 19 November 2008, he played his first international match with Morocco, a friendly against Zambia at Mohamed V Stadium. He replaced Youssef Rabeh in second half while Morocco had the advantage of three goals to zero.

On 7 June 2009, Benatia played his first official match against Cameroon in Yaoundé and that counts for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.

On 4 June 2011, Benatia scored his first goal for the national team, in a 4–0 African Nations Cup Qualifier over their arch-rivals Algeria.

References

↑ "INTERVIEW. "Lemerre n’y est pour rien…"". Telquel. N° 379. Retrieved 28 November 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ Mehdi Benatia à l'Udinese
↑ Roma Splash €13.5m on Benatia

External links

v t e A.S. Roma – current squad

1 Lobonț 2 Tolói 3 Dodô 5 Castán 6 Strootman 7 Marquinho 8 Ljajić 10 Totti (c) 11 Taddei 13 Maicon 15 Pjanić 16 De Rossi 17 Benatia 18 Caprari 20 Bastos 22 Destro 24 Florenzi 26 De Sanctis 27 Gervinho 28 Skorupski 33 Jedvaj 35 Torosidis 42 Balzaretti 44 Nainggolan 46 Romagnoli 88 Borriello 94 F. Ricci Manager: Garcia

Morocco squads

v t e Morocco squad – 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

1 Lamyaghri 2 Chrétien 3 El Kaddouri 4 Kantari 5 Benatia 6 Hermach 7 Taarabt 8 El Ahmadi 9 El-Arabi 10 Belhanda 11 Assaidi 12 Amsif 13 Kharja 14 Boussoufa 15 El Kaoutari 16 Alioui 17 Chamakh 18 Boukhriss 19 Carcela-Gonzalez 20 Hadji 21 Amrabat 22 Badda 23 Mrani Coach: Gerets

v t e Morocco squad – 2013 Africa Cup of Nations

1 Lamyaghri 2 Achchakir 3 Bergdich 4 Kantari 5 Benatia 6 Hermach 7 Barrada 8 El Ahmadi 9 El-Arabi 10 Belhanda 11 Assaidi 12 Zniti 13 Kaddioui 14 El Hamdaoui 15 El Kaoutari 16 Noussir 17 El Adoua 18 Belghazouani 19 Chafni 20 Hamdallah 21 Amrabat 22 Askri 23 Hafidi Coach: Taoussi

Persondata
Name	Benatia, Mehdi
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	17 April 1987
Place of birth	Courcouronnes, France
Date of death
Place of death

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