Noureddine Naybet

Noureddine Naybet (Arabic: نور الدين نيبت‎; born 10 February 1970) is a Moroccan retired footballer who played as a central defender.

Noureddine Naybet
Personal information
Full name Noureddine Naybet
Date of birth (1970-02-10) 10 February 1970
Place of birth Casablanca, Morocco
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 WAC 85 (4)
1993–1994 Nantes 54 (1)
1994–1996 Sporting CP 64 (5)
1996–2004 Deportivo La Coruña 221 (11)
2004–2006 Tottenham Hotspur 34 (1)
Total 458 (22)
National team
1990–2006 Morocco 115 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his 17-year professional career with Deportivo, appearing in 284 competitive games and winning four major titles, including the 2000 national championship. He also competed in France, Portugal and England.

Naybet played a record 115 matches for the Moroccan national team, representing the country in two World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Club career

Born in Casablanca, Naybet started playing with local Wydad, being part of the squads that won three Botola championships as well as the 1992 edition of the CAF Champions League. From 1993 to 1996 he represented FC Nantes (France) and Sporting Clube de Portugal, being always an important first-team member and winning one domestic cup in each country.

In the 1996 summer Naybet signed a four-year deal with Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, for roughly €1.6 million.[1] He made his La Liga debut on 31 August 1996, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Real Madrid.[2]

Naybet scored a career best four goals in the 1997–98 season, but the Galicians could only finish in 12th position. He was still an undisputed starter in 1999–2000 – often partnering Argentine Gabriel Schürrer – as the club conquered the first league in its history.

Naybet started in all his 13 UEFA Champions League appearances in the 2003–04 campaign, helping Dépor to the semi-finals of the competition. In the last-four's second leg, at home against FC Porto, he was sent off by Pierluigi Collina after two bookable offenses, and the tie ended 1–0 in favour of the Portuguese.[3]

On 12 August 2004, aged 34, Naybet joined Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £700,000.[4][5] He netted his first and only goal for the Spurs on 13 November, in a 4–5 North London derby loss to Arsenal at White Hart Lane.[6]

After only three games in 2005–06, under new manager Martin Jol, Naybet was released and retired from football. In June 2005, however, he had renewed his contract for a further season.[7]

International career

Naybet was a Moroccan international for 16 years, gaining his first cap on 9 August 1990 in a 0–0 friendly draw in Tunisia. He proceeded to appear for his country in two FIFA World Cups, playing two games in 1994 and three in 1998 as both editions ended in group stage elimination.[8]

Naybet played all six contests in the 2004 African Cup of Nations, helping the Atlas Lions finish second in Tunisia.[9] In early January 2006, five months after announcing his international retirement after falling out of favour with coach Ezzaki Badou,[10] he returned to the national team just ahead of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.[11]

In August 2007, Naybet was named assistant manager under Henri Michel.[12]

Personal life

A devout Muslim, Naybet observed fasting during the month of Ramadan, even when it coincided with the football season.[13]

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References
  1. "El Deportivo presenta a Naybet y Songo'o" [Deportivo presents Naybet and Songo’o] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 15 July 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  2. "Afortunado" [Lucky] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 1 September 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  3. "Derlei decisive as Porto progress". UEFA.com. 4 May 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  4. "Depo [sic]'s Naybet is set to join Spurs". CNN. 11 August 2004. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  5. "Spurs sign Naybet". BBC Sport. 12 August 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. "Tottenham 4–5 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 13 November 2004. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  7. "Naybet to sign new Spurs contract". BBC Sport. 12 June 2005. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  8. "Noureddine Naybet – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 May 2005.
  9. "Tunisia win Cup of Nations". BBC Sport. 14 February 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  10. "Morocco's Naybet quits". BBC Sport. 12 August 2005. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  11. "Naybet earns surprise Morocco call". BBC Sport. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  12. "Naybet assistent-bondscoach Henri Michel" [Naybet assistant to national coach Henri Michel] (in Dutch). Maghreb Magazine. 20 August 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  13. "Naybet puts faith first". BBC Sport. 10 October 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
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