Yassine Benzia

Yassine Benzia (Arabic: ياسين بنزية‎; born 8 September 1994) is an Algerian footballer who plays for French club Dijon mainly as an attacking or a central midfielder but can also play as a winger or striker.

Yassine Benzia
Benzia with France U19 in 2013
Personal information
Full name Yassine Benzia
Date of birth (1994-09-08) 8 September 1994
Place of birth Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, France
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Dijon
Number 10
Youth career
2000–2005 Saint-Aubin
2005–2006 Oissel
2006–2009 Caudebecais
2009–2010 Quevilly
2010–2012 Lyon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Lyon 38 (4)
2011–2015 → Lyon II 38 (19)
2015–2020 Lille 81 (9)
2015–2016 → Lille II 3 (1)
2018–2019 → Fenerbahçe (loan) 13 (0)
2019–2020 → Olympiacos (loan) 5 (0)
2020– Dijon 0 (0)
National team‡
2010 France U16 3 (0)
2011 France U17 6 (4)
2011–2012 France U18 9 (9)
2012–2013 France U19 16 (7)
2013–2015 France U21 9 (6)
2016– Algeria 4 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:00, 12 January 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2018

He began his professional career at Olympique Lyonnais, where he played 53 total games and scored 6 goals, winning the 2012 Trophée des Champions. In August 2015, he was signed by Lille.

Benzia was a France youth international, having represented his nation at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-21 level. He played with the under-17 team at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[1] In March 2016, FIFA approved his request to change his international allegiance to Algeria.[2]

Club career

Lyon

Following the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup Benzia signed his first professional contract with Lyon, agreeing to a three-year deal on 27 October 2011.[3] He was subsequently promoted to the senior team by manager Rémi Garde and assigned the number 25 shirt. Benzia made his professional debut on 20 May 2012 in the last game of the league season at home to Nice, appearing as a substitute for Jimmy Briand for the final minutes of the 4–3 loss.[4]

Benzia came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Bafétimbi Gomis in the 2012 Trophée des Champions against Montpellier at New Jersey's Red Bull Arena on 28 July, and scored in Lyon's penalty shootout victory after a 2–2 draw.[5] On 22 November, he scored his first professional goal to open a 1–1 draw at Sparta Prague in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.[6] He scored again in the competition's next game, a 2–0 win at the Stade de Gerland against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona, but did not find the net again for the rest of the season.[7]

On 16 August 2013, Benzia scored his first Ligue 1 goal, opening a 3–1 win at Sochaux on the first day of the season and also assisting Alexandre Lacazette and Yoann Gourcuff for the other two goals.[8] He added his only other goal of the season on 8 December in a win by the same score at Bastia.[9]

Lille

On 31 August 2015, Benzia signed a four-year deal at fellow Ligue 1 club Lille for a fee of around €1 million.[10]

On 28 January 2017, after over a year without a goal, Benzia scored both of Lille's goals in a 2–1 win on his return to Lyon.[11]

Fenerbahçe loan

On 31 August 2018, the last day of the 2018 summer transfer window, Benzia joined Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe on loan for the season. Fenerbahçe also secured an option to sign him permanently.[12]

Olympiakos loan

On 31 August 2019, the last day of the 2019 summer transfer window, Benzia joined Superleague Greece side Olympiakos on loan for the season. [13]

International career

In January 2016, Algerian Football Federation president Mohamed Raouraoua announced that Benzia had opted to switch his international allegiance to Algeria. In March 2016, FIFA approved his request to change his international allegiance to Algeria.[2] On 26 March 2016, he played his first game for Algeria, against Ethiopia in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.[14] He scored his first senior international goal on 2 June 2016 against Seychelles.

Style of play

At the age of 17, Benzia was dubbed the new Karim Benzema.[15][16]

Career statistics

Club
As of 30 October 2019[17][18][19]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe[lower-alpha 3] Other[lower-alpha 4] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyon 2011–12 Ligue 1 10————10
2012–13 160——3[lower-alpha 5]21[lower-alpha 6]0212
2013–14 11220105[lower-alpha 7]0—192
2014–15 102—102[lower-alpha 5]0—132
2015–16 ————1[lower-alpha 6]010
Total 384202010220536
Lille 2015–16 Ligue 1 2551031——296
2016–17 25310102[lower-alpha 5]0—293
2017–18 3111011——332
Total 819305220—9111
Fenerbahçe 2018–19 Süper Lig 13040———170
Olympiakos 2019–20 Super League 2000—20—40
Career total 1441390721422017617
  1. Includes Coupe de France
  2. Includes Coupe de la Ligue
  3. Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  4. Includes Trophée des champions
  5. All appearance(s) in Europa League
  6. All appearances in Trophée des champions
  7. three appearance in Champions League, two appearances in Europa League

International
As of match played 2 June 2016.
National teamYearAppsGoals
Algeria 201621
Total21

International goals
As of match played 2 June 2016. Algeria score listed first, score column indicates score after each Benzia goal.[20]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 June 2016Stade Linité, Victoria, Seychelles2 Seychelles1–02–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Club

Lyon

Individual
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References
  1. "Benzia gamble paying off for France". Fédération Internationale de Football Association (in French). 20 June 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  2. HMF (March 7, 2016). "Benzia officiellement autorisé à jouer avec l'Algérie" (in French). DZFoot. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  3. "Benzia passe pro". L'Equipe (in French). 27 October 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  4. "Lyon v. Nice Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel (in French). 20 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  5. "FEUILLE DE MATCH MONTPELLIER HÉRAULT SC - OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS". LFP. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  6. Harris, Nick (26 November 2012). "Yassine Benzia - The next French superstar on Arsenal and Chelsea's radar". HITC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  7. "The youngsters step up". Olympique Lyonnais. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  8. "Ligue 1: Lyon a encore fait feu". La Depeche (in French). 16 August 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. "Et Lyon se relança à Bastia". La Depeche (in French). 9 December 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  10. "Yassine Benzia (OL) signe pour quatre ans à Lille (officiel)". L'Equipe (in French). 31 August 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  11. "Yassine Benzia at the double for Lille against former club Lyon". ESPN FC. PA Sport. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. "Yassine Benzia (Lille) prêté à Fenerbahçe (officiel)". 'Équipe (in French). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  13. "Ολυμπιακός: Ανακοίνωσε και Γιασίν Μπενζιά". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). 31 August 2018.
  14. Burnton, Simon (25 March 2016). "Holland 2-3 France, Republic of Ireland 1-0 Switzerland and more: clockwatch – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  15. "Benzia le nouveau Benzema" [Benzia the new Benzema]. 10 Sport (in French). 1 February 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  16. "OL: Palerme vise Benzia, le "nouveau Benzema"" [OL: Palermo going after Benzia, the "new Benzema"]. Canal+ (in French). 1 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  17. "Yassine Benzia". footballdatabase. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  18. "Yassine Benzia". soccerway. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  19. "Yassine Benzia". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  20. Yassine Benzia at Soccerway
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