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Wahbi Khazri

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Wahbi Khazri
Khazri lining up with Tunisia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Wahbi Khazri[1]
Date of birth (1991-02-08) 8 February 1991 (age 33)[2]
Place of birth Ajaccio, France
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, left winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 Montpellier
Number 10
Youth career
1995–2003 JS Ajaccio
2003–2009 Bastia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2014 Bastia 171 (31)
2014–2016 Bordeaux 52 (14)
2016–2018 Sunderland 38 (3)
2017–2018 → Rennes (loan) 24 (9)
2018–2022 Saint-Étienne 100 (33)
2022– Montpellier 52 (5)
International career
2009 Tunisia U20 1 (1)
2012 France U21 1 (0)
2013–2022 Tunisia 74 (25)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:20, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Wahbi Khazri (Arabic: وهبي خزري; born 8 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, left winger or forward for Ligue 1 club Montpellier.

Trained at Bastia from 2004, Khazri made his professional debut there in 2009 and quickly became a vital part of the team, as he helped the club reach promotion to Ligue 2 in 2011, and then Ligue 1 in 2012. He left in 2014 to join fellow French side Bordeaux. In 2016, Khazri joined Sunderland in the Premier League; he was subsequently loaned to Rennes during the 2017–18 campaign. After finishing the season with 11 goals in 29 games, Khazri attracted the attention of Saint-Étienne, who recruited him in July 2018. In 2022, Khazri signed for Montpellier.

Born in France, Khazri represented his birth country at youth international level, and Tunisia at senior international level. He was the former captain of the national team, playing 74 matches and scoring 25 goals between 2013 and 2022. He represented Tunisia at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and at both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

[edit]

Bastia

[edit]

A native of Ajaccio, Khazri started his career with local side Jeunesse Sportive Ajaccio before moving to Bastia. He received his first call up to the senior squad for their match against Amiens on 20 February 2009.[4] He made his debut in that match coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute for Ludovic Genest. Bastia scored the winning goal a minute later to win the match 1–0.[5]

He scored his first career goal on 13 March 2009, in a 1–0 victory over Montpellier.[6] Wahbi quickly established himself as a goalscorer, scoring again a couple of weeks later in a 3–1 win over Vannes.[7] He scored again, this time on the final match day of the season against Troyes, scoring the first goal in a 2–1 victory.[8] The loss meant Troyes would be relegated to the Championnat National.[citation needed]

Bordeaux

[edit]

On 1 July 2014, he signed up for four years with the Bordeaux.[9] He played his first match in his new colors on 9 August 2014, on the first day of the 2014–15 season against Montpellier. Bordeaux won by a goal to zero that day. He scored his first goal in his second appearance for Bordeaux, the next day as the Girondins host Monaco on 17 August. He scored his goal on a penalty that he himself caused and thus participated in the victory of his family 4–1.[citation needed]

On 28 September 2014, he scored the 3,400th goal in Girondins history. His first season at the Girondins was a success: he managed to win in the team as a starter and totaled nine goals in 32 league games.[10]

He scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season, in his first match against Reims on 9 August 2015 (defeated by a score of 2–1). On 11 September, he scored a goal in a high-tension match for championship leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG); he managed to take the ball from the feet of Kevin Trapp, the opposing goalkeeper, even if the match ended in a 2–2 draw.[11]

Sunderland

[edit]
Khazri (right) playing for Sunderland against Chelsea in May 2016

On 30 January 2016, Khazri joined Sunderland on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[12] Khazri scored his first goal for Sunderland against Manchester United on 13 February 2016, opening the scoring with a direct free kick that beat David de Gea at his far post. Khazri later set up Lamine Koné's 82nd-minute goal from a corner, as Sunderland won 2–1.[citation needed]

On 7 May 2016, Khazri scored a volley in a 3–2 win over Chelsea as manager Sam Allardyce's team neared survival in the Premier League. Richard Mennear of the Sunderland Echo wrote that "His work rate was immense, pressing and probing the Chelsea defence and causing problems from set pieces. He has regained his form just at the right time".[13]

On 31 August 2017, Khazri returned to Ligue 1, signing a season-long loan at Rennes.[14] He was sent off on 14 October in a 2–0 Derby Breton loss at Guingamp, earning two yellow cards for dissent within ten seconds.[15] His nine goals helped the club to 5th place and qualification to the Europa League.[16]

Saint-Étienne

[edit]
Khazri with Saint-Étienne in 2020

On 17 July 2018, Khazri transferred to Saint-Étienne for four years and chose to wear number 10.[16] He played his first match with the “Greens” on the first day of Ligue 1, 11 August against Guingamp at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard,[17] and it was on that day that he also scored his first goal in his new colors. He opened the scoring by performing a volley after a cross from the left of Loïs Diony. ASSE wins 2–1 in this game.[18] On 28 September, on behalf of the eighth day of Ligue 1, he achieved a performance at home against Monaco,[19] scoring the only two goals of the match, thus achieving his first double with Saint-Étienne.[20] On 12 January 2019, while ASSE traveled to the Stade de Roudourou to once again face Guingamp, Wahbi Khazri scored the only goal of the match on a direct free kick at ground level, deceiving the opposing goalkeeper Marc-Aurèle Caillard. This achievement allows him to bring his total of goals to ten units, a score he had never achieved before in a single season in the league. His second half of the season was less brilliant but he still ended the 2018–19 season with thirteen goals scored, making him the top scorer for his team in this exercise.[citation needed]

Khazri had a difficult start to the 2019–20 season. If he is decisive passer for Romain Hamouma during the victory in Dijon 1–2, it is not until the eleventh day, 27 October against Amiens, to see him score his first goal of the season, not sufficient however to obtain the victory 2–2. Khazri, who then gets injured with his selection in November, is out for several weeks.[21] Due to the state of the club's finances, he was placed on the unwanted list by Claude Puel during the 2020–21 season.[22] However, despite contacts at Turkish runner-up Trabzonspor,[23] the club failed to sell him. He is therefore reinstated in the group with a first match against Lens, where he takes a red card after a late tackle.[24] He scored his first goal of the season from the penalty spot against Lille 1–1 on 29 November. His playing time is reduced compared to previous seasons, but through perseverance he manages to regain his starting position and even scores the first hat-trick of his career in the victory 4–1 against Bordeaux on 11 April 2021.[25] This match also allows him to reach the symbolic bar of 200 matches in Ligue 1.[26]

During the 2021–22 season, on 30 October, during a trip to face Metz, he scored his seventh goal of the season in Ligue 1 with a shot from 68 meters, the furthest goal in Ligue 1 since 2006, the first year in which the distances of shots were measured.[27] After the eviction of Claude Puel as manager, interim coach Julien Sablé entrusted the captain's armband to Khazri. He continued his role as captain under new coach Pascal Dupraz.[28]

Montpellier

[edit]

On 27 June 2022, Khazri signed for Ligue 1 side Montpellier. He chose the number 99 jersey at the club, becoming the first player to wear the number for Montpellier.[29] On 13 August 2022, he scored his first goal for the club in 5–2 away loss to Paris Saint-Germain.[30]

International career

[edit]
Khazri playing with Tunisia against Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

In 2009, Khazri made his debut for the Tunisia national under-20 football team.[31] However, in November 2011, he was called up by Erick Mombaerts to the France national under-21 football team for a pair of 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifiers against Romania and Slovakia.[32] In February 2012, he played his first and only game for the French side, against Italy, before being substituted by Frédéric Bulot.[33]

In late 2012, Khazri switched his international allegiance once again, when he accepted a call-up from Sami Trabelsi, the Tunisian national team's coach, including him in the squad for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.[34] Henryk Kasperczak named Khazri among 23 Tunisians to compete at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.[35] In the final group game, a 4–2 win over Zimbabwe at the Stade d'Angondjé, he assisted Naïm Sliti and scored a penalty in a 4–2 win that put the Carthage Eagles through at the expense of a favoured Algeria side.[36]

Manager Nabil Maâloul called up Khazri for Tunisia's squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[37] In the second group match, he assisted Dylan Bronn and scored himself in added time in a 5–2 loss to Belgium in Moscow.[38] With both teams already eliminated, he then played his part in a 2–1 comeback win over Panama that was Tunisia's first at the World Cup since 1978; he set up Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and then scored the winning goal, the 2,500th in the competition's history.[39]

Khazri was the captain of the Tunisian side that came fourth at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. In their second group game, he equalised to earn a 1–1 draw with Mali in Port Suez.[40]

In the third match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against Mauritania, on 7 October 2021, he scored his 22nd goal in the colors of Tunisia, thus becoming the second top scorer in the selection behind Issam Jemâa (36 goals).[41] On the second day of the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Khazri scored his first double of the competition against Mauritania, in a match where the Eagles of Carthage won 4–0.[42]

In November 2022, Khazri was called up to the Tunisia squad by Jalel Kadri for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[43] On 30 November, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over France in the last match of group stage, yet Tunisia were eliminated as they finished third in their group due to an Australian victory over Denmark.[44] He announced his international retirement on the following day of the last World Cup match.[45]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 19 May 2024[46]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bastia 2008–09 Ligue 2 12 3 0 0 0 0 — — 12 3
2009–10 31 2 0 0 1 0 — — 32 2
2010–11 Championnat National 34 4 0 0 4 1 — — 38 5
2011–12 Ligue 2 33 9 2 1 0 0 — — 35 10
2012–13 Ligue 1 29 7 0 0 3 0 — — 32 7
2013–14 32 6 1 1 1 0 — — 34 7
Total 171 31 3 2 9 1 — — 183 34
Bordeaux 2014–15 Ligue 1 32 9 1 0 1 0 — — 34 9
2015–16 20 5 1 0 1 0 8[a] 1 — 30 6
Total 52 14 2 0 2 0 8 1 — 64 15
Sunderland 2015–16 Premier League 14 2 0 0 0 0 — — 14 2
2016–17 21 1 0 0 2 0 — — 23 1
2017–18 Championship 3 0 0 0 2 0 — — 5 0
Total 38 3 0 0 4 0 — — 42 3
Rennes (loan) 2017–18 Ligue 1 24 9 1 0 4 2 — — 29 11
Saint-Étienne 2018–19 Ligue 1 32 13 2 1 1 0 — — 35 14
2019–20 16 3 3 1 1 0 3[a] 2 — 23 6
2020–21 22 7 1 0 — — — 23 7
2021–22 30 10 1 0 — — 2[b] 0 33 10
Total 100 33 7 2 2 0 3 2 2 0 114 37
Montpellier 2022–23 Ligue 1 27 4 1 0 — — — 28 4
2023–24 25 1 3 0 — — — 28 1
Total 52 5 4 0 — — — 56 5
Career total 437 95 17 4 21 3 11 3 2 0 488 104
  1. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in Ligue 1 relegation play-offs

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[47]
National team Year Apps Goals
Tunisia 2013 7 2
2014 6 3
2015 9 3
2016 5 2
2017 7 1
2018 8 3
2019 11 5
2020 4 0
2021 8 3
2022 9 3
Total 74 25
Scores and results list Tunisia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Khazri goal.
List of international goals scored by Wahbi Khazri[47]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 23 March 2013 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Sierra Leone 2–0 2–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 14 August 2013 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Congo 1–0 3–0 Friendly
3 5 March 2014 RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain  Colombia 1–1 1–1 Friendly
4 6 September 2014 Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia  Botswana 1–1 2–1 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
5 19 November 2014 Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia  Egypt 2–1 2–1 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
6 11 January 2015 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Algeria 1–1 1–1 Friendly
7 9 October 2015 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Gabon 3–1 3–3 Friendly
8 13 November 2015 Stade Olympique, Nouakchott, Mauritania  Mauritania 1–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 4 September 2016 Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia  Liberia 1–0 4–1 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
10 11 November 2016 Omar Hamadi Stadium, Algiers, Algeria  Libya 1–0 1–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 23 January 2017 Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon  Zimbabwe 4–1 4–2 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
12 27 March 2018 Allianz Riviera, Nice, France  Costa Rica 1–0 1–0 Friendly
13 23 June 2018 Otkritie Arena, Moscow, Russia  Belgium 2–5 2–5 2018 FIFA World Cup
14 28 June 2018 Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia  Panama 2–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup
15 7 June 2019 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Iraq 1–0 2–0 Friendly
16 28 June 2019 Suez Stadium, Suez, Egypt  Mali 1–1 1–1 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
17 15 November 2019 Stade Olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisia  Libya 1–0 4–1 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
18 4–1
19 19 November 2019 Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea  Equatorial Guinea 1–0 1–0 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
20 3 September 2021 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 3–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
21 7 September 2021 Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia  Zambia 1–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
22 7 October 2021 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia  Mauritania 2–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
23 16 January 2022 Limbe Stadium, Limbe, Cameroon  Mauritania 2–0 4–0 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
24 3–0
25 30 November 2022 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar  France 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup

Honours

[edit]

Bastia

Saint-Étienne

Individual

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Wahbi Khazri". Montpellier HSC. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Sporting Club di Bastia". Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  5. ^ "Amiens v. Bastia Match Report". Archived from the original on 24 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Bastia v. Montpellier Match Report". Archived from the original on 12 March 2009.
  7. ^ "Bastia v. Vannes Match Report". Archived from the original on 5 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Bastia v. Troyes Match Report". Archived from the original on 2 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Wahbi Khazri signs for Bordeaux!". girondins.com. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Joueur". Ligue1 (in French). Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Cavani scores twice but PSG's 100 percent record goes". Reuters. 11 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Black Cats sign Wahbi Khazri". Archived from the original on 2 February 2016.
  13. ^ Mennear, Richard (8 May 2016). "Sunderland 3 Chelsea 2: Wahbi Khazri back to his best plus five other things learned from huge win". Sunderland Echo.
  14. ^ Mannear, Richard (31 August 2017). "Revealed: Details of Sunderland winger Wahbi Khazri's Rennes loan deal". The Shields Gazette. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  15. ^ McCormick, Sean (16 October 2017). "Sunderland AFC loan watch: Khazri sees red; Borini suffers derby heartache but stars in new role". Chronicle. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  16. ^ a b "Wahbi Khazri: Sunderland's Tunisia winger joins St Etienne for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  17. ^ "Mbappé acaba máximo goleador en Francia, pero no alcanza a Messi" [Mbappé ends up top goalscorer in France, but does not match Messi]. La Razón (in Spanish). 24 May 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  18. ^ @ASSEofficiel. "Wahbi Khazri est Stéphanois !". ASSE.fr (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  19. ^ "St Etienne 2-0 AS Monaco: Wahbi Khazri double condemns Leonardo Jardim's men to fourth Ligue 1 defeat". Sky Sports. AFP. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  20. ^ "Khazri double takes Saint-Etienne third, sinks Marseille". Ligue 1. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Saint-Étienne : Wahbi Khazri opéré de la main droite et absent trois semaines". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  22. ^ "ASSE – Mercato : Khazri, seulement le premier d'une liste d'indésirables !". OneFootball (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Trabzonspor veut Wahbi Khazri mais..." Foot Mercato : Info Transferts Football - Actu Foot Transfert (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Lens - Saint-Etienne : Khazri expulsé 20 minutes après son entrée". Eurosport (in French). 3 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  25. ^ "Wahbi Khazri, de banni à héros de l'AS Saint-Étienne". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  26. ^ "Auteur de son premier triplé, Khazri savoure sa revanche / Ligue 1 (J32)". Football 365 (in French). 4 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Le lob record de Khazri affole les compteurs de la LFP". Foot National (in French). 30 October 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  28. ^ "ASSE : Wahbi Khazri nouveau capitaine des Verts". ici, par France Bleu et France 3 (in French). 9 December 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  29. ^ "Wahbi Khazri est Montpelliérain !" (in French). Montpellier HSC. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Paris Saint Germain 5–2 Montpellier". BBC Sport. 13 August 2022.
  31. ^ "Montpellier : vers l'association Saihi-Khazri". Topnet.tn. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  32. ^ Jérôme Negroni (28 February 2010). "Khazri : " Un beau match à jouer "". SC-Bastia.net. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  33. ^ "Match : France – Italie". fff.fr. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  34. ^ "Khazri switches allegiance to Tunisia". Al Jazeera. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  35. ^ Abdallah, Salma (5 January 2017). "Tunisia announce 23-man squad for Africa Cup of Nations". King Fut. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  36. ^ Young, Henry; Grez, Matias (23 January 2017). "AFCON 2017: Algeria and Zimbabwe crash out". CNN. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  37. ^ Adewoye, Gbenga (2 June 2018). "Tunisia unveil 23-man squad for the World Cup". Goal.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  38. ^ Bevan, Chris (23 June 2018). "Belgium 5–2 Tunisia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  39. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (28 June 2018). "Panama 1–2 Tunisia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  40. ^ "Captain Khazri salvages Cup of Nations draw for Tunisia". France 24. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  41. ^ "Sélection tunisienne : Wahbi KHazri aux trousses de Issam Jemaa | Africa Foot United". africafootunited.com (in French). 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  42. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Tunisia revive hopes, Mauritania say goodbye". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  43. ^ "FFT Tunisia squad WC 2022". 22 November 2022.
  44. ^ Nick Ames (30 November 2022). "Tunisia shock much-changed France thanks to Wahbi Khazri but still go out". The Guardian.
  45. ^ Anas Bakhkhar (1 December 2022). "Tunisie : Wahbi Khazri met un terme à sa carrière internationale". footmercato.net (in French).
  46. ^ Wahbi Khazri at Soccerway. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  47. ^ a b "Wahbi Khazri". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  48. ^ "Mbappé suffers ankle injury as PSG beat 10-man Saint-Étienne to lift French Cup". The Guardian. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  49. ^ "Palmarès". Trophées UNFP du Football (in French). Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  50. ^ "Référendum TAP : Malek Jaziri meilleur sportif, Wahbi Khazri meilleur footballeur | Revue de Sport". news.gnet.tn. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
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