Biography
Who is Djamel Belmadi?
Professional football career
Djamel Belmadi began his playing career in France at Paris Saint-Germain, debuting in January 1996. He spent time at several clubs, including Martigues, Marseille, and Cannes. During his tenure at Marseille, he secured a regular spot in the midfield and especially scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Sedan in April 2001. His time in Ligue 1 also included a stint with Valenciennes later in his career.
His career extended beyond France, as he played in the Spanish La Liga for Celta Vigo and the English Premier League for Manchester City. He joined Manchester City on loan in January 2003 under manager Kevin Keegan, making his debut in a 4-1 win against Fulham. He later played for Southampton in the Football League Championship, where he remained until 2007 despite suffering several injuries that limited his appearances to 40 games over two years. He also had playing spells with Al-Ittihad and Al-Kharitiyath in Qatar before retiring from professional football in 2009.
International playing experience
Djamel Belmadi represented Algeria on the international stage between 2000 and 2004. He earned his first cap on July 9, 2000, in a match against Morocco. Over the course of his international career, he made 20 appearances for the national team and scored a total of 5 goals.
He was a member of the Algerian squad for the 2004 African Nations Cup. The team advanced past the first round but was eventually eliminated by Morocco in the quarter-finals. His final match for the national team took place on June 20, 2004, during a World Cup qualification game against Zimbabwe.
Coaching and management
Belmadi transitioned into coaching in 2010 when he took charge of the Qatar Stars League club Lekhwiya. Under his guidance, the team won the league title in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. He later managed the Qatar B team, leading them to victory in the 2014 WAFF Championship. In March 2014, he became the head coach of the Qatar senior national team, where he secured the 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup before departing in 2015.
In August 2018, he was appointed as the manager of the Algeria national team. He led the squad to win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, marking the country's second continental title. Despite this success, the team faced challenges in subsequent tournaments, including an early exit in the 2021 AFCON and failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. His tenure with the national team ended in January 2024 by mutual consent. In June 2025, he returned to manage the club side Al-Duhail.
Birthday and age
Djamel Belmadi was born on March 27, 1976, which makes Djamel 50 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Djamel shares the date with 77 other famous people.
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