Noureddine Naybet

1989/93 WAC Casablanca (MOR) 75 games, 4 goals

1993/94 FC Nantes (FRA) 41 games, 1 goal

(French Championship: 34 games, 1 goal)

(French Cup: 5 games)

(UEFA Cup: 2 games)

1994/96 Sporting Lisbon (POR) 54 games, 5 goals

1996/2004 Deportivo La Coruña (SPA) 284 games, 16 goals

(Spanish Championship: 211 games, 11 goals)

(Spanish Cup: 13 games)

(Spanish Super Cup: 4 games, 1 goal)

(Champions League: 46 games, 4 goals)

(UEFA Cup: 10 matches)

2004/06 Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 35 matches, 1 goal

(English Premier League: 30 matches, 1 goal)

(English Cup: 5 matches)

With the National Team :

115 caps, 4 goals

(Friendly matches: 36 caps, 2 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 25 caps, 1 goal)

(World Cup: 5 caps)

(Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: 26 caps, 1 goal)

(Africa Cup of Nations: 20 caps)

1st cap: 9 August 1990 against Tunisia (0-0)

Last cap: 28 January 2006 against Libya (0-0)

Noureddine Naybet

Born February 10, 1970 in Casablanca (MAR)

Moroccan, Libero, Center-back, 1m82

Nickname: "Minister of Defense"

Noureddine Naybet was born on February 10, 1970 in Casablanca. Addicted to football, he spends his time playing football and will quickly prove to be very talented. He is then spotted by Etoile de Casablanca but he only stays there for a week, then signing with Wydad Casablanca. In this second club, he will climb all the ranks.

He is a libero who is very complete. With crazy elegance, he reigns as the boss of the defense and will silence the best players on the planet throughout his career. He had an anticipation and an extraordinary reading of the game, allowing him to chain together victorious duels.

His aura is great, he seems to display great mastery and he begins to accumulate trophies in North Africa. He was selected for the first time in his career with the Moroccan national team in August 1990. Winning 3 Moroccan championship titles and 1 African Champions League, he became one of the most important African players on the planet.

At 23, he joined Europe and France at FC Nantes where his exceptional speed and defensive qualities impressed. With his vision, he was then one of the most promising defenders in the French championship. After one season, the club was already too small for him and he joined Sporting Lisbon.

There he won the Portuguese Cup and Super Cup in his first season. Becoming more and more consistent in his very high-level performances, he caught the eye of Deportivo La Coruña where he signed in 1996. With his physical strength and incredible reading of the game, he confirmed his status as one of the best defenders on the planet.

The one nicknamed "The Minister of Defense" will allow his club to reach 3rd place in the championship and to be the best defense with 30 goals conceded in 42 games for his first season in La Liga. He finally won the Spanish championship in 2000 within a magnificent team composed of him, Makaay and Djalminha.

Deportivo La Coruña is then one of the best clubs in the world and wins several trophies in Spain. During his time in Spain, he will have been contacted by Real Madrid and Manchester United. In 2004, he even reached a semi-final of the Champions League, lost against FC Porto.

He then decides at 34 years old to join England and Tottenham Hotspur. His first season is rather successful but for the second he is relegated to the bench and he finally retires at 36 years old.

Homepage