Karim Soltani

Karim Soltani
Born	(1984-08-29) August 29, 1984 Brest, France
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	2002–2019
Known for	Winger and striker for multiple European and Algerian clubs

Karim Soltani (; born 29 August 1984) is a retired Algerian professional football player, mainly operating as a winger but also deployed as a striker during his career.

Career

Originating from Brest, France, Soltani embarked on his football journey at the age of 11 with a local team. By 2000, when he was 15, he progressed to the youth system of Stade Brest before being recruited by Le Havre AC.

Le Havre

In 2002, Soltani secured a two-year amateur contract with Le Havre's youth squad and subsequently extended his deal by one year to join the senior team; however, he did not feature in any official matches.

VVV-Venlo

Soltani transferred to Dutch club VVV-Venlo competing in the Eerste Divisie in 2005. His initial season included 19 appearances and three goals, followed by an improved second season tallying 30 appearances and seven goals, contributing significantly to the team's promotion to the Eredivisie. During the 2007–08 campaign, he recorded three goals across 28 matches. Although intending to return to France for family reasons after his stint at VVV-Venlo, he ultimately signed with ADO Den Haag for the 2008–09 season.

ADO Den Haag

Despite earlier plans to move back to France, Soltani opted to continue in the Eredivisie by joining ADO Den Haag. He made his debut in a commanding 5–2 away victory against Sparta Rotterdam in the season opener of 2008–09. His inaugural goal came in a 4–0 away win over NAC Breda. Over that season, he amassed six goals in 27 league outings and added one goal in three KNVB Cup appearances. In the subsequent 2009–10 season, Soltani contributed four goals in 28 league matches and featured once in the KNVB Cup.

Iraklis Thessaloniki

On 23 July 2010, Soltani inked a one-year deal with Greek Super League side Iraklis Thessaloniki, selecting their proposal over offers from Brest, Nantes, and Lens due to more favorable financial and sporting conditions. He debuted as a substitute in the 62nd minute against Olympiacos, playing a pivotal role by earning a penalty converted by Bogdan Mara and assisting Apostolos Vellios in securing a 2–1 victory. In the subsequent fixture versus Atromitos, Soltani scored an equalizing goal at the 89th minute, ensuring a 1–1 draw. He netted his second goal for Iraklis during a home match that ended 1–1 against Panserraikos on matchday six.

Aris Thessaloniki

During the summer of 2011, Soltani joined Aris, donning the number seven jersey. He made an impact in pre-season friendlies by scoring against Peñarol and later opened his official scoring account with a goal against Panthrakikos FC in the Greek Cup on 22 December 2011.

ES Sétif

Following one year at Aris, Soltani moved back to Algeria’s premier division signing with ES Sétif on a free transfer; he received the club’s highest monthly wage of €15,000. After completing pre-season preparations under coach Hubert Velud, he committed to a two-year contract with the Algerian champions. Nonetheless, after seven appearances and scoring once, he ended his contract within six months due to unresolved issues regarding salary advances and subsequently returned to Europe by joining Skoda Xanthi.

Xanthi

In January 2013, Xanthi acquired Soltani on a free transfer, capitalizing on his prior experience in Greece’s top flight. He marked his debut on 27 January 2013 during a narrow 1–0 away victory over PAOK. On 26 September 2015, amid a league match against Iraklis, Soltani was dismissed following a severe foul and ensuing confrontations involving players and staff members. On 31 May 2017, Xanthi declared they would not extend his contract beyond its expiration on 30 June.

PAS Giannina

In August 2017, Soltani joined PAS Giannina, a club competing in the Super League Greece, on a free transfer.

International career

Although born in France, Soltani qualifies to represent Algeria internationally and has shown a willingness to play for their national team. It was reported that Algerian manager Rabah Saâdane observed him prior to the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Personal life

Soltani's roots trace back to Berriche, a town located in Algeria's Oum El Bouaghi Province.