Karim Ziani

Karim Ziani
Born	Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani (1982-08-17) August 17, 1982 Sèvres, France
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	2001–2019
Known for	Algerian international footballer, midfield playmaker
Notable work	Represented Algeria at 2010 FIFA World Cup and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments

Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani (; born 17 August 1982) is a retired professional footballer who primarily operated as a midfield playmaker. Although born in France, he chose to represent Algeria at the international level.

Ziani holds a revered status in Algeria, especially for providing the decisive assist that secured the nation’s qualification for their first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1986, overcoming their rivals Egypt in the process. He participated in both the 2004 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments—achieving a fourth-place finish in 2010—and represented Algeria at the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. Throughout his international tenure, Ziani earned 62 caps and netted five goals for his country.

Club career

Ziani’s football journey commenced in 1995 when he joined the youth ranks of Racing Club de Paris at the age of 13.

Troyes

In 1998, he entered the youth system of Troyes, drawing attention from clubs such as Lens and Nantes. After three years, Troyes offered him his inaugural professional contract in 2001—a five-year agreement. At just 17, under coach Alain Perrin, he was promoted to the senior team and made his first appearance on 8 December 2001 against SC Bastia, initially coming off the bench. Ziani became a regular starter during the 2002–03 campaign, featuring in 24 matches. Following Troyes’ relegation to Ligue 2 in 2003, he appeared in 28 games during the 2003–04 season and registered his first professional goal versus FC Rouen. The subsequent season saw limited playing opportunities and growing external interest, prompting Troyes to consider transferring him. Turkish side Rivaspor submitted an offer but negotiations fell through after Ziani insisted that fellow Algerian Madjid Bougherra be allowed a trial—a condition Rivaspor declined.

Lorient

In the summer of 2004, Ziani moved on loan to FC Lorient, where over two seasons he emerged as a pivotal figure, spearheading their promotion to Ligue 1. His performances earned him recognition as the best player in Ligue 2 for the 2005–06 season.

Sochaux

Ziani signed a three-year contract with FC Sochaux in summer 2006, reuniting with his former coach at Troyes, Alain Perrin. He played a key role in Sochaux’s triumph at the 2007 Coupe de France Final, successfully converting a penalty during the shootout following a 2–2 draw.

Marseille

In June 2007, Ziani transferred to Olympique de Marseille for a fee of $11 million. Under coach Eric Gerets, he quickly established himself as a first-team regular and scored his maiden goal for Marseille against Valenciennes.

VfL Wolfsburg

On 7 July 2009, Ziani agreed to a four-year contract with Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg. By late 2010 and early 2011, he attracted interest from several clubs including Newcastle United, AS Monaco, FC Lorient, VfB Stuttgart, Everton, and Birmingham City. On 14 January 2011, he was loaned to Turkish outfit Kayserispor for six months with an option for a permanent move.

On 8 July 2011, Ziani and Wolfsburg mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

El Jaish

On 20 July 2011, Ziani signed a three-year deal with Qatari club El Jaish. He made his debut in the Qatar Stars League on 18 September 2011 against Al Khor. Although he did not score during his first season, Ziani concluded the 2011–12 campaign as the league’s leading provider of assists with thirteen.

Orléans

Ziani spent three years competing for the French Ligue club US Orléans, where he netted nine goals across 92 appearances. He concluded his professional career in the summer of 2019, retiring at the age of 36 after 18 years in the sport.

International career

In 2003, Ziani opted to play for Algeria instead of France, making his debut for the Algerian national side under interim manager Georges Leekens during a friendly match against Belgium. He participated in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, where Algeria advanced to the quarter-finals and Ziani earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament.

His first goal on the international stage came in a 1–0 triumph over Gambia during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, he scored twice in a 3–0 win against Liberia, playing a key role in securing Algeria’s place at the World Cup held in South Africa. Ziani also delivered notable performances at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Style of play

Despite a smaller physical frame, Ziani makes up for it with remarkable technical ability and an unwavering determination on the field.

Personal life

Born in Sèvres, France, to an Algerian father from Béjaïa and a French mother, Ziani is married and has two children named Lina and Kaïs. He has a twin sister, Karima, who is married to Algerian international player Antar Yahia.

Club

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
Troyes	2001–02	Ligue 1	8	0	2	0					–		10	0
	2002–03		24	0	1	0	1	0			–		26	0
	2003–04	Ligue 2	28	1	1	0	1	0			–		30	1
	2004–05		3	0							–		3	0
	Total		63	1	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	69	1
Lorient (loan)	2004–05	Ligue 2	24	1							–		24	1
Lorient	2005–06	Ligue 2	37	7			2	1			–		39	8
Sochaux	2006–07	Ligue 1	36	8	5	0	3	1			–		44	9
Marseille	2007–08	Ligue 1	21	1	2	0	2	1	3	0	–		28	2
	2008–09		28	3					9	0	–		37	3
	Total		49	4	2	0	2	1	12	0	0	0	65	5
VfL Wolfsburg	2009–10	Bundesliga	10	0	2	0		4	0		–		16	0
	2010–11		5	0	2	0		0	0		–		7	0
	Total		15	0	4	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	23	0
Kayserispor (loan)	2010–11	Süper Lig	13	0						–		13	0
El Jaish	2011–12	Qatar Stars League	22	0						–		22	0
	2012–13		19	1			7	0		–		26	1
	Total		41	1	0	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	48	1
Al-Arabi	2013–14	23	3	2	1	—		0	0	–		25	4
Ajman Club	2014-15 UAE Pro-League	UAE Pro-League	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	–		3	0
Al-Fujairah SC	2014-15 UAE Pro-League	UAE Pro-League	11	0	0	0	0	International Career National team appearances and goals by year National team Year Appearances Goals Algeria 2003 3 0 2004 11 0 2005 6 0 2006 3 1 2007 8 0 2008 8 2 2009 7 1 2010 14 1 2011 2 0 Overall Total 62 5 Algeria's score is listed first; the score column reflects the match score immediately following each goal scored by Ziani. Karim Ziani's international goals summary No. Date Location Opponent Score After Goal Final Score Competition 1 7 October 2006 Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 2 6 June 2008 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria Template:Fb 2–0 3–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 3 3–0 4 11 October 2009 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria Template:Fb 3–1 3–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 5 5 June 2010 Playmobil-Stadion, Fürth, Germany Template:Fb 1–0 1–0 Friendly Achievements Sochaux Winner of the Coupe de France: 2007 VfL Wolfsburg Runner-up in the DFL-Supercup: 2009 El Jaish Champion of the Qatari Stars Cup: 2013 Algeria National Team Fourth place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations: 2010 Personal Accolades Selected for the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2004 Awarded the DZFoot d'Or three consecutive years: 2004, 2005, and 2006 Honored as Ligue 2 Player of the Year in 2006 (with FC Lorient) Named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Year for the 2005–06 season (with FC Lorient) Recognized as Algerian Footballer of the Year in both 2006 and 2007 External links Video feature on Karim Ziani’s performance during the 2006–07 season