Carl Medjani is an Algerian-French footballer born in 1985.
Medjani spent most of his career in France while representing the Algeria national team at the international level.
He captained the France U21 team in the Toulon Tournament of 2006 before switching to represent Algeria.
Biography
Early Life
Carl Medjani was born in 1985 to an Algerian father and a French mother, giving him dual eligibility for both national football teams. Growing up, he was inspired by the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, which influenced his competitive spirit and determination in sports.
Career
Medjani's football journey began in the youth ranks of Saint-Étienne, where he showcased his potential as a defender. In August 2003, he signed with Liverpool FC, where he faced tough competition for a first-team spot. To gain experience, he was loaned to FC Lorient for the 2004-2005 season, followed by a loan to FC Metz in 2005-2006. After returning to Lorient on a permanent basis, he moved to AC Ajaccio in 2007, where he made a significant impact, eventually earning a permanent contract.
His career continued to flourish as he played for several clubs, including Olympiacos, Trabzonspor, and Levante UD. Medjani also had a notable international career, initially representing France at various youth levels, including captaining the U21 team. However, he later chose to represent Algeria, making his debut in 2010 and participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Legacy
Carl Medjani is remembered as a versatile defender who successfully transitioned from youth football in France to international competitions with Algeria. His journey reflects the complexities of identity in sports, as he navigated his dual heritage while making significant contributions to both club and national teams.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Club
International goals
Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Medjani goal.
Medjani has an Algerian father and a French mother, and was eligible for both national teams. Medjani captained the France U21 team in the Toulon Tournament of 2006. However, being of Algerian origin, he made the switch to represent Algeria in international competitions and was called up by Rabah Saâdane to the Algeria national team's preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, before going on to make the full tournament squad. On 10 December 2012, it was announced that Medjani was selected in the 40-man provisional squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Medjani survived the cuts, firstly to the 24-man list announced on 18 December 2012, and then to the final squad of twenty-three. Having won 25 caps by this point, Medjani made his second FIFA World Cup squad by winning a place in the Algerian cohort for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. A year and ten appearances later, Medjani joined the Algeria team at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool
After spending his youth development years at Saint-Étienne, he was signed by Liverpool's manager Gérard Houllier in August 2003. Liverpool beat off stiff competition from Premiership rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and German giants Bayern Munich to secure his services. In an interview with L'Équipe, Medjani revealed he left Saint-Étienne because he was willing to stay if given an opportunity with the first team, but his request was turned down by manager Frédéric Antonetti. Medjani then struggled to break in Liverpool first team so he was sent on loan to Lorient for the whole 2004–05 season by new Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez, where he made 25 appearances. Despite impressing in the Toulon under-20 tournament in summer 2005, Benítez deemed it necessary for him to gain more experience and so he spent 2005–06 on loan at Metz.
Lorient
At the start of the 2006–07 season, he rejoined Lorient, this time on a permanent basis.
Ajaccio
In the 2007–08 season, Medjani moved down to Ligue 2 joining Ajaccio for the remainder of the season. The 2008–09 season earned Medjani a permanent move with the club on a three-year deal. He soon made an immediate impact when he scored his first goal in the second round of Coupe de la Ligue during Ajaccio's 4–2 loss against Montpellier. On 20 February 2009, Medjani came on as a substitute in the second half and 18 minutes into the game, he was sent off, along with Brahim Ferradj in the same minute, as…
- Club
- FC Metz (2005–2006)
- Club
- AS Monaco FC (2013–2014)
- Club
- F.C. Lorient (2004–2005)
- Club
- A.C. Ajaccio (2007–2013)
- Club
- Liverpool F.C. (2003–2006)
- Club
- AS Saint-Étienne
- Club
- F.C. Lorient (2006–2007)
- Club
- Olympiacos F.C. (2013–2013)
- Club
- Valenciennes F.C. (2014–2014)
- Club
- Trabzonspor (2014–2015)
- Club
- Levante UD (2016–)
- Club
- Algeria men's national football team (2010–)
- Club
- France national under-16 association football team (2001–2002)
- Club
- France national under-17 association football team (2002–2003)
- Club
- France national under-18 association football team (2003–2004)
- Club
- France national under-21 association football team (2004–2006)
- National team
- France
- National team
- Algeria
Personal
Clubs
- Algeria men's national football team2010current
- Levante UD2016current
- AS Saint-Étiennecurrent
- France national under-16 association football team2001–2002
- France national under-17 association football team2002–2003
- France national under-18 association football team2003–2004
- Liverpool F.C.2003–2006
- F.C. Lorient2004–2005
- France national under-21 association football team2004–2006
- FC Metz2005–2006
- F.C. Lorient2006–2007
- A.C. Ajaccio2007–2013
- AS Monaco FC2013–2014
- Olympiacos F.C.2013–2013
- Trabzonspor2014–2015
- Valenciennes F.C.2014–2014
Played together with
- Aadil AssanaAS Monaco FC · 2011–2014
- Abdallah YaisienFrance national under-16 association football team · 2009–2010
- Abdallah YaisienFrance national under-17 association football team · 2010–2011
- Abdallah YaisienFrance national under-18 association football team · 2011–2011
Abdelaziz Ben TifourAS Monaco FC · 1956–1958- Abdelaziz KamaraAS Saint-Étienne · 2000–2006
- Abdelaziz KamaraFrance national under-16 association football team · 1998–1998
- Abdelaziz KamaraFrance national under-18 association football team · 2000–2000
Abdelhamid El KaoutariFrance national under-16 association football team- Abdelhamid El KaoutariFrance national under-17 association football team · 2006–2007
- Abdelhamid El KaoutariFrance national under-18 association football team · 2007–2008
Abdelkader FerhaouiAS Saint-Étienne · 1998–2000
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Carl Medjani is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender or defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career in France, his country of birth, while representing the Algeria national team at international level.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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