Karim Matmour

SC Freiburg

Born in Strasbourg, France, Matmour joined hometown club Vauban Strasbourg when he was six years old. He then joined RC Strasbourg, where he began his playing career. After coming through the academy ranks, he failed to make it into the first team and was then rejected by Racing CFF. He subsequently returned to Vauban Strasbourg before leaving for Germany to join SC Freiburg in 2004. After spending his first season with the club's reserve side, Matmour was eventually promoted to the senior side in the second half of the 2005–06 season. He made his SC Freiburg first team debut on 28 January 2006, coming on as a substitute for Ibrahim Tanko in the 67th minute, in a 1–0 win over Dynamo Dresden. In a match against 1860 Munich on 27 February 2006, Matmour set up a goal for Aleksandre Iashvili, who went on to score twice, in a 2–1 win. On 3 May 2006, he scored his first goals, in a 2–1 win over Hansa Rostock. His assists in the last two matches against Alemannia Aachen and Greuther Fürth saw the club win both matches, but failed to bounce back to Bundesliga after finishing fourth place in the league. At the end of the 2005–06 season, Matmour made a total of 16 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. In the 2006–07 season, Matmour continued to feature in the first team at the start of the season with SC Freiburg. He then set up for the first two goals in the match, in a 3–3 draw against Greuther Fürth on 22 September 2006. However, Matmour…

After leaving Australia, Matmour returned to Germany and was appointed as an assistant manager for Kehler FV in February 2018. However, he stated that he has yet been retired from professional football. After five months at the club, Matmour was appointed as the club's coach. Three months later, it was announced that Matmour was no longer on his coaching duties at the club, but stayed at Kehler FV as an advisory capacity. It was revealed in March 2019 that he passed his UEFA A licence. In September 2020, Matmour was appointed as a scout for Bayer Leverkusen, having been linked with a move for months.

Matmour received first call up to Algeria against Libya and made his national team debut on 6 February 2007, starting a match and played 55 minutes before coming off, in a 2–1 win. Two years later, on 7 June 2009, he scored his first ever Algeria international goal, in a 3–1 win over Egypt. Then, on 18 November 2009 against Egypt for the second time this year, Matmour came on as a substitute in the 57th minute and helped the side beat them 1–0 to qualify for the next year's World Cup. The following month, Matmour was selected by Saâdane to play in the 2010 African Cup of Nations hosted in Angola. At the African Cup Nations, he played his first match of the tournament, where he started and played 62 minutes, in a 3–0 loss against Malawi on 11 January 2010. Matmour scored an equaliser against Ivory Coast and the game went through extra time, as Algeria won 3–2 to ensure their qualification for the semi-finals. For his performance, Matmour was named Man of the Match. However, losses against Egypt and Nigeria saw Algeria finish in fourth place in the tournament. Matmour was then called by the national team again for the World Cup in South Africa. He played his first World Cup match on Matchday, where he started and played for 81 minutes before coming off a substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Slovenia. He went on to start the next two matches against England and USA, as Algeria ended up eliminated in the group stage, without scoring a single goal. After the World Cup, Matmour…

Growing up in Strasbourg, France to Algerian parents from Tiaret and six siblings, Matmour said he first started football was at "right in front of my house. There were two in my neighborhood, a concrete and a lawn" and idolised Raí. However, Matmour said: "The grades at school had to be right, then I was allowed to go to the table" and once did not play football for a year, describing it as "the worst time of his life." In addition to speaking French, he also speaks German and understands Arabic (he hinted that he would learn the language one day). On his political views in France, Matmour is a critic of Nicolas Sarkozy, accusing him of creating conflicts over derogatory statements against young French immigrants. Matmour is Muslim. Since 2009, Matmour is married to Algerian-German singer Manel Filali, famous for her work with Anne Ross in the pop duo Milk & Honey.