Goodbye Europe: A look back at Lyon & Betis star and world champion Nabil Fekir's European career
On August 31, 2024, Nabil Fekir bid farewell to the European arena and moved to Abu Dhabi Peninsula.
In his European career, Fekir scored exactly 100 goals, a very beautiful number.
This article is a brief summary of Fekir's European career moments, with data from Transfermarkt and sofascore.
August 28, 2013: Career debut
Fekir's early career was not smooth, and he was not a talented player in the strict sense - he was thin and short, and was abandoned by Lyon until he returned to the Rhone Lions before his 18th birthday.
In the 2013-14 season, Fekir made his first-team debut for Lyon in the Champions League qualifier against Real Sociedad. He replaced Benzia and came on the bench. Lyon eventually lost 0-2.
April 27, 2014: First goal of career
On this day, Fekir scored his first goal in his career - Lyon defeated Bastia 4-1 in the French Ligue 1. Fekir opened his French Ligue 1 account in the 23rd minute.
In addition, in this game, Fekir also assisted Lacazette and Cornet to score, with 1 shot and 2 assists.
March 26, 2015: National team debut
Fekir made a big breakthrough in the 2014-15 season. He once chose to accept the call of the Algerian Football Association and join the Algerian national team, but after a call from Deschamps, the Lyon attacker regretted it.
In March 2015, in the match against Brazil, Fekir made his national team debut, replacing Griezmann and wearing the No. 7 jersey.
May 17, 2015: Won the Ligue 1 Best Young Player
In the 2014-15 season, Fekir scored 15 goals and assisted 12 times, won the Ligue 1 Best Young Player and was selected into the Ligue 1 Best Team.
August 29, 2015: First Hat Trick
On this day, Fekir scored his first hat trick in his career, helping Lyon beat Caen 4-0.
September 4, 2015: Torn Cruciate Ligament
Fekir made his first start for the national team in a friendly against Portugal and suffered a serious ACL injury.
This injury kept Fekir away from the field for 6 months and also made him start his career as a playmaker.
February 23, 2017: First European goal and hat trick
On this day, Lyon defeated Alkmaar 7-1 and advanced to the round of 16 of the Europa League. Fekir scored 3 goals and 1 assist, performing well in the unfamiliar center position.
Fekir also scored his first goal and hat trick in the European competition.
November 7, 2017: Dominate the Rhone Derby
On this day, Fekir scored 2 goals in the derby against Saint-Etienne, helping Lyon win 5-0.
After the game, the new Lyon captain made a Messi-like celebration - showing his jersey to the away team's stands, which also caused a riot.
June 9, 2018: Failed to join Liverpool
In the summer of 2018, Fekir was close to signing with Liverpool. The transfer was only one step away. Fekir went to Merseyside for a physical examination and prepared to sign the contract. He took the final makeup photo, but then came the news of the failed transfer.
To this day, no one knows why Fekir failed to transfer to the Red Army - Fekir himself and his agent broke up because of this, and gave completely different versions of the story. Liverpool did not make any further comments on this.
July 15, 2018: Becoming a World Cup champion
The failed transfer made Fekir feel painful, but he quickly adjusted his mood to join the French national team in the World Cup.
In Russia, the French team won the World Cup. Fekir played 6 times, a total of 72 minutes, and was the team's chief substitute.
In the final against Croatia, Fekir also got a chance to play, and he also gave himself a big gift for his 25th birthday.
July 23, 2019: Joining Real Betis
Fekir became a member of Real Betis in 2019 and went to La Liga to challenge.
The Frenchman joined Betis for a transfer fee of 19.75 million euros plus a generous second transfer share and bonus clause. He also joined the Andalusian club with his brother Yassine Fekir.
April 23, 2022: First championship in club career
Betis defeated Valencia on penalties on this day and won the King's Cup. Fekir started and played for 111 minutes, winning the first championship trophy in his club career.
In this regard, Fekir also said that the significance of this championship is not even lower than the World Cup championship.
February 24, 2023: Another cruciate ligament tear
Fekir tore his ACL again in the league against Elche and was forced to rest for a long time. He will return to the field in November 2023.
April 12, 2024: Scored 100 goals in his career
On this day, Fekir, who became the new captain of Betis, scored the 100th goal of his career with a right-foot shot against Celta.
August 31, 2024: Leaving the European arena
Fekir left the European arena today in Beijing time and went to the Abu Dhabi Peninsula to find new challenges.
