Full name Hassan El Fakiri 1995–1999 Lyn Height 1.74 m | Years Team Role Footballer Name Hassan Fakiri | |
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Date of birth (1977-04-18) 18 April 1977 (age 38) | ||
Hassan El Fakiri (Arabic: حسن الفكيري, born 18 April 1977 in Temsamane, Morocco) is a former Norwegian professional footballer, and the current head coach of 3. Divisjon club Os TF. His last playing spell was for SK Brann.
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Career
El Fakiri started his career with the Norwegian, Oslo-based club Lyn. He made his debut in game against local rivals Skeid on 28 May 1995. As a young and talented midfielder, El Fakiri earned the admiration of the Lyn fans, who made him player of the year in 1997.
El Fakiri joined SK Brann in 2000, instantly catching the eyes of scouts from the French-registered, Monaco based football club, AS Monaco FC. Due to SK Brann's dire financial straits at the time, Hassan El Fakiri was sold to the French Ligue 1 team before he had actually played a league game for SK Brann. El Fakiri played nine league games for SK Brann, scoring three goals, before leaving Bergen in the transfer window. One of the most notable contributions from El Fakiri was a sterling performance in midfield in the first game of the 2000 Tippeliga season, a 4–1 home drubbing of local rivals Viking FK. Two of the goals in this game was scored by the striker Mons Ivar Mjelde, who later re-signed El Fakiri, this time as the manager of SK Brann.
El Fakiri's stay in Monaco started off slowly, being sent out on loan to both his boyhood Norwegian team Lyn and Rosenborg BK. The 2002–03 French League 1 season saw El Fakiri's fortunes change, with AS Monaco coach Didier Deschamps' preferring to use the midfielder as a right back. Hassan El Fakiri was even an unused substitute in the 2004 Champions League final between AS Monaco and Portuguese side FC Porto. Hassan El Fakiris contract with AS Monaco FC expired in 2005, and El Fakiri chose to continue his career with Borussia Mönchengladbach, joining the Bundesliga side on a Bosman free transfer. At Borussia, El Fakiri returned to his favoured midfield berth, helping the side to tenth place in the 2005–06 Bundesliga. However, the next season Borussia were relegated from the Bundesliga after losing 1–0 at home to VfB Stuttgart on the last matchday.
The relegation coincided with El Fakiri's contract expiring, and after considering several contract proposals from Norwegian clubs, Fakiri returned to Brann seven years after he left Brann for Monaco. El Fakiri's return to Bergen was a happy one, helping SK Brann to their first Norwegian championship in 44 years.
International career
He has been capped nine times by the Norway national football team.