Abdelaziz Barrada (; 19 June 1989 – 24 October 2024), sometimes known as Abdel, was a professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in France, he represented Morocco at international level.
He played in Spain's La Liga for Getafe and France's Ligue 1 for Marseille, in addition to spells in top-flight football in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar. He earned 26 caps for Morocco, and was chosen for the 2012 Olympic football tournament and the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Club career Early career Barrada was born on 19 June 1989 in Provins, France. He played in the youth teams of Paris FC before joining Sénart-Moissy. He spent three years with Paris Saint-Germain's reserves, and in 2007 he was the inaugural winner of the Titi d'Or for the club's best youth player.
Getafe Barrada moved to Spain in 2010 and joined Getafe, initially being assigned to the reserves which were playing for the first time ever in Segunda División B. On 14 March 2011, he signed his first professional contract with the Madrid outskirts club.Abdelaziz Barrada passe pro à Getafe (Abdelaziz Barrada turns pro at Getafe) ; Maroc Football, 14 March 2011 (in French)
On 28 August 2011, Barrada made his La Liga debut with Getafe, starting and playing 60 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Levante.Juanlu saves Levante; ESPN Soccernet, 28 August 2011 He was immediately propelled into manager Luís García's starting XI.Abdel Barrada, la joya de la cantera del Getafe (Abdel Barrada, Getafe youth system's gem); ABC, 7 November 2011 (in Spanish) He scored his first goal for Getafe's main squad on 6 November, helping the hosts – who played more than 60 minutes with ten players – to a 3–2 home win against Atlético Madrid.; ESPN Soccernet, 6 November 2011 In the following month, on the 17th, he netted twice in a 2–1 success at Mallorca.; ESPN Soccernet, 17 December 2011
Barrada scored four goals in 32 matches in both of his seasons with the team, helping it to consecutive midtable positions (11th and tenth).
Al Jazira and Marseille On 6 July 2013, Barrada joined UAE Pro League side Al Jazira, signing a four-year contract. The following summer, he agreed to a four-year deal with Marseille for a reported €4.5 million.
In only his second appearance in Ligue 1, Barrada scored his first goal in the competition, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute in the home fixture against Nice and scoring for a 4–0 victory. His second arrived early into the 2015–16 season, as he contributed to a 6–0 demolition of Troyes also at the Stade Vélodrome.
Later career In July 2016, Barrada returned to the UAE, signing for Al-Nasr of Dubai. He signed a three-year deal and Marseille received €2 million for the player who had contributed six assists in his final season.
Barrada signed a two-year deal with Antalyaspor of the Turkish Süper Lig in August 2018. The following January, he returned to Spain for the first time in over five years, being loaned to Gimnàstic Tarragona for the remainder of the Segunda División season. At the start of April, the Catalan club cancelled his contract after 145 minutes of play and concerns over his professionalism; manager Enrique Martín said "the Barrada I knew is not here".
In September 2019, Barrada went back to the Arabian Peninsula, signing a one-year deal at Al Shahaniya in the Qatar Stars League. Four months later he returned to his native Île-de-France, signing for Lusitanos Saint-Maur in the Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of French football.
Barrada announced his retirement in mid-2021. He then became a consultant for RMC Sport and beIN Sports.
International career
Barrada earned his first cap for Morocco on 29 February 2012, playing 86 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win over Burkina Faso. Also that year, he was part of the under-23 squad at the Summer Olympic Games, scoring in a 2–2 draw against Honduras in an eventual group stage exit.
Barrada started all three of Morocco's games at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, as the Atlas Lions again did not advance. In the second game, he assisted the late equaliser by Youssef El-Arabi in a 1–1 draw with Cape Verde.
Death Barrada died of a heart attack in France on 24 October 2024, at the age of 35. His funeral took place at his birthplace of Provins in France, followed by burial in his family's village of Douar Aït Abdallah in Souk Lakhmis Dades in Tinghir Province, Morocco.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGetafe B2009–10Segunda División B304————304 2010–1120————20Total324————324Getafe2011–12La Liga32410———3342012–1332410———334Total64820———668Al Jazira2013–14 UAE Pro League2210104184—3515Marseille2014–15 Ligue 1910010——1012015–16 241510061—353Total332511061—454Al-Nasr2016–17UAE Pro League206314220—2992017–181330030——163Total339317220—4512Antalyaspor2018–19 Süper Lig5043———93Gimnàstic (loan)2018–19 Segunda División40————40Al Shahaniya2019–20Qatar Stars League500040——90Career total244442371632480030762
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsMorocco201281201392201461201530Total264
Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Barrada goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Abdelaziz BarradaNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionReference1 13 October 2012 Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco 1–0 4–0 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 2 15 June 2013 Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco 1–0 2–0 2014 World Cup qualification 3 14 August 2013 Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, Morocco 1–2 1–2 Friendly 4 7 September 2014 Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco 2–0 3–0 Friendly
Honours Morocco U23 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2011
Individual U-23 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer: 2011 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2011
References
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