Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez

Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez

Personal information
Date of birth	1 July 1989 (1989-07-01) (age 22)
Place of birth	Liège, Belgium
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Anzhi Makhachkala
Number	20
Youth career
	Standard Liège
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2008–2011	Standard Liège	82	(18)
2011–	Anzhi Makhachkala	1	(0)
National team
2009–2010	Belgium U21	2	(0)
2011–	Morocco	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez (born 1 July 1989) is a Belgian-born Moroccan football player currently playing for the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.

Career

Club Football

Carcela-Gonzalez is a product of the Standard Liège academy. On 24 November 2009 he was sent off in the Champions League group match at Arsenal after he head-butted Cesc Fàbregas in the waning moments of the game. On 17 May 2011 he was on the receiving end of a kick in the face from Chris Mavinga while both players were tussling for the ball in a Championship match against Genk, which left him with several facial fractures and broken teeth.

International

He was called up to the full Belgian national team, but told the Belgium Association that he needed more time before deciding whether to play for Belgium or Morocco. In December 2010 he decided to represent Morocco.^[1]

In February 2011, Carcela-Gonzalez made his debut with the Atlas Lions of Morocco against Niger in a 3-0 win for his new side. He made an instant impact after being introduced as a substitute late into the second half; winning a penalty after being brought down by an opposing player which resulted in Boussoufa slotting it away to make it 2-0.^[2] He was an unused substitute against Algeria in the Atlas Lions' 1-0 away loss in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying rounds on the 27th of March 2011.^[3]

Carcela-Gonzalez has made good progress with the national side, making a subtitute apearance against Uganda in the LG Cup and Moroccan Manager Eric Gerets was very pleased with his preformance. Carcela-Gonzalez has a great chance in making the squad to play in the African Cup of Nations in January 2012.

Honours

Club

Standard Liege

• Belgian League winner (1): 2008–09

• Belgian Cup (1): 2010–11

• Belgian Supercup (1):2009

References

1. ^ http://www.dhnet.be/sports/diables-rouges/article/335936/georges-leekens-on-a-tout-fait-pour-l-avoir.html
2. ^ http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2011/02/10/2346054/morocco-3-0-niger-atlas-lions-thrash-the-mena-thanks-to
3. ^ http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2011/03/27/2414107/algeria-1-0-morocco-hassan-yebda-penalty-lifts-fennecs-to

External links

• (German) Profile at transfermarkt.de
• Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez at National-Football-Teams.com

Persondata
Name	Carcela-Gonzalez, Mehdi
Alternative names
Short description	footballer
Date of birth	1 July 1989
Place of birth	Liège, Belgium
Date of death
Place of death