- Larbi Benbarek
Football player infobox| playername= Larbi Benbarek
fullname = Larbi Benbarek
nickname = Black Pearl
dateofbirth = birth date|1914|6|16
cityofbirth =Casablanca
dateofdeath = death date and age|1992|9|16
cityofdeath =Casablanca
countryofbirth =Morocco
dateofdeath = death date and age|1992|09|16|1914|6|16
cityofdeath =Casablanca
countryofdeath =Morocco
currentclub = N/A
clubnumber = N/A
position = Midfielder
years = 1934–1948
1948–1953
1953–1954
clubs =Stade Français FC Atlético Madrid Stade Français FC
caps(goals) = 69 (43)
113 (56)
32 (13)
nationalyears = 1938–1954
nationalteam = France
nationalcaps(goals) = 19 (3)
pcupdate = ??
ntupdate = ??Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek (also known as the Black Pearl) (
June 16 ,1914 -September 16 ,1992 ) (Casablanca ,Morocco ) was aMoroccan football player. He was the first player to bear the nickname of "Black Pearl".Career
The first African star and the first to bear the nickname of "Black Pearl", Ben Barek blazed a trail to the European, and particularly French and Spanish, leagues. He arrived to
Marseille ,France at the age of 20, and became an instant favourite with the fans for his skills, and technical abilities. Pele, the soccer legend who took the name of the "Black Pearl" after Ben Barek made a famous statement about Larbi in which he says " If i am the king of soccer, then Larbi Ben Barek is the god of it".Such a statement,specially coming from a player that is perhaps, if not is the best soccer player that ever existed, can only show the magic and grateness the Moroccan player was gifted with.His career was interrupted by the onset of
World War II but he was soon back to his best withStade Français FC and then inSpain , withAtlético Madrid , where he truly blossomed and where his international fame spread. His nickname with the fans inSpain was "The Foot of God". With the help of Benbarek, Atlético wonLa Liga in 1950 and 1951.He returned to Marseille in 1953.One of the finest players ever to represent France, his adopted country, he made 19 appearances for the French national team between 1938 and 1954. But his comeback in 1954 against
Germany inHanover was curtailed by an injury after half an hour and proved to be the end of his career.Later life
Larbi Ben Barek died in his home town on 16 September 1992. Also, 6 years after his death, he won the
FIFA Order of Merit Award, which is the award of the highest honor inFIFA .External links
* [http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/index/0,1521,9395,00.html?articleid=9395 FIFA honouring Ben Barek]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
