Mahamadou Diarra, Real Madrid

Mahamadou Diarra at Real Madrid

HISTORY


            Mahamadou Diarra is a Muslim footballer and was born on 18 May 1981. He is a Malian Footballer and currently as a free agent. Diarra is a muslim faith. During his life at Real Madrid, and when Ramadan came, he has to fast. Club doctors have designed a special program to keep the players hydrated as training in the intense Spanish summer heat. This is important to maintain his shape and body fluid to avoid serious injury.

           On 18 August 2006, Real Madrid agreed a fee of 26 million euros to sign him. However with the incoming new player like Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira, Diarra has to be backup of backup player in Real Madrid. This fact force him to be free agent after his contract end.

Frederic Kanoute, Sevilla

Frederic Kanoute Muslim Footballer

HISTORY

           Frederic Kanoute is a muslim footballer and born on 2 September 1977. He currently plays for Sevilla FC and known by his pace, strength, and technique. Kanoute and his wife live in Seville, Spain with their three children. 

He refused to wear a Sevilla shirt bearing the name of club sponsor 888.com, due to the fact the website is used for gambling, which is against the principles of Islam. This meant that the club had to give him a brand-free jersey every match. 

In 2007, Kanoute paid more than 700,000 USD out of his pocket to buy a mosque in Seville.

On 7 January 2009, he scored against Deportivo la Coruna and lifted his jersey to show the word "Palestine". Kanoute's action, which has been interpreted as a response to Israel's recent attacks on Gaza that have killed nearly 700 people, was met with a yellow card from referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.
The news can be seen here:  Al Jazeera

Yaya Toure, Manchester City

Yaya Toure

HISTORY


Yaya Toure is a muslim footballer and currently plays for Manchester City. He was born on 13 May 1983 and an Ivorian footballer who can plays as central midfielder.


Yaya is the brother of Kolo Toure. Yaya Toure joined Barcelona for 9 million euros and made his official debut for the club on 26 August 2007. 


He scored his first official goal with Barcelona in a La Liga match against Athletic club on 2 September 2007. However lack of first team play in 2010 force him to join Manchester City. Yaya signed a five year deal with Manchester City for a fee of around 24 million euros.


source:  wikipedia

Kolo Toure, Manchester City

Kolo Habib Toure

HISTORY


Kolo Habib Toure is a muslim footballer and was born in Boueke on 19 March 1981. He is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. He can plays as central defender but excellent in full back. Kolo Toure is a practicing and lives with wife Awo,daughter Sania and son Yiassin.

When he at Arsenal, He said, " I am what I am because of my religion. It changed my life and I am really happy to be a Muslim. We have many Muslim players at the club now - Abou Diaby, Bakary Sagna, and we all go to pray together after training,"

" One of my friends was a Muslim, his parents were practicing and they would regularly go to the mosque. My father's friend was an Imam and started practicing (Islam) with them from the age of 13."


source wikipedia

Nabil El Zhar, Liverpool

Nabil El Zhar

HISTORY


Nabil El Zhar is a muslim footballer and born in 27 August 1986. He is a muslim footballer and currently plays for Liverpool and Morocco.


 El Zhar is known for his pace and dribbling ability.


However he always affected with injury force him to be bench warmers. 

Halil Altintop

Halil Altintop

HISTORY

Halil Altintop is a muslim footballer and was born in 8 December 1982. He currently plays for Trabzonspor and Turkish National football.

Halil start his profesional career in the local German club Wattensceid 09 along with his brother Hamit Altintop.

Hamit is 12 minutes older than Halil. They grew among women, Their mother Meryem and three older sisters.

Their father died on cancer when they were just 2 years old.

Hatem Ben Arfa, Marseille

Hatem Ben Arfa

HISTORY

Hatem Ben Arfa is a muslim footballer and currently plays for Marseille. He was born in 7 March 1987 and a talented French international player. His father was a Tunisian international, and his whole family is muslim.

He said, "I believe in God. But I do not show it. It is a thing of the heart, something intimate between me and myself". He can plays as a winger but more suitable in midfielder.



source: muslim soccer blog

Hamit Altintop, Real Madrid

Hamit Altintop

HISTORY


Hamit Altintop is a muslim footballer and was born in 8 December 1982 and currently plays for Turkey and Real Madrid C.F. During the short stay of his club in Saudi Arabia, he and his friend Franck Ribery visited mecca to perform Omra.


It was located 70 km from Jeddah. He is actually a midfielder but can plays very well in defending and attacking if needed. 


Altıntop started his professional career in local German club Wattenscheid in 2000 along with his brother. In season 2007-2008 Altintop then joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer and meet his friend Ribery there.




Source:  Wikipedia

Mesut Ozil, Real Madrid

Mesut Ozil

HISTORY 


Mesut Ozil is a muslim footballer and was born in 15 October 1988 and currently plays for Real Madrid and German national team. His parents is from Turkey and because of that he said,


"My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part."    
                                                              
Before all his matches, he recites Quran to help him focus. From the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspegel, Ozil said, "I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my team-mates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."

He has been a youth national team member since 2006, when he debuted for first professional league season and a member of the German national team since 2009.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane

HISTORY

Zinedine Zidane is a muslim footballer and was born in 23 June 1972 and an retired French Footballer. The last Football club he plays was Real Madrid.

His Muslim's parents, Smail and Malika emigrated to Paris from their hometown face with many obstacle in their way.

There was an incident happened in the world cup where he make a headbutt to other player and been sent off. Zidane say that the player say harsh word about his family many times in the field.

He said:
"Yes. They were very hard words. You hear them once and you try to move away."

Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea

Nicolas Anelka

HISTORY


Nicolas Anelka is a muslim footballer and was born in 14 March 1979. Currently he plays with Chelsea and also for french national team. Anelka converted to Islam in 2004 with the name Abdul-Salam Bilal. Anelka is married to Barbara Tausia, a Belgian choreographer. Together, they have two sons, Kais born in 2008 and Kahil born in 2010. 

In an interviev with the magazine, he said, "It keeps me calmer and more stable on and off the pitch,". He has stated that, when he retires from football, he would like to work in the film industry because he has a friend in that business.


Anelka said:


"It can help you during difficult times. I often say to myself, about football or otherwise, that things happen for a reason. You can't change things. You have to accept them. Life is full of ups and downs. You're not happy all the time. My religion offers stability and keeps my feet on the ground. It helps me to know who and where I am."

Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich

Franck Ribery

HISTORY


Franck Ribery is a muslim footballer and was born in 7 April 1983 at Boulogne-sur-Mer. He was raised in a low income neighborhood on the fringes of the city. Currently he is a French footballer and plays for German club Bayern Munich. 


His Islamic name is Tarek or Bilal Mohammed Yusof. They have two daughters name Hiziya and Shahin. He once said: "It is Islam taht gives me strength on the field outside".


His French wife is Moroccan origin.Before  he went to turkey he had become a devout Muslim. This can be seen as he raises his hands to Allah before every match.


Primarily plays as a winger on the right side he is known for his pace, energy, skill and precise. Zenedine Zidane has called Ribery the " jewel of french football".




Franck Ribery Islam:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSr1NVQPF2k

Eric Abidal, Barcelona

Eric Abidal

HISTORY 


Eric Abidal is a muslim footballer and was born in 11 July 1979 and currently a left-sided French football defender of Martiniquean and also for FC Barcelona. He converted to Islam after marrying an Algerian woman (Hayet Kebir) and became a Muslim with Islamic name Bilal.


Abidal said : my conversion was not due to marriage of an algerian woman but it was an old story.i always had a wish to be a muslim and now i complete it.

On 30 June 2007, Abidal moved to Barcelona for €15 million, after repeatedly stating that he would not return to training if he did not get the move, signing a four-year contract and taking the number 22 jersey.


Abidal read Quran:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2tFGLymLBk&feature=grec_index

Seydou Keita, Barcelona

Seidou Keita

HISTORY


Seydou Keita is a muslim footballer and was born in 16 January 1980 in Barnako. He is currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Malian national team. He played as midfielder but also suit in defensive midfielder.


Keita is a Muslim, he married Zubaida Johnson. On May 12, 2008 he became the father of a child (Mohamed) who was born in a clinic in Seville. His family lives in the province Lafiabougou in Bamako.


Even though he holds France nationality, he opted to pledge his allegiance to Mali and represent the African Nation with  the nicknamed "Seydoubilen" or "Red Seydou,"


On 26 May 2008, Keita signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona with the buy-out clause release around €14 million. He became the first Malian Barcelona player ever and the club set his new release clause at €90 million.

Samir Nasri, Arsenal

Samir Nasri

HISTORY


Samir Nasri is a muslim footballer and was born in 26 June 1987 in the town of La Gavotte Peyret in Septemes-les-Vallons, a northern suburb in the city of Marseille. He is a French footballer and currently play for Arsenal in the Premier League. 


He can plays as attacking midfielder but some times he also can plays as a winger. Nasri is known for his technical ability, creativity, pace, and ability to read the game. He is described as a player whose "vision and imagination make him an unpredictable opponent"


His mother is a housewife and his father previously worked as a bus driver before becoming his son's personal manager. Nasri is the eldest of four children and has a younger sister named Sonia and twin brothers named Walid and Malik.