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Karim Matmour ( ar, كريم مطمور; born 25 June 1985) is an Algerian former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as an
attacking midfielder A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
. During his playing time career, Matmour played for
SC Freiburg Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
,
Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
,
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The team is currently playing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the Germa ...
, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Al-Arabi,
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
, 1860 Munich and
Adelaide United Adelaide United Football Club is a professional Association Football, soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club participates in the A-League Men under North American professional sports league organization#Systems ar ...
. An
Algeria international The Algeria International in badminton is an international open held in Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = A ...
from 2007, Matmour featured at the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and
2010 Africa Cup of Nations The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange (telecommunications), Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial association football, football championship of Africa (Confederat ...
. During his career, he won 30 international
caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
and scored two goals. Matmour played in the midfield position, where he could play behind the tips or right and said his favourite position is right wing.


Club career


SC Freiburg

Born in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, France, Matmour joined his hometown club of
Vauban Strasbourg Association Sportive Pierrots Vauban de Strasbourg, known as ASPV Strasbourg and Vauban Strasbourg, is a French association football team based in Strasbourg, France, which currently plays in the Régional 1 Grand-Est. The club plays at the St ...
when he was six years old. He then joined
RC Strasbourg Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (commonly known as RC Strasbourg, Racing Straßburg, RCSA, RCS, or simply Strasbourg; Alsatian: ''Füeßbàllmànnschàft Vu Stroßburri'') is a French association football club founded in 1906, based in the c ...
, where he began his playing career. After coming up through the academy team, Matmour was not offered a professional contract and was then rejected by Racing Club. He subsequently briefly played for the amateur side Vauban Strasbourg before leaving for Germany to join
SC Freiburg Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
's reserve side in 2004. After spending his first season with the club's reserve side, Matmour was eventually promoted to the senior side in the second–half of the 2005–06 season. He made his SC Freiburg first team debut on 28 January 2006, coming on as a substitute for
Ibrahim Tanko Ibrahim Anyars Tanko (born 25 July 1977) is a Ghanaian retired footballer who played mostly as a second striker or an attacking midfielder, scout and manager who last served as the head coach of the local Black Stars - Ghana A' national footbal ...
in the 67th minute, in a 1–0 win over
Dynamo Dresden Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e.V., commonly known as SG Dynamo Dresden or Dynamo Dresden, are a German association football club based in Dresden, Saxony.Grüne, Hardy (2001). Enzyklopädie des deutschen Ligafußballs 7. Vereinslexikon. Kasse ...
. In a match against 1860 Munich on 27 February 2006, Matmour set up a goal for
Aleksandre Iashvili Alexandr Iashvili ( ka, ალექსანდრე მამულის ძე იაშვილი; born 23 October 1977) is a Georgian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Early years Born in Tbilisi, Ia ...
, who went on to score twice, in a 2–1 win. On 3 May 2006, he scored his first goals, in a 2–1 win over
Hansa Rostock FC Hansa Rostock () is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club is also called as "the cog" because of its club crest. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the forme ...
. His assists in the last two matches against
Alemannia Aachen Alemannia Aachen () or ATSV Alemannia 1900 is a football in Germany, German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's 2. Bundesliga, second division, ''Alemannia'' enjoyed a three- ...
and Greuther Fürth saw the club win both matches, but failed to bounce back to Bundesliga after finishing fourth place in the league. At the end of the 2005–06 season, Matmour made a total of 16 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. In the 2006–07 season, Matmour continued to feature in the first team at the start of the season with SC Freiburg. He then set up for the first two goals in the match, in a 3–3 draw against Greuther Fürth on 22 September 2006. However, Matmour suffered a knee injury that saw him sidelined for the rest of the year. But he made his return to the starting line–up against
Hansa Rostock FC Hansa Rostock () is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club is also called as "the cog" because of its club crest. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the forme ...
on 22 January 2007 and helped the club win 1–0. On 15 April 2007, Matmour scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–0 win over 1. FC Köln. He later scored two more goals, coming against
Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. Domestically, the club was crowned German champion in 1909, and won the D ...
and
TuS Koblenz TuS Koblenz is a German association football club, located in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Fussball Club Deutschland Neuendorf, which was formed in 1911, is viewed as the foundation of the modern club. History Nazi era (1933–1945) The or ...
, as SC Freiburg finished fourth place in the league. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Matmour finished the season, making 33 appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Matmour signed a contract extension with SC Freiburg, keeping him until 2010. At the start of the season, he remained in the first team regular for the side, rotating in playing either midfield positions and striker position. Matmour's first goal of the season came on 26 September 2007 against 1. FC Köln and setting up the club's second goal of the game, in a 3–1 win. A month later, he added two more goals for SC Freiburg, coming against
FC St. Pauli Fußball-Club St Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply FC St Pauli (), is a German professional football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, that competes in the 2. Bundesliga. The football department is part of a larger sp ...
and
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
. Shortly after, Matmour suffered a thigh injury that saw him miss one match. But he made his return to the starting line–up against 1860 Munich on 25 November 2007 and helped SC Freiburg draw 2–2. Following his return from injury, Matmour regained his first team place for the rest of the season despite facing another sideline along the way. His fourth goal of the season came on 17 February 2008 against
FC Augsburg Fußball-Club Augsburg 1907 e. V., commonly known as FC Augsburg () or Augsburg, is a German football club based in Augsburg, Bavaria. FC Augsburg play in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. The team was founded as ...
and scored the only goal of the game, in a 1–0 win. He later scored two more goals later in the 2007–08 season, coming against 1860 Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach. At the end of the 2007–08 season, Matmour went on to make 34 appearances and scoring six times in all competitions, as the club finished fifth place. By the time of his departure, he made 79 league appearances in three seasons in the 2. Bundesliga.


Borussia Mönchengladbach

On 4 June 2008, Matmour joined newly promoted
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
club
Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
on a four-year contract, with the team paying his former club
SC Freiburg Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
€2 million for the transfer. Matmour made his Borussia Mönchengladbach debut, where he started and played 61 minutes before coming off as a substitute, in an 8–1 win over
VfB Fichte Bielefeld VfB Fichte Bielefeld is a German association football club based in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed out of the merger of ''VfB Bielefeld 03'' and ''SpVgg Fichte Bielefeld 06/07'' on 1 July 1999. History Of these predec ...
in the first round of DFB-Pokal. A week later, on 17 August 2008, Matmour made his league debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 3–1 loss against
VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's football team is currently part of Germany's first division, the Bundesliga. VfB Stu ...
in the opening game of the season. Two weeks later, on 30 August 2008, he scored his first goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach, in a 3–2 win over
Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
. Since joining the club, Matmour quickly established himself in the starting eleven for the side. Despite receiving criticism for his lack of goal scoring form, he later scored two more goals for the club as the season progressed and they went on to finish 15th place in the league. Despite missing out one game during the 2008–09 season, Matmour was ever present in the league, as he went on to make 35 appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Matmour finished his first season at Borussia Mönchengladbach, making 35 appearances (34 in the league) and scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Matmour was linked a move away from the club, with Turkish side Fenerbahçe interested in signing him, but he stayed at the club throughout the summer. Matmour then scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 win over
Hertha BSC Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
on 25 August 2009. Having started out playing in the midfield position, he soon lost his playing time, but regained his first team place, playing in the striker position despite suffering goal drought. This lasted until late December when Matmour found himself out of the starting line–up, due to injuries and international commitment. After the end of African Cup of Nations, he returned to the first team, coming on as a second-half substitute, setting up the winning goal, in a 2–1 win over 1. FC Nürnberg on 12 February 2010. For the rest of the season, Matmour continued to remain in the first team despite his struggles to score and his own injury concerns. At the end of the 2009–10 season, he went on to make 27 appearances and scoring once in all competitions. On 1 August 2010, during Borussia Mönchengladbach's arranged friendly match versus
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
as part of their 110th anniversary celebrations at Borussia Park, Matmour took advantage of some poor play by
Daniel Ayala Daniel Sánchez Ayala (born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Blackburn Rovers. His first club was Premier League club Liverpool, where he spent two seasons as a reserve. He joined Norwich ...
inside the area and produced a powerful finish in the eighth minute. They won the contest thanks to Matmour's goal, with the final score being 1–0. At the start of the 2010–11 season, he suffered three injuries in the first four months to the season. On 6 November 2010, Matmour returned to the first team from injury, coming on as a late substitute, in a 3–3 draw against
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
. However, his return was short–lived when he missed one match, due to a flu in mid–January, but quickly recovered and returned to the first team against
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, th ...
on 23 January 2011. In a follow–up in a league fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on 30 January 2011, Matmour came on as a substitute for
Mike Hanke Mike Hanke (; born 5 November 1983) is a German former professional footballer who played the position of forward. He has been described as a player who "gives it his all in attack and is always dangerous in the opponent's penalty area." He ear ...
in the forty-sixth minute and came close to scoring with a header which bounced off the top of the crossbar but he set up the only goal scored in the encounter which was a cross from the left side to
Igor de Camargo Igor Alberto Rinck de Diver Camargo (born 12 May 1983), known as Igor de Camargo, is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker. He is also a former Belgium international. Club career Early career Born in Porto Feliz, São Pau ...
, who put the ball away inside the far right post, as the club won 1–0. Since returning from injury, Matmour rotated in and out of the starting line–up, although he remained in the first team for the remainder of the season. Matmour played in both legs of the league's relegation play–offs against
VfL Bochum Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent 35 seas ...
as a late substitute, as Borussia Mönchengladbach won 2–1 on aggregate and retained its Fußball-Bundesliga spot for the 2011–12 season. At the end of the 2010–11 season, he went on to make a total of 23 appearances in all competitions. Following this,
Express Express or EXPRESS may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn * '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid Music * ''Express'' ...
reported that Matmour could be leaving the club.


Eintracht Frankfurt

On 1 July 2011, Matmour signed a one-year contract, with
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The team is currently playing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the Germa ...
holding the option of a further two-year extension. The two clubs agreed not to release the transfer fee, therefore the fee was kept as undisclosed. Eintracht Frankfurt chairman
Heribert Bruchhagen Heribert Bruchhagen (born 4 September 1948 in Düsseldorf-Derendorf) is the new chairman of Hamburger SV since 2016. From 1988 until 1992 he was general manager at FC Schalke 04. From 1992 until 1995 he worked in the same position for Hamburg a ...
said: "In signing Karim Matmour we've found the optimal solution for the vacant slot on the right of the attack, in line with (coach) Armin Veh's wishes", about the signing of Matmour. Matmour quickly made an impact at the club when he scored on his debut, in a 3–2 win over Greuther Fürth in the opening game of the season. Three weeks later on 7 August 2011, Matmour set up two goals for
Alexander Meier Alexander Meier (born 17 January 1983) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He was the 2014–15 Bundesliga top scorer with 19 goals in 26 games. Career Early career Meier began his prof ...
, who scored twice, in a 3–0 win against
Eintracht Braunschweig Braunschweiger Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht von 1895 e.V., commonly known as Eintracht Braunschweig () or BTSV (), is a German association football, football and sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding ...
. Since making his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven for the side, playing in the right–midfield. By the end of 2011, Matmour scored two more goals, coming against
FC Ingolstadt 04 Fußball-Club Ingolstadt 2004 e.V., commonly known as FC Ingolstadt 04 or FC Ingolstadt, is a German football club based in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The club was founded in 2004 out of the merger of the football sides of two other clubs: ESV Ingolst ...
and Alemannia Aachen, adding three goals to his tally this season so far. Matmour then scored a hat–trick on 18 February 2012, as well as, setting up one of the club's goals, in a 6–1 win over
FSV Frankfurt Fußballsportverein Frankfurt 1899 e.V., commonly known as simply FSV Frankfurt, is a German association football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse and founded in 1899. FSV Frankfurt also fielded a rather successfu ...
. After suffering an injury in early–March, Matmour spent the rest of the season in the first team, coming on as a substitute in a number of matches. Despite this, the club was promoted to Bundesliga after he played 14 minutes as a substitute to help Eintracht Frankfurt beat Alemannia Aachen 3–0 on 23 April 2012. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Matmour went on to make 30 appearances and scoring six times in all competitions. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Matmour was placed on the substitute bench for the first three matches of the season following a thigh injury he sustained. By September, Matmour soon received a handful of playing time, mostly coming from the substitute bench. He then scored his first goal (and only) of the season, in a 3–1 win over
Hannover 96 Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96 (), Hannover, HSV or simply 96, is a German professional football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony. They played in the Bundesliga for a total of 30 years betwe ...
on 20 October 2012. The following month saw the player was sent–off on two occasions, both of them were second bookable offence against
Schalke 04 Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
and
Fortuna Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...
. Following his return, Matmour continued to find his playing time, coming from the substitute bench for the rest of the 2012–13 season. His contributions helped the club finish sixth place in
the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
, resulting in Eintracht Frankfurt's qualification in the
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
next season. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he went on to make 24 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


1. FC Kaiserslautern

On 21 June 2013, Matmour joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a free transfer after his contract at Eintracht Frankfurt came to an end. He joined the club, signing a two–year contract, to become the club's fourth signing of the season. Matmour made his 1. FC Kaiserslautern debut, where he started the whole game, in a 1–0 win over
SC Paderborn Sport-Club Paderborn 07 e.V., commonly known as simply SC Paderborn 07 () or SC Paderborn, is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has enjoyed its greatest successes since the turn of the mille ...
in the opening game of the season. Then, on 3 August 2013, Matmour scored his first goal for the club, in a 7–0 win over
Neckarsulmer SU Neckarsulmer SU is a German sports club from the town of Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg. The football club's greatest success has been promotion to the tier five Oberliga Baden-Württemberg in 2016 and participation in the first round of the 20 ...
in the first round of DFB-Pokal. Since making his debut, he quickly established himself in the first team at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Matmour then played in the right–back position for the first time after the club was low of right–back position, in a 1–0 loss against SV Sandhausen on 14 September 2013. A week later on 25 September 2013, he scored for the second time in the tournament in the second round of DFB-Pokal, in a 3–1 win over Hertha BSC. On 8 November 2013, Matmour scored his first league goal for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, in a 4–0 win over FSV Frankfurt. His fourth goal of the season came on 23 February 2014, in a 2–1 loss against
VfR Aalen Verein für Rasenspiele 1921 Aalen e.V., known simply as VfR Aalen, is a German football club based in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg. The football team is part of a larger sports club which also offers its members gymnastics, table tennis, and cheer ...
. Since the start of the 2013–14 season, he started in every match for the club until he sustained a thigh injury while training, resulting in him missing one match. Matmour returned from injury in a match against
Arminia Bielefeld DSC Arminia Bielefeld (; full name: ; commonly known as Arminia Bielefeld (), also known as ''Die Arminen'' or ''Die Blauen'' ), or just Arminia (), is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of ...
on 26 March 2014, coming on as a second half substitute, in a 1–1 draw. However, his return was short–lived when he was suspended for picking up five yellow cards this season. His return from suspension later saw him contribute for 1. FC Kaiserslautern by setting up two goals, in a 4–0 win against
Dynamo Dresden Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e.V., commonly known as SG Dynamo Dresden or Dynamo Dresden, are a German association football club based in Dresden, Saxony.Grüne, Hardy (2001). Enzyklopädie des deutschen Ligafußballs 7. Vereinslexikon. Kasse ...
and then scored his fifth goal of the season, in a 4–2 loss against Fortuna Düsseldorf, as the club finished fourth place in the league. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Matmour finished his first season at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, making 37 appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. At the start of the 2014–15 season, Matmour scored his first goal of the season and set up one of the goal, in a 2–1 win over Eintracht Braunschweig on 24 August 2014. He started in the club's first nine matches to the season, playing in the right–wing position. However, he missed two matches, due to suffering from a flu. But Matmour returned to the first team, coming on as a second half substitute, in a 1–1 draw against Fortuna Düsseldorf on 25 October 2014. Two weeks later on 7 November 2014 after returning to the first team, he set up two goals, in a 2–2 draw against VfL Bochum. However, Matmour's return was short–lived when he suffered a flu that saw him miss two matches. But Matmour was able to return to the first team in a match against SV Sandhausen on 21 December 2014 and set up the only goal of the game, in a 1–0 win. However, his return was short–lived once again when he was not involved in the squad due to another flu and returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–1 win against Greuther Fürth on 27 February 2015. Matmour then scored his second goal of the season, in a 4–0 win over 1. FC Heidenheim on 4 April 2015. However, he was sidelined for the rest of the 2014–15 season with a thigh injury and the club went on to finish fourth place in the league once again. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Matmour went on to make 27 appearances and scoring 3 times in all competitions. With his contract about to end in the summer, Matmour was released by the club after opting against extending his contract.


Al-Arabi SC

On 17 June 2015, Matmour signed a two-year deal with Al-Arabi of Kuwait after his contract at 1. FC Kaiserslautern came to an end. He previously linked a move to
Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. Domestically, the club was crowned German champion in 1909, and won the D ...
before moving to Kuwait. Matmour made his debut for the club in a 10–1 win against Al-Tadamun SC with scoring the 4th goal of the game. After scoring two goals in as many matches in the
Kuwait Federation Cup The Kuwaiti Federation Cup ( ar, كأس الاتحاد الكويتي) is a competition organised by the Kuwait Football Association, the Kuwaiti version of a League cup and has been played in its current format every year since 2008. The first e ...
, Matmour asked Al-Arabi to terminate his contract and filed a complaint against them to
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
, citing financial aspects. He was subsequently released by Al-Arabi on 31 October 2015.


Huddersfield Town

On 20 January 2016, after a trial period, Matmour joined English
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the En ...
side
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
on a contract until the end of the 2015–16 season. He made his début for the Terriers as a substitute in the 2–1 defeat against
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
at
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
on 23 January 2016. He made his first start for the Terriers in the 3–2 defeat against Cardiff City on 30 January 2016. Matmour scored his first goal for Huddersfield in the
West Yorkshire derby The West Yorkshire derbies are a series of football matches or rugby league matches taking place between football or rugby league clubs from West Yorkshire. In football History Leeds United's relegation to League One in 2007 may have reignite ...
against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
in Huddersfield's 4–1 victory on 19 March 2016. At the end of the 2015–16 season, where he made 13 appearances and scoring once for the side, Matmour was released from his contract after the club refused to activate a clause in his contract to extend his stay in Yorkshire for another year.


1860 Munich

At the start of the 2016–17 season Matmour signed a two-year-contract with German 2. Bundesliga club 1860 Munich. Matmour made his debut for the club, where he started and played for 61 minutes before coming off as a substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Greuther Fürth in the opening game of the season. Two week later, on 20 August 2016, Matmour scored his first goal for 1860 Munich, in the first round of DFB-Pokal, in a 2–1 win over Karlsruher SC. A month later, on 22 September 2016, Matmour played a role during a match against
FC St. Pauli Fußball-Club St Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply FC St Pauli (), is a German professional football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, that competes in the 2. Bundesliga. The football department is part of a larger sp ...
, setting up two goals, in a 2–2 draw. However, after handful of first team appearances, Matmour's time at the club was soon overshadowed by injuries and being placed on the sidelines as a result. Although he soon recovered from his injuries, Matmour soon had a fallen out with new Manager Vítor Pereira and was banished to the
TSV 1860 Munich II The TSV 1860 Munich II (german: TSV 1860 München II) is the reserve team of German football club TSV 1860 Munich, from the city of Munich, Bavaria. Until 2005, the team played under the name of TSV 1860 München Amateure. In the 2018–19 seaso ...
as a result. This also combined with off the pitch issues with 1860 Munich. As a result, his contract with the club was withdrawn in March 2017 despite a year on his contract left. By the time he left the club, Matmour made fourteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


Adelaide United

On 15 August 2017, Matmour signed a 1-year deal with Australian
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
club
Adelaide United Adelaide United Football Club is a professional Association Football, soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club participates in the A-League Men under North American professional sports league organization#Systems ar ...
. Matmour made his Adelaide United debut, where he started the whole game in the opening game of the season, in a 1–1 draw against
Wellington Phoenix Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
. He left Adelaide United in December 2017, terminating his contract early after playing 11 games.


Post playing career

After leaving Australia, Matmour returned to Germany and was appointed as an assistant manager for
Kehler FV Kehler FV is a German association football club from the town of Kehl, Baden-Württemberg. In addition to fielding a football side, the club has departments for athletics, and badminton, as well as general fitness and recreational sport. __TOC ...
in February 2018. However, he stated that he has yet been retired from professional football. After five months at the club, Matmour was appointed as the club's coach. Three months later, it was announced that Matmour was no longer on his coaching duties at the club, but stayed at Kehler FV as an advisory capacity. It was revealed in March 2019 that he passed his UEFA A licence. In September 2020, Matmour was appointed as a scout for
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, th ...
, having been linked with a move for months.


International career

Matmour received first call up to
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
against
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and made his national team debut on 6 February 2007, starting a match and played 55 minutes before coming off, in a 2–1 win. Two years later, on 7 June 2009, he scored his first ever Algeria international goal, in a 3–1 win over
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
. Then, on 18 November 2009 against Egypt for the second time this year, Matmour came on as a substitute in the 57th minute and helped the side beat them 1–0 to qualify for the next year's World Cup. The following month, Matmour was selected by Saâdane to play in the 2010 African Cup of Nations hosted in Angola. At the African Cup Nations, he played his first match of the tournament, where he started and played 62 minutes, in a 3–0 loss against
Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...
on 11 January 2010. Matmour scored an equaliser against
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
and the game went through extra time, as Algeria won 3–2 to ensure their qualification for the semi-finals. For his performance, Matmour was named Man of the Match. However, losses against Egypt and
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
saw Algeria finish in fourth place in the tournament. Matmour was then called by the national team again for the World Cup in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. He played his first World Cup match on Matchday, where he started and played for 81 minutes before coming off a substitute, in a 1–0 loss against
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. He went on to start the next two matches against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, as Algeria ended up eliminated in the Group Stage, without scoring a single goal. After the World Cup, Matmour didn't make another Algeria appearance until on 4 June 2011, where he started and played 45 minutes before coming off as substitute at half time, in a 4–0 loss against
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
. On 3 May 2012, Matmour announced that he would be taking a break from international play to focus on his club career. This was later revealed over his falling out with Manager
Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various na ...
.


Personal life

Growing up in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, France to Algerian parents and six siblings, Matmour said he first started football was at "right in front of my house. There were two in my neighborhood, a concrete and a lawn" and idolised
Raí Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira (born 15 May 1965), known as Raí (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent the better part of his 15-year career with São Paulo and Paris Saint-Germain, wi ...
. However, Matmour said: "The grades at school had to be right, then I was allowed to go to the table" and once did not play football for a year, describing it as "the worst time of his life." In addition to speaking French, he also speaks German and understands Arabic (he hinted that he would learn the language one day). On his political views in France, Matmour is a critic of
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
, accusing him of creating conflicts over derogatory statements against young French immigrants. Matmour is
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. Since 2009, Matmour is married to Algerian-German singer Manel Filali, famous for her work with
Anne Ross Anne Ross (born 17 March 1985 in Dersum, Lower Saxony) is a German singer. She was a member of the German pop girl group, Preluders. After Preluders disbanded, she and Manel Filali teamed up to form the duo Milk & Honey. She is married to , a ...
in the pop duo Milk & Honey.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Matmour goal.''


References


External links

*
Karim Matmour
at kicker.de * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matmour, Karim 1985 births Living people Footballers from Strasbourg Algerian footballers Algeria international footballers French footballers French sportspeople of Algerian descent Algerian expatriate footballers Algerian expatriate sportspeople in England Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait ASPV Strasbourg players Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in Germany Expatriate footballers in Kuwait RC Strasbourg Alsace players SC Freiburg players Borussia Mönchengladbach players Eintracht Frankfurt players 1. FC Kaiserslautern players Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players TSV 1860 Munich players Adelaide United FC players 2. Bundesliga players Bundesliga players Ligue 1 players Ligue 2 players English Football League players A-League Men players 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players 2010 FIFA World Cup players Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait) players Association football midfielders Kuwait Premier League players Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Australia Expatriate soccer players in Australia