Rachid Bouaouzan

Rachid Bouaouzan (; born 20 February 1984) is a Dutch-Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a winger.

Club career

Sparta Rotterdam and The Kokmeijer case

Born in Rotterdam to Moroccan parents, Bouaouzan started out his football at SVV/SMC before moving to Sparta Rotterdam, where he started his professional career. Bouaouzan made his debut in professional football, being part of the Sparta Rotterdam squad in the 2003–04 season. Following this, he extended his contract with the club.

In his second season, while playing in the Eerste Divisie, Bouaouzan reached the Dutch news headlines due to a heavy foul on Niels Kokmeijer, his opponent playing for Go Ahead Eagles on 17 December 2004. Kokmeijer's leg was broken so badly that he was subsequently forced to retire from professional football. Sparta Rotterdam suspended Bouaouzan for the rest of the season, which was more than the ten-match ban the KNVB awarded him. Besides that he was taken to court by the Dutch government for battery, a unique moment in Dutch football history. Bouaouzan was sentenced to a conditional six months in jail. In April 2008, the highest Dutch court confirmed this. Furthermore, this led him facing bankruptcy after the court ordered him to pay compensation to Kokmeijer. Bouaouzan later reflected on his action, saying that he never injured anyone consciously. But Kokmeijer later disputed Bouaouzan's claim, maintaining the fact that he attacked him. Sparta Rotterdam qualified for the play-offs where Bouaouzan returned on the pitch and in the last and final play-off match, he scored the club's winning goal over Helmond Sport, thus securing them a spot in the Eredivisie for 2005–06 season. At the end of the 2004–05 season, Bouaouzan went on to make ten appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

In the 2005–06 season, Bouaouzan's first appearance in Eredivisie came on 21 August 2005, starting the whole game, in a 3–1 loss against Feyenoord. He continued to establish himself in the first team, playing in the midfield position. His performance at Sparta Rotterdam prompted the club to negotiate a new contract with him. Despite this, he scored his first goal of the season on 25 February 2006, in a 3–2 win over Willem II. At the end of the 2005–06 season, making the total of twenty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions, his future was uncertain, as Bouaouzan was linked a move away from Sparta Rotterdam. Eventually, he ended the transfer speculation by signing a two–year contract with the club in May 2006.

In the 2006–07 season, Bouaouzan continued to establish himself in the first team, playing in the midfield position, but Sparta Rotterdam made a poor start to the season. Despite this, the club managed to regain overcome the results and it wasn't until on 30 December 2006 when he scored, in a 3–0 win over Twente. Halfway through the season, the club was in talks with Bouaouzan over a contract that would keep him until 2010. Since the start of the 2006–07 season, he appeared in every league match until injuring his hamstring that kept him out for almost two months. It wasn't until on 16 February 2007 when Bouaouzan made his return to the starting line–up against NAC Breda, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 3–1 loss. However, his return was short–lived when he was absent for the next two matches, due to manager Wiljan Vloet decided to leave him out of the squad. Bouaouzan returned to the starting line–up against Vitesse on 6 April 2007, as Sparta Rotterdam lost 3–0. Two weeks later on 22 April 2007, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 5–2 loss against Ajax. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Bouaouzan went on to make a total of twenty–eight appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.

Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Bouaouzan was expected to be in the first team under the new management of Gert Aandewiel. However, he continued to be linked a move away from the club. Amid the transfer speculation, Bouaouzan appeared two times for Sparta Rotterdam at the start of the 2007–08 season. Weeks after his departure from the club, he was given a farewell send-off following the end of Sparta Rotterdam's match against AZ Alkmaar on 13 September 2007.

Wigan Athletic

On 30 August 2007, it was announced that Bouaouzan had signed a three-year contract with Wigan Athletic. The transfer fee was rumoured to be in the region of £300,000. It was revealed that he had been on the verge of moving to Feyenoord, having passed a medical before joining Wigan Athletic instead.

Although he had stated he did not see himself playing again in his second season at the club, Bouaouzan later made his first and only appearance for the club when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup tie with Notts County on 26 August 2008. After three years at Wigan Athletic, his contract with the club expired on 30 June 2010.

N.E.C. Nijmegen (loan)

Because Bouaouzan was not able to get into the Wigan squad during the 2007/08 season, he went on a one-year loan deal to the Dutch Eredivisie side N.E.C. on 29 August 2008 to gain first team experience.

Bouaouzan made his NEC Nijmegen debut on 13 September 2008, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Twente. Then, on 25 September 2008, he provided a hat–trick assists during the match, in a 5–0 win over Be Quick 1887. Following this, Bouaouzan continued to feature in the first team choice under the management of Mario Been despite facing injuries and disagreements along the way, as well as, being able to play in Nijmegen's UEFA Cup campaign. He then played against his former club, Sparta Rotterdam and won a penalty, leading Youssef El Akchaoui successfully convert the penalty kick, in a 2–0 win on 2 November 2008. After the match, Bouaouzan said the reception he received from his former club, Sparta Rotterdam, as “disappointing.” It wasn't until on 13 December 2008 when Bouaouzan scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–1 win over Willem II. During the season, Bouaouzan was banned to the reserve squad three times for disciplinary reasons and motivational problems. In April 2009, after another incident, he was sent back to Wigan. Despite this, Bouaouzan went on to make a total of thirty–three appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

Helsingborgs IF

Having failed to play a single game on his return to Wigan, and so on 1 April 2010 Bouaouzan joined Swedish club Helsingborgs IF on loan for three months. After appearing as an unused substitute for three matches since joining the club, he made his Helsingborgs IF debut on 29 April 2010, coming on as a substitute, in a 1–0 win over AIK. Bouaouzan then set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Gefle on 10 May 2010. He appeared five times for the side before suffering an injury that ended his loan spell at Helsingborgs IF.

On 23 September 2010, Bouaouzan re-joined Helsingborgs IF, initially signing a short term deal with the club. Prior to his move, he went on trial at his former club, Sparta Rotterdam and Randers

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