Marouane Chamakh - Player of the Week

Pardew's Palace still unbeaten!

In December, Crystal Palace didn’t win a match and had gone 8 matches without a victory when the chairman decided to make a change at the top. Alan Pardew took over as manager on the 2nd of January, when he changed the hot seat at Newcastle Utd for the one at Palace’s Selhurst Park. The Eagles are now flying high and have won every match that Pardew has been involved in. In the past 4 matches, Palace have scored 12 goals, after only scoring 3 in their previous 8 matches!

"I think they are better than they think they are, I keep telling them that." Alan Pardew, Crystal Palace manager talking about his new team.

Chamakh keeps Palace in the Cup

Palace’s most recent victory came away at Southampton, where they beat their hosts 3-2 in the FA Cup. Marouane Chamakh was Man of the Match in a game that will be remembered for a fantastic first half of football. Southampton, who have conceded the fewest Premier League goals this season, took the lead in the 9th minute through a Graziano Pelle goal from close range. But Crystal Palace equalised just 2 minutes later. Chamakh was the scorer when he bravely challenged for the ball in the penalty area. An own goal gave Southampton the lead again 5 minutes later but 5 more minutes after this, Palace equalised again, this time through Yaya Sanogo. In the 39th minute, Chamakh scored again, when he rounded the goalkeeper and finished in style. Palace progress to the fifth round of the Cup, where they will play Liverpool, if the Reds can win their replay against Bolton Wanderers.

"Chamakh was the best player on the pitch."  Alan Pardew.

What do we know about Marouane Chamakh?

Marouane Chamakh was born in January 1984, and is from Tonneins, which is a small town in the south west of France. As a youth player, Chamakh played for local teams, but when he was 16, many top professional teams noticed him. In 2000, Chamakh signed for top division side, Bordeaux, because they had great training facilities but also because it was near to his family home. With ex-Manchester Utd player and ex-France manager, Laurent Blanc, Chamakh won the French Cup in 2007 and the League and Cup double in 2008/09. After 8 seasons, 76 goals and 301 appearances for Bordeaux, Chamakh made the biggest move of his career when he decided to move to the UK.

"I gained a lot of confidence in the 3 years I worked under Laurent Blanc at Bordeaux." Marouane Chamakh talking about his time at Bordeaux.

Which Premier League teams has Chamakh played for?

In May 2010, Chamakh was a free agent after completing his contract with Bordeaux.  He signed for Arsenal on a free transfer. Chamakh played 67 times for Arsenal and scored 14 times in 3 seasons at the club. During his time with Arsenal, Chamakh scored the fastest ever goal in Arsenal league history; 37 seconds v Wolves (November 2010). In January 2013, Chamakh had a brief spell on loan at West Ham but failed to score and in the summer of 2013, Chamakh signed for Crystal Palace. So far, he has played 44 matches and scored 9 times for the Eagles (January 2015).

"I don't regret coming to England because I found what I came for - the league and the atmosphere." Marouane Chamakh.

Why does Chamakh play for Morocco?

Chamakh was born in France and has played his entire career in either France or England, but he plays international football for Morocco. He could have played for France, but Chamakh's parents are both Moroccan, so Chamakh decided to play for his parents' country.  Chamakh's father was also a footballer, in Casablanca, before he moved to France to look for work. Chamakh has played over 60 times for the Atlas Lions and has scored 18 goals. He has played in 3 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and helped his country reach the final in 2004, but they lost 2-1 to Tunisia. 

"I'm very interested in history and I'm trying to discover more about my country. You shouldn't think that all footballers just play football and then their PlayStation." Marouane Chamakh.

What does Chamakh do outside football?

Chamakh doesn't really fit the normal stereotype of a footballer. He is very good at maths and enjoys working with spreadsheets. He got very good grades at school and left with a Baccalauréat (an academic qualification that students in France take at 18 years old) in accounting. Chamakh's younger brother has a cafe back home in France and it's not unusual to see him helping there when he has some free time. He is a practising Muslim and has an interest in politics. In 2010, Chamakh was listed as a political candidate for the Democratic Movement Party in France!

"I placed a lot of importance on my studies because I didn't want to neglect them for my football." Marouane Chamkh.

What did you understand?

Did you know......?

• Marouane Chamakh became the first ever player to score in 6 consecutive Champions League games. 
• Chamakh was Morocco's captain in 2010.
• Chamakh scored the fastest Arsenal goal in league history (37 seconds).
• Crystal Palace haven't played at the 'Crystal Palace' since 1915!
• The most famous Moroccan to play in the Premier League was probably Mustapha Hadji, who played for Aston Villa and Coventry City.