Abdelaziz Barrada

Abdelaziz Barrada (Arabic: عبد العزيز برادة; 19 June 1989 – 24 October 2024), sometimes known as Abdel, was a professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in France, he represented Morocco at international level.

He played in Spain's La Liga for Getafe and France's Ligue 1 for Marseille, in addition to spells in top-flight football in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar. He earned 26 caps for Morocco, and was chosen for the 2012 Olympic football tournament and the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Early career

Barrada was born on 19 June 1989 in Provins, France. He played in the youth teams of Paris FC before joining Sénart-Moissy. He spent three years with Paris Saint-Germain's reserves, and in 2007 he was the inaugural winner of the Titi d'Or for the club's best youth player.

Getafe

Barrada moved to Spain in 2010 and joined Getafe, initially being assigned to the reserves which were playing for the first time ever in Segunda División B. On 14 March 2011, he signed his first professional contract with the Madrid outskirts club.

On 28 August 2011, Barrada made his La Liga debut with Getafe, starting and playing 60 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Levante. He was immediately propelled into manager Luís García's starting XI. He scored his first goal for Getafe's main squad on 6 November, helping the hosts – who played more than 60 minutes with ten players – to a 3–2 home win against Atlético Madrid. In the following month, on the 17th, he netted twice in a 2–1 success at Mallorca.

Barrada scored four goals in 32 matches in both of his seasons with the team, helping it to consecutive midtable positions (11th and tenth).

Al Jazira and Marseille

On 6 July 2013, Barrada joined UAE Pro League side Al Jazira, signing a four-year contract. The following summer, he agreed to a four-year deal with Marseille for a reported €4.5 million.

In only his second appearance in Ligue 1, Barrada scored his first goal in the competition, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute in the home fixture against Nice and scoring for a 4–0 victory. His second arrived early into the 2015–16 season, as he contributed to a 6–0 demolition of Troyes also at the Stade Vélodrome.

Later career

In July 2016, Barrada returned to the UAE, signing for Al-Nasr of Dubai. He signed a three-year deal and Marseille received €2 million for the player who had contributed six assists in his final season.

Barrada signed a two-year deal with Antalyaspor of the Turkish Süper Lig in August 2018. The following January, he returned to Spain for the first time in over five years, being loaned to Gimnàstic Tarragona for the remainder of the Segunda División season. At the start of April, the Catalan club cancelled his contract after 145 minutes of play and concerns over his professionalism; manager Enrique Martín said "the Barrada I knew is not here".

In September 2019, Barrada went back to the Arabian Peninsula, signing a one-year deal at Al Shahaniya in the Qatar Stars League. Four months later he returned to his native Île-de-France, signing for Lusitanos Saint-Maur in the Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of French football.

Barrada announced his retirement in mid-2021. He then became a consultant for RMC Sport and beIN Sports.

International career

Barrada earned his first cap for Morocco on 29 February 2012, playing 86 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win over Burkina Faso. Also that year, he was part of the under-23 squad at the Summer Olympic Games, scoring in a 2–2 draw against Honduras in an eventual group stage exit.

Barrada started all three of Morocco's games at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, as the Atlas Lions again did not advance. In the second game, he assisted the late equaliser by Youssef El-Arabi in a 1–1 draw with Cape Verde.

Death

Barrada died of a heart attack in France on 24 October 2024, at the age of 35. His funeral took place at his birthplace of Provins in France, followed by burial in his family's village of Douar Aït Abdallah in Souk Lakhmis Dades in Tinghir Province, Morocco.