Alphonse Areola

Alphonse Areola

Areola with Paris Saint-Germain in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth (1993-02-27) 27 February 1993
Place of birth Paris, France
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Paris Saint-Germain
Number 16
Youth career
1999–2006 Petits Anges
2006–2012 Paris Saint-Germain
2008–2009 → INF Clairefontaine (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012– Paris Saint-Germain 11 (0)
2013–2014 → Lens (loan) 35 (0)
2014–2015 → Bastia (loan) 35 (0)
2015–2016 → Villarreal (loan) 32 (0)
National team‡
2008–2009 France U16 14 (0)
2009–2010 France U17 10 (0)
2010–2011 France U18 4 (0)
2011–2012 France U19 8 (0)
2012–2013 France U20 16 (0)
2013–2014 France U21 9 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 November 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2014

Alphonse Areola (born 27 February 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He previously enjoyed consecutive loan spells with Lens, Bastia and La Liga side, Villarreal. During his stint with the latter, Areola broke the club record for the longest period of play without conceding a goal, remaining unbeaten for a streak of 590 minutes. He has represented France at every youth level and was part of the France U20 side that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013.

Club career

Paris Saint-Germain

Areola began playing football at the age of 6 for Petits Anges and spent seven years at his local club before signing for Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain. When Areola was 15, and upon the advice of coaches in Paris, he enrolled at Clairefontaine in order to further his development. He returned to PSG the following year and signed his first professional contract with the Parisians in July 2009.[1]

2012–13 season

On 18 May 2013, Areola made his senior debut for PSG, replacing first-choice goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu in the 48th minute of a 3–1 home win over Brest. PSG had been crowned Ligue 1 champions prior to the match and their opponents were already relegated.[2] He made his first start for the club the following weekend in a 3–1 win over Lorient. Areola played 61 minutes in the final match of the season before being substituted for fourth-choice 'keeper Ronan Le Crom, who was sent off later in the match for a foul on Julien Quercia.[3]

Areola playing for Lens in 2014.

2013–14 season: Loan to Lens

On 23 July 2013 he was loaned to Ligue 2 side RC Lens for the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season.[4] Areola immediately displaced Rudy Riou as the club's starting 'keeper and made 36 appearances for the campaign, included in which was his Coupe de France debut. He also helped the club to a second place finish in the league, thereby earning promotion to Ligue 1. Areola's performances throughout the course of the season also earned him the Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year award.[5] A verbal agreement was in place for Areola to remain with Sang et Or on loan for the following season but the club's financial position raised concerns with the League's National Directorate of Management Control and put pay to the possibility of him returning.[6]

2014–15 season: Loan to Bastia

Areola would get a chance in Ligue 1, however, as Claude Makélélé's Bastia stepped in to sign him on loan for the 2014–15 Ligue 1 campaign, with the deal being completed on 26 July 2014.[7][8] Signed as the replacement for retired Mickaël Landreau, he made his debut for the club on 9 August in a 3–3 draw with Marseille.[9][10] Areola ultimately made 39 appearances across all competitions for the club, keeping 13 clean sheets as Bastia ended the Ligue 1 season in 12th place and as runners-up in the Coupe de la Ligue.[11] The Final took place on 11 April and was contested between Bastia and Areola's parent club, PSG, with the match ending 4–0 in favour of the Parisians.[12]

2015–16 season: Loan to Villarreal

On 17 June 2015, La Liga side Villarreal announced the signing of Areola on season-long loan as a replacement for regular 'keeper Sergio Asenjo who had suffered a long-term injury the season before.[13] At Villarreal, Areola enhanced his burgeoning reputation by keeping 15 clean sheets in 37 matches and conceding only 26 goals as the club ended the season in fourth place in La Liga.[14] His clean-sheet tally for the league season was bettered by only two goalkeepers, Jan Oblak of Atlético Madrid, and Claudio Bravo of Barcelona.[15] Areola also set a new club record of playing 590 minutes of football with conceding, surpassing the record previously held by Diego López.[15] Outside of domestic football, the Frenchman featured in the Europa League for the first time in his career, making five appearances as El Submarino Amarillo reached the semi-finals where they lost out to eventual runners-up, Liverpool.[16]

2016–17 season: Return to PSG

Following his successful stint in Spain, Areola returned to PSG for the 2016–17. He began the campaign as understudy to German 'keeper Kevin Trapp, who had signed the season before, and was in PSG's match-day squad for their 4–1 Trophée des Champions victory over Lyon.[17] He made his first appearance of the season on 13 September in a 1–1 Champions League draw with Arsenal, in what was also his debut in the competition.[18] Following the match against Arsenal, Areola established himself as PSG's undisputed starter and had kept four clean sheets in eight appearances by mid-October.[6]

International career

Areola (far left) at U-19 level for France

Areola has played for France at all youth levels. He is also eligible to play for the Philippine senior team due to his parents being both of Filipino heritage and in 2011 was personally invited by team manager Dan Palami to consider playing for the national team.[19]

France national youth teams

Areola was the hero for France in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup Final. Having ended goalless after extra-time, the match went to a penalty shoot out where Areola saved spot-kicks from Ururguay's Emiliano Velázquez and Giorgian De Arrascaeta to lead his nation to their first ever triumph in the tournament.[20]

France senior national team

On 1 October 2015, Areola received his first call-up to the senior team by manager Didier Deschamps for friendlies against Armenia and Denmark as part of the French team's build-up to hosting UEFA Euro 2016.[21] He failed to make the tournament squad, however, but would later be called up to the senior squad again on three separate occasions for France's friendlies and World Cup qualifiers in September through to November 2016, although he had to withdraw from the latter squad after spraining his ankle.[22]

Career statistics

As of match played 30 November 2016[23]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Paris Saint-Germain 2012–13 20000000—20
2016–17 9000005000140
Total 11000005000160
Lens (loan) 2013–14 3501000——360
Bastia (loan) 2014–15 3501030——390
Villarreal (loan) 2015–16 32000—50—370
Career total 11302030100001280

    Honours

    Club

    Paris Saint-Germain

    International

    France

    Individual

    References

    1. ↑ "Alphonse Areola: La Biographie". Africa Top Sports (in French). 11 July 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    2. 1 2 "Beckham delivers in Paris win". Sky Sports News. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
    3. ↑ Ali, Mohammed (23 May 2013). "Lorient 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain: Gameiro at the double but Sakho in goal as champions' season finishes in farce". Goal. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
    4. ↑ "Officiel : Alphonse Areola prêté à Lens". RC Lens (in French). Retrieved 3 February 2014.
    5. 1 2 Jiang, Allan (23 February 2015). "Alphonse Areola and Hervin Ongenda Diverging at Bastia". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    6. 1 2 Johnson, Jonathan (22 October 2016). "Areola could establish himself as PSG's permanent keeper in Marseille clash". ESPN. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    7. ↑ "SC Bastia try to claw Alphonse Areola from Lens". Get Football News France. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    8. ↑ "Areola completes Bastia loan switch from PSG". FourFourTwo. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    9. ↑ "French Ligue 1 report: Bastia hold Marseille to draw". Sky Sports. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    10. ↑ "Areola still on top of the world". FIFA. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
    11. ↑ Johnson, Jonathan (19 July 2015). "Areola loan to Villarreal makes perfect sense for PSG". ESPN. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
    12. ↑ Davis, Matt (11 April 2015). "Paris St-Germain beat Bastia 4-0 to win the French League Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
    13. ↑ Johnson, Jonathan (20 June 2015). "Areola loan to Villarreal makes perfect sense for PSG". ESPN. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
    14. ↑ Dodson, Allan (18 June 2016). "Villarreal season in review: Goalkeepers". Villarreal USA. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
    15. 1 2 Gibney, Andrew (26 October 2016). "Alphonse Areola: The Paris Saint-Germain Youngster Breaking the Mould". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
    16. ↑ Whalley, Mike (5 May 2016). "How did Liverpool destroy Villarreal and will they beat Sevilla in Europa League final?". Telegraph. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
    17. 1 2 "Les questions que l'on se pose après le Trophée des champions remporté par le PSG contre Lyon (4-1)". France Football (in French). 7 August 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
    18. ↑ Davie, Chris (13 September 2016). "David Ospina starts for Arsenal's Champions League clash with PSG but Olivier Giroud benched". Metro. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
    19. ↑ Tupas, Cedelf (24 August 2011). "France youth squad GK Alphonse Areola shows Azkals interest". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
    20. 1 2 "France triumph after shootout drama". FIFA. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
    21. ↑ "Equipe de France : Diarra et Sakho de retour pour affronter le Danemark et l'Arménie". Le Parisien (in French). 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
    22. ↑ "Areola to Return for Arsenal Clash?". Ligue 1. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
    23. ↑ Alphonse Areola profile at Soccerway

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