Zakaria El Azzouzi Explained

Zakaria El Azzouzi
Birth Date:7 May 1996
Birth Place:Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height:1.78 m
Position:Forward
Youthclubs1:DWS
Youthyears2:2009–2015
Youthclubs2:Ajax
Years1:2015–2018
Clubs1:Ajax
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:2015–2017
Clubs2:Jong Ajax
Caps2:11
Goals2:6
Years3:2016
Clubs3:Twente (loan)
Caps3:13
Goals3:4
Years4:2016–2017
Clubs4:Sparta Rotterdam (loan)
Caps4:21
Goals4:5
Years5:2017–2018
Clubs5:Excelsior (loan)
Caps5:17
Goals5:2
Years6:2019
Clubs6:Emmen
Caps6:0
Goals6:0
Years7:2019–2021
Clubs7:Volendam
Caps7:35
Goals7:8
Years8:2021–2022
Clubs8:Brașov
Caps8:18
Goals8:5
Years9:2022–2023
Clubs9:Al Kharaitiyat
Nationalyears1:2013
Nationalteam1:Morocco U17
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0
Club-Update:18:11, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Zakaria El Azzouzi (Arabic: زكريا العزوزي; born 7 May 1996) is a Dutch-Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward.

Club career

El Azzouzi was born in Rotterdam. He is a youth exponent from AFC Ajax. He made his professional debut at 21 August 2015 with Jong Ajax against NAC Breda. He played the full game, a 3–0 loss.[1] On 22 January 2016, El Azzouzi was sent on loan to FC Twente for the rest of the season[2] and he joined newly promoted Sparta on loan for the 2016–17 season.[3]

He was without a club after his contract with Ajax was dissolved in December 2018.[4]

On 7 March 2019, El Azzouzi signed a six-month contract with an option for an additional year with Emmen after being a free agent for two months.[5] However, the club failed to register him, which meant that he did not make an official appearance during his stint at the club.[6]

On 20 June 2019, Volendam announced that they had signed El Azzouzi as their first new addition ahead the 2019–20 season.[7] He signed a two-year contract with an option for another year. During his unofficial debut, on 6 July against Hoofdklasse club VPV Purmersteijn, he also scored his first goal for the club.[8]

International career

El Azzouzi was born in the Netherlands to parents of Moroccan descent. He represented Morocco in the 2013 African U-17 Championship.[9] On May 17, 2016, El Azzouzi was called up by national coach Hervé Renard for the practice international against DR Congo (May 27) and the Africa Cup qualifier with Libya (June 3). For El Azzouzi, this was the first time he had been part of Morocco's national team.[10]

Personal life

On 12 March 2015, when El Azzouzi played in the youth academy of Ajax, he was arrested along with teammates Samet Bulut and Aschraf El Mahdioui for assaulting a plainclothed policewoman. The officer suffered shoulder injuries and various bruises. She later filed charges against the three players.[11] A day later, Ajax announced in an official message that they had suspended the players.[12] Later that week, El Azzouzi remained the only suspect in the case. They were, however, allowed make appearances for the Ajax A1 youth side again after serving a month suspension. As punishment, he had to inform the youth players of Ajax together with Bulut and El Mahdioui.[13] [14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NAC Breda vs. Jong Ajax - 21 August 2015 - Soccerway. soccerway.com. 2015-08-22.
  2. http://www.ad.nl/eredivisie/fc-twente-huurt-ajax-aanvaller-el-azzouzi~a8df42b4/ FC Twente huurt Ajax-aanvaller El Azzouzi
  3. http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/sparta-rotterdam-huurt-el-azzouzi-van-ajax.htm Sparta Rotterdam huurt El Azzouzi van Ajax
  4. https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/ajax-en-el-azzouzi-per-direct-uit-elkaar-# Ajax en El Azzouzi per direct uit elkaar
  5. Web site: Welkom, Zakaria El Azzouzi! – FC Emmen . FC Emmen . nl . 7 March 2019.
  6. News: Dijkhuizen . Niels . El Azzouzi niet speelgerechtigd: Dan maar trainen bij Feyenoord . RTV Drenthe . 8 April 2019 . NL.
  7. Web site: Zakaria El Azzouzi kiest voor FC Volendam . FC Volendam . nl . 20 June 2019.
  8. News: Dekker . Edward . Samenvatting: FC Volendam overklast Purmersteijn in eerste duel van het seizoen . NH Nieuws . 6 July 2019 . nl.
  9. Web site: CAN U 17 : La liste du Maroc. 7 April 2013.
  10. Web site: 2016-05-17 . Bouy en El Azzouzi debuteren in Marokkaanse selectie . 2024-03-26 . Voetbal International . nl.
  11. Web site: van Sluis . Hilbert . Jeugdspelers Ajax mishandelen agente . . 11 September 2020 . nl . 13 March 2015.
  12. Web site: Ajax schorst jeugdspelers na mogelijke mishandeling . NU.nl . 11 September 2020 . nl . 13 March 2015.
  13. Web site: Ajax houdt geschorste talenten binnenboord . . 11 September 2020 . nl . 17 March 2015.
  14. http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/ajax/23811206/__Ajax_laat_A-junioren_blijven__.html#voetbal/298/fixtures/ Ajax laat A-junioren blijven