Larbi BENBAREK | 1938-1939 | PES Stats Database (Golden Era Backup)

BENBAREK PES STATS | 1938-1939

Brezza Abdelkader Larbi Ben M’Barek Larbi BENBAREK | 1938-1939 Club: Olympique Marseille Number: Position: AM* , SS, CM Nationality: Moroccan/French Foot: R Side: R Length: 178 Weight: 65 Attack: 84 Defence: 40 Balance: 77 Stamina: 84 Top Speed: 84 Acceleration: 88 Response: 85 Agility: 87 Dribble Accuracy: 96 Dribble Speed: 90 Short Pass Accuracy: 85 Short Pass Speed: 88 Long Pass Acc.: 83 Long Pass Speed: 76 Shot Accuracy: 87 Shot Power: 80 Shot Technique: 85 Free Kick Accuracy: 83 Curling: 88 Header: 78 Jump: 88 Technique: 94 Aggression: 83 Mentality: 77 Keeper Skills: 50 Team Work: 85 Injury Tolerance: B Condition/Fitness: 6 Weak Foot Accuracy: 7 Weak Foot frequency: 7 Consistency: 6 *Dribbling *Tactical dribble *Playmaking *Passing *1-Touch Pass *Outside Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported The first great African star and the first to bear the nickname of ''Black Pearl'', Ben Barek blazed a trail to the European, and particularly French, leagues. Born in Morocco on June 16, 1917, he arrived in Marseilles at the age of 20, and became an instant favourite with the fans for his skill, his vision and his effortless athletic grace. Pele, the soccer legend who took the name of the ''Black Pearl'' after Pele made a famous statement about Larbi in which he says '' If i am the king of soccer, then Larbi Ben Barek is the god of it'' He began his career with a small second division Casablanca club called L’Ideal. After a few successful seasons in Morocco, he was snapped up in 1938 by the wealthy French club Olympique de Marseille. He took French soccer by storm: his faultless technique, speed and combinative ability quickly made him a darling of the fans. Soon, five months after his arrival in the country, Ben Barek was selected for the French national team, facing Italy in Naples. This caused quite a stir: Italy protested that Ben Barek was not a naturalised Frenchman and thus should not be allowed to play. But a dual citizenship rule was applied and there he stood with the team, proudly belting out the Marseillaise. Between 1938 and 1948 he played 17 times for France. However, not being too keen on military service, Ben Barek repatriated to Morocco in 1939 and spent the war years there. After the war he was re-discovered by one of the star coaches of Europe, Helenio Herrera and snapped up for his club, Atlético Madrid, for 17 million francs. And that’s where this original “Black Pearl” played for five seasons, starting in 1948. in Spain he truly blossomed and where his international fame spread. His nickname with the fans in Spain was ''The Foot of God''. With the help of Benbarek, Atlético won La Liga in 1950 and 1951. He returned to Marseille in 1953 and helped his team into the French Cup final, only to lose to Nice. In 1954, aged 39, he was recalled into the French national team for the last time, playing Germany in a friendly international. After his playing days were over, Ben Barek turned to coaching. He died in 1992 in Casablanca. 6 years after his death, he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit Award, which is the award of the highest honor in FIFA. _________________ Alan Hansen wrote: How come Liverpool games are on last at the moment? Gary Lineker wrote: Midtable clashes aren't as exciting Larbi BENBAREK | 1938-1939 | PES Stats Database (Golden Era Backup)