Three Algerian football stars join the local championship

This Thursday, September 19, the Algerian Ligue 1 championship will kick off. With new headliners well known to football fans. Three of its main clubs have indeed managed to attract Algerian internationals: Andy Delort (32 years old, 15 caps) signed with Mouloudia Club d’Alger (MCA), the reigning champion; Ryad Boudebouz (34 years old, 25 caps) with Jeunesse sportive de Kabylie (JSK), the most successful team in the country; and Islam Slimani (36 years old, top scorer of the national team with 45 goals in 102 caps) with Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad (CRB), winner of the last Algerian Cup.

The first two were born in France and have spent most of their careers there. Andy Delort, who opted for Algerian sporting nationality in 2018 thanks to his mother’s origins and won the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Egypt the following year, played for Ajaccio, Caen, Toulouse, Nice and Nantes until 2023. He played last season for Umm-Salal in Qatar. Ryad Boudebouz wore the jerseys of Sochaux, his training club, Bastia, Montpellier and Saint-Etienne, then joined Spain and Saudi Arabia.

Islam Slimani revealed himself at CRB between 2009 and 2013, before joining Europe, where he distinguished himself in Lisbon and Leicester before making more or less notable stints in the French Ligue 1 (Monaco, Lyon, Brest) then in Turkey, Brazil and Belgium.

“They are experienced players, but rather at the end of their careers. Slimani’s case is different from the other two because he was born in Algeria and played therenotes former international and then coach Ali Fergani. We will have to wait about ten matches to make an initial assessment of their real contribution and observe how Boudebouz and Delort adapt to life in Algeria and to the local championship. But none of the three represent the future and we should especially put resources into training young people.

Significant financial efforts

To convince these players to come and play in the Algerian Ligue 1 for periods of two years (Islam Slimani and Ryad Boudebouz) and three years (Andy Delort), the clubs made significant financial efforts. Thus, the MCA paid a transfer fee of 700,000 euros to Umm-Salal to obtain the signature of Andy Delort. The salaries that the players will receive have not been made public, but according to concordant sources, they are estimated at 40,000 euros for Ryad Boudebouz, 50,000 euros for Andy Delort and 60,000 euros for Islam Slimani. Sums to which must be added bonuses and various benefits, such as the provision of accommodation and a vehicle.

In Algeria, where the average salary of Ligue 1 players is around 15,000 euros, only the most economically powerful clubs are able to assume such remuneration. This is the case of MCA, CRB and JSK, whose owners are respectively Sonatrach, Madar Holding and Mobilis. “In other words, the largest state company in Algeria and Africa, another state company and the country’s leading telephone operatornotes a players’ agent who requested anonymity. “In terms of media coverage, this has an impact and the supporters are mostly satisfied. These three clubs have managed to attract renowned footballers, but whose careers are nearing their end.”

In Tizi Ouzou, Hakim Medane, the general director of JSK, sees only advantages in the arrival of Ryad Boudebouz. “It was not very difficult to convince him to join the club’s projecthe explains. This is proof that he is motivated and determined to bring us his experience. Our supporters are proud to welcome a player of this level.” Like the two other key recruits in the Algerian transfer window, Ryad Boudebouz will be the subject of particular attention in the coming weeks.