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EnderbyFox

Benalouane "Ready to Play"

By EnderbyFox, in Leicester City Forum

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Babylon

Babylon

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, SecretPro said:

He's class. Vastly underated. Even before his current run, the games he's had in the cups over both seasons he's barely put a foot wrong. People still saying shit like 'he's fine as backup' need to get a grip: backup to two ageing, slowing old skool CBs who need phasing out over the next season? He's the only CB we have who can actually control a ball and play out from the back, he's been so refreshing. 

Oh so we're continuing with the "he's great on the ball" nonsense when he's got the worst pass completion stats and must have needlessly given the ball away today more than at 5 or 6 times in our half. Not forgetting the fact he can't win a header to safe his life.

 

He's average and no better than the others. I really wish he was. More then happy with him as a replacement, he's certainly done ok but not a chance are people judging him like they do Wes and Huth.

 

Abosoluteky baffled that people are so far up his arse.

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TheUltimateWinner

TheUltimateWinner

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Leicester City's Yohan Benalouane on loving art, antiques, car boot sales and life in Leicester

By RobTanner  |  Posted: May 09, 2017

GettyImages-674845124

Yohan Benalouane is no shrinking violet

 

Considering he has been at the club for the past two seasons, Leicester City fans may not know much about Yohan Benalouane.

 

The 30-year-old centre back had been a peripheral figure under Claudio Ranieri, the man who made him one of his first City signings when he paid Atalanta £5.6 million for his services in August, 2015.

He made just four substitute appearancesas City marched to an incredible Premier League title success and although he started all five of City's cup fixtures he became City's forgotten man as he was sent out on loan to Fiorentina, although injury prevented him from making a single appearance.

The French-born Tunisian didn't appear to have a future at the club when he was initially left out of City's Premier League squad but since Craig Shakespeare took over from Ranieri he has been at the fore of City's resurgence.

 

He was finally given his full league debut at West Ham United and has been regular starter in City's defence.

However, he remains an enigma to the vast majority of the Blue Army, who will know nothing of his love of nature, art, antiques and of car boot sales.

The fact he hands out food to the homeless every Christmas is probably not public knowledge, or that he nearly joined European giants Juventus.

Benalouane is in fact a fascinating character.

Read More: Benalouane rapidly becoming a Leicester City cult hero.

Born in La Palud in the south of France to a Tunisian father and French mother, Benalouane left home at the age of 13 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer at St Etienne.

His father had nearly signed for Marseille as a youngster but had to give up his dream to provide for his family, so when his homesick son said he wanted to quit it didn't go down too well.

"At the start it was difficult because for the first six months I was like a baby," admits Benaloune.

GettyImages-654832190.jpgYohan Benalouane is congratulated after his impressive full Premier League debut at West Ham United by Shinji Okazaki

"When you first leave home it is difficult. After five months I called my father and said I wanted to come home. I didn't feel good and I was crying. I was home sick.

"But my father said I had made a commitment and I had to honour it.

"I had made a decision. He said he knew it was difficult but I had to grow up and be a man.

"After a few more months I started to play and it was amazing for me. I loved my work.

"At the age of 18 I signed my first professional contract with St Etienne.

"It was difficult at first but today I am the man I am because I learned from it."

Benalouane took himself out of his comfort zone again in 2010, joining Italian side Cesena after a move to Juventus collapsed.

"When I was 23 St Etienne received a transfer offer from Juventus," said Benalouane.

"They agreed the fee but when I got to Italy there was a little problem with Juventus and I didn't sign for them.

"I didn't want to come back to France because I wanted to try the experience in Italy. I signed for another team (Cesena). It was difficult because I wanted to go to Juventus.

"After my first years in Italy were difficult because I had been comfortable in France in my team, but I had to learn a new language.

"I was young and it felt the same as when I went to St Etienne. I asked why I had gone there, but after five or six months I started to speak the language and I grew up a lot in Italy."

Benalouane spent five years in Italy and spent spells at Parma and Atalanta before Ranieri came calling and he said it was an opportunity he could not turn down.

"My dream was always to come to play in England," he said.

"When I was younger I watched a lot of English football and I liked it because the referees didn't stop the game. It was fast and physical.

"Football is a contact sport and I don't like the players who go down on the floor all the time. In Italy we had this culture.

GettyImages-667109386.jpgYohan Benalouane and his suitcase, the real one, not the metaphorical one.

"When I was young I said I wanted to go to England. I didn't get the opportunity so when the opportunity to go to Leicester came I said okay.

"I was very happy in Atalanta. It is like home for me and I know everybody. I have a lot of friends there and we are all very close, so it was not easy to leave my home, but I wanted to follow my dream."

It didn't go exactly to plan straight away for Benalouane as he was left on the sidelines, but he takes a philosophical view on his frustration.

"We are lucky to do this as a living," he said.

"I have made a lot of sacrifice in my life to be a footballer, but everyone has to make sacrifices.

"To be here I am lucky. I go into the city and there are people who don't have this luck in their life.

"At Christmas there are a lot of people who are homeless. I think it is good to think about those who are not as lucky as me. For me we are all together in the world.

"At Christmas I go out and give something to eat to the homeless people. I do it every year at Christmas because it is a time when people need food but they need something warm in their hearts as well as their belly.

"I love my work and love the people who come to the stadium but I think we don't have to forget what happens in the world around you."

As for life in England, Benaloune, along with his four-year-old child and Italian girlfriend, has embraced everything about living in rural Leicestershire.

"We try to go out and see around us," he explains. "We like to discover places.

"Recently I went to Lincoln to see the cathedral. It is beautiful.

"I think one of my favourite things about England is nature. The weather is not good, but the countryside is beautiful.

"When you travel and see the countryside it is beautiful.

"When I went to Italy I learned something. When I came to England I learned something, not just the language. That is the first thing you have to do.

"You have to learn the culture, about the people and how they live. After it is like luggage.

GettyImages-634279538.jpgYohan Benalouane and the man who signed him but didn't play him at Leicester City, Claudio Ranieri

"Afterwards I have a lot of things in my luggage that I carry with me, full of things I have learned.

"The love of the people and the beauty of the world is to learn about everyone.

"We could talk about many things and afterwards you learn something from me and I learn something from you. We grow as people.

"Now we talk about football but we could talk about art because I love art.

"I love a lot of art and go to exhibitions with my girlfriend. It is something important to me.

"I go with my friend to the car boot sale. A week ago I found something. It was an old projector. It is very old but very beautiful. I am restoring it.

"I like antiques that you buy and restore. I love old things so if I see something I like I buy it. It is another passion.

"I go because I like on Sunday mornings to get up early and go into the countryside. In France you smell the pollution. In Leicester the air smells different because you are in nature."

Philosopher, activist, art collector, naturalist, bargain hunter, Premier League champion and Champions League defender - there are many different sides to Yohan Benalouane.

 
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goose2010

goose2010

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, TheUltimateWinner said:

Leicester City's Yohan Benalouane on loving art, antiques, car boot sales and life in Leicester

By RobTanner  |  Posted: May 09, 2017

GettyImages-674845124

ohan Benalouane is no shrinking violet

 

Considering he has been at the club for the past two seasons, Leicester City fans may not know much about Yohan Benalouane.

 

The 30-year-old centre back had been a peripheral figure under Claudio Ranieri, the man who made him one of his first City signings when he paid Atalanta £5.6 million for his services in August, 2015.

He made just four substitute appearancesas City marched to an incredible Premier League title success and although he started all five of City's cup fixtures he became City's forgotten man as he was sent out on loan to Fiorentina, although injury prevented him from making a single appearance.

The French-born Tunisian didn't appear to have a future at the club when he was initially left out of City's Premier League squad but since Craig Shakespeare took over from Ranieri he has been at the fore of City's resurgence.

 

He was finally given his full league debut at West Ham United and has been regular starter in City's defence.

However, he remains an enigma to the vast majority of the Blue Army, who will know nothing of his love of nature, art, antiques and of car boot sales.

The fact he hands out food to the homeless every Christmas is probably not public knowledge, or that he nearly joined European giants Juventus.

Benalouane is in fact a fascinating character.

Read More: Benalouane rapidly becoming a Leicester City cult hero.

Born in La Palud in the south of France to a Tunisian father and French mother, Benalouane left home at the age of 13 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer at St Etienne.

His father had nearly signed for Marseille as a youngster but had to give up his dream to provide for his family, so when his homesick son said he wanted to quit it didn't go down too well.

"At the start it was difficult because for the first six months I was like a baby," admits Benaloune.

GettyImages-654832190.jpgYohan Benalouane is congratulated after his impressive full Premier League debut at West Ham United by Shinji Okazaki

"When you first leave home it is difficult. After five months I called my father and said I wanted to come home. I didn't feel good and I was crying. I was home sick.

"But my father said I had made a commitment and I had to honour it.

"I had made a decision. He said he knew it was difficult but I had to grow up and be a man.

"After a few more months I started to play and it was amazing for me. I loved my work.

"At the age of 18 I signed my first professional contract with St Etienne.

"It was difficult at first but today I am the man I am because I learned from it."

Benalouane took himself out of his comfort zone again in 2010, joining Italian side Cesena after a move to Juventus collapsed.

"When I was 23 St Etienne received a transfer offer from Juventus," said Benalouane.

"They agreed the fee but when I got to Italy there was a little problem with Juventus and I didn't sign for them.

"I didn't want to come back to France because I wanted to try the experience in Italy. I signed for another team (Cesena). It was difficult because I wanted to go to Juventus.

"After my first years in Italy were difficult because I had been comfortable in France in my team, but I had to learn a new language.

"I was young and it felt the same as when I went to St Etienne. I asked why I had gone there, but after five or six months I started to speak the language and I grew up a lot in Italy."

Benalouane spent five years in Italy and spent spells at Parma and Atalanta before Ranieri came calling and he said it was an opportunity he could not turn down.

"My dream was always to come to play in England," he said.

"When I was younger I watched a lot of English football and I liked it because the referees didn't stop the game. It was fast and physical.

"Football is a contact sport and I don't like the players who go down on the floor all the time. In Italy we had this culture.

GettyImages-667109386.jpgYohan Benalouane and his suitcase, the real one, not the metaphorical one.

"When I was young I said I wanted to go to England. I didn't get the opportunity so when the opportunity to go to Leicester came I said okay.

"I was very happy in Atalanta. It is like home for me and I know everybody. I have a lot of friends there and we are all very close, so it was not easy to leave my home, but I wanted to follow my dream."

It didn't go exactly to plan straight away for Benalouane as he was left on the sidelines, but he takes a philosophical view on his frustration.

"We are lucky to do this as a living," he said.

"I have made a lot of sacrifice in my life to be a footballer, but everyone has to make sacrifices.

"To be here I am lucky. I go into the city and there are people who don't have this luck in their life.

"At Christmas there are a lot of people who are homeless. I think it is good to think about those who are not as lucky as me. For me we are all together in the world.

"At Christmas I go out and give something to eat to the homeless people. I do it every year at Christmas because it is a time when people need food but they need something warm in their hearts as well as their belly.

"I love my work and love the people who come to the stadium but I think we don't have to forget what happens in the world around you."

As for life in England, Benaloune, along with his four-year-old child and Italian girlfriend, has embraced everything about living in rural Leicestershire.

"We try to go out and see around us," he explains. "We like to discover places.

"Recently I went to Lincoln to see the cathedral. It is beautiful.

"I think one of my favourite things about England is nature. The weather is not good, but the countryside is beautiful.

"When you travel and see the countryside it is beautiful.

"When I went to Italy I learned something. When I came to England I learned something, not just the language. That is the first thing you have to do.

"You have to learn the culture, about the people and how they live. After it is like luggage.

GettyImages-634279538.jpgYohan Benalouane and the man who signed him but didn't play him at Leicester City, Claudio Ranieri

"Afterwards I have a lot of things in my luggage that I carry with me, full of things I have learned.

"The love of the people and the beauty of the world is to learn about everyone.

"We could talk about many things and afterwards you learn something from me and I learn something from you. We grow as people.

"Now we talk about football but we could talk about art because I love art.

"I love a lot of art and go to exhibitions with my girlfriend. It is something important to me.

"I go with my friend to the car boot sale. A week ago I found something. It was an old projector. It is very old but very beautiful. I am restoring it.

"I like antiques that you buy and restore. I love old things so if I see something I like I buy it. It is another passion.

"I go because I like on Sunday mornings to get up early and go into the countryside. In France you smell the pollution. In Leicester the air smells different because you are in nature."

Philosopher, activist, art collector, naturalist, bargain hunter, Premier League champion and Champions League defender - there are many different sides to Yohan Benalouane.

 

If i was doing a car boot and saw a premier league footballer coming round the old sharpie would be out marking the prices up! Sounds like a bit of a local hero in the making though and a really nice guy!

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Danny Clender

Danny Clender

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Posted

Since his run in the team it's obvious why Ranieri didn't play him.

His positional play is unorthodox to what Ranieri demanded. 

At times it's scary, at others, sublime.

Fair play to Shakey for managing him and bringing him through, he must have known why he was signed in the first place.

There is no doubt he now is a genuine option in the CB spot. Morgan will have to be 100% in training to reclaim his spot for the last 3 games, if there is a chance. 

He really has been one of the highlights of the season. 

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AmarteyAndChill

AmarteyAndChill

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Definitely sounds like a decent guy. Just hope he works on his passing ability as it really is lacking sometimes. Also if he can make use of his height in the box and get the occasional goal that would really be a bonus. 

He's the only CB we have who can pass the ball ffs, wes and Huth can't pass it further than 5 yards and they take about 10 seconds to do it 

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Babylon

Babylon

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Anyone saying he's good at passing ffs watch the West Brom and Watford games. It was woeful.

 

He's done well, he brings a few different things to the back line, but there are clearly a few glaring issues.

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Koke

Koke

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Posted

Good player and seems like a nice guy.

 

Some of his flaws are he struggles against big strikers like Carroll, Benteke, Crouch, Lukaku, he gets totally dominated by them. And he sometimes is too rash and unnecessarily gives fouls away.

 

I feel pretty comfortable with him in the side though. 

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HighPeakFox

HighPeakFox

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2 minutes ago, Koke said:

Good player and seems like a nice guy.

 

Some of his flaws are he struggles against big strikers like Carroll, Benteke, Crouch, Lukaku, he gets totally dominated by them. And he sometimes is too rash and unnecessarily gives fouls away.

 

I feel pretty comfortable with him in the side though. 

I wonder whether that's always going to be the way, or a symptom of his (relative) lack of exposure in the PL...

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casablancas

casablancas

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Posted
25 minutes ago, Koke said:

Good player and seems like a nice guy.

 

Some of his flaws are he struggles against big strikers like Carroll, Benteke, Crouch, Lukaku, he gets totally dominated by them. And he sometimes is too rash and unnecessarily gives fouls away.

 

I feel pretty comfortable with him in the side though. 

Majority of PL defenders struggle against Carrol and especially Benteke in the air. You can't really complain about that mate. 

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lgfualol

lgfualol

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1 hour ago, Babylon said:

Anyone saying he's good at passing ffs watch the West Brom and Watford games. It was woeful.

 

He's done well, he brings a few different things to the back line, but there are clearly a few glaring issues.

Compared to what we see with Huth or Morgan, he IS good at passing. Not sure why he suddenly had trouble finding tsrgets with his passes in those two games. I still remember him playing a nice ball for Fuchs to run on to vs Watford, something that would have sailed out the ground had Morgan tried.

 

There are some issues but he still is early into his premier league career. 

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Foxxed

Foxxed

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Posted
1 minute ago, FoxInTheBirstallBox said:

Wonder which carboot he goes too 

Don't tempt Liam. He'll have a drone following him and we'll be commenting on his finds come next Sunday if you give him any ideas.

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