Mathieu Flamini

Mathieu Flamini

Personal information
Full name	Mathieu Flamini
Date of birth	7 March 1984 (1984-03-07) (age 27)
Place of birth	Marseille, France
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	Milan
Number	16
Youth career
2001–2003	Marseille
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	Marseille	14	(0)
2004–2008	Arsenal	102	(7)
2008–	Milan	76	(2)
National team‡
2004–2005	France U21	8	(1)
2007–	France	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 September 2008

Mathieu Flamini (born 7 March 1984 Marseille, France) is a French professional footballer of Italian descent^[1] who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan.^[2][3].

Club career

Marseille

Flamini was a youth team player for his local professional club Olympique de Marseille. He made his debut for the senior team on 20 December 2003 in the 1–0 victory over Toulouse FC. He impressed the team as a hardworking midfield player and played 14 times for the club. However, it was his performances in Marseille’s UEFA Cup campaign that brought him to the attention of the football world, including the semi-final victory over Newcastle United. He played in the final in Gothenburg which Valencia won 2–0. Due to his age, Marseille was unable to offer him a long term professional contract.

Arsenal

On 23 July 2004, Flamini signed a professional contract for English outfit Arsenal, rejecting Marseille's long-term senior contract offer to which he had already verbally agreed.

Flamini made his Arsenal début in the 4–1 win at Everton on 15 August 2004. He was used as a utility player starting 9 games but being used as a substitute in 12. The following season saw him filling in for a number of injured players, but unable to command a first team place in his favoured position. He scored his first Arsenal goal on 11th May 2005 in a 7–0 win against Everton scoring the seventh goal, that was Arsenal's last ever goal scored in their original Red and White kit at Highbury.

While he is naturally a defensive midfielder, Flamini was mainly used as a full back throughout the 2005–06 season after injuries to Ashley Cole, Gaël Clichy, Pascal Cygan, Lauren and Kerrea Gilbert. Despite being right-footed, Flamini performed admirably as a left back in the latter stages of Arsenal's domestic league and Champions League campaign. In May 2006, he came on as a 76th minute substitute in the Champions League Final in Paris, which Arsenal lost 2–1 to Barcelona.

In the 2006–07 season, Flamini scored the winning goal against Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifying stages of the Champions League. He also scored important goals against Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, and Liverpool in the Premiership. However, despite these important goals, he remained unsatisfied with his "utility player" role at the club and in April 2007, he admitted that he would probably be leaving Arsenal in the summer. However, Flamini turned down a proposed £3m move to Birmingham City after a long talk with manager Arsène Wenger and remained with the team.

Flamini started in central midfield for Arsenal's first match of the 2007–08 Premier League season, due to the absence of Gilberto Silva and Abou Diaby. During Arsenal's 2007–08 campaign, he struck up a strong partnership with Cesc Fàbregas, keeping Gilberto out of the starting XI with displays widely regarded by Arsenal fans as a vast improvement on those during his previous years at the club. Flamini enjoyed a generally good rapport with Arsenal's fans, who provided him with his own song, an adaptation of the theme tune to British television programme The Sweeney. On 29 January 2008, he scored an extraordinary 25-yard (23 m) strike in Arsenal's 3–0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League. He played on 8 April 2008, a UEFA Champions League match in which Arsenal were knocked out by English rival Liverpool F.C. After the match, he was reported injured and it proved to be his last match for Arsenal.^[4] In April 2009, he stated in an interview that he is still an Arsenal fan and that he has no hard feelings towards the club, "Arsenal are in my heart and they will be in my heart for ever," he said. "I will always be an Arsenal fan and leaving was not easy."^[5]

Milan

Flamini with A.C. Milan

Flamini signed a contract with A.C. Milan on 5 May 2008 worth €5.6 million per season over a four year period.^[6] Flamini wore the number 84 on his shirt to represent his year of birth. He made his Serie A debut on 30 August 2008 in a 2–1 loss to Bologna.^[7] Initially, Flamini did not enjoy the number of starts or appearances for the Italian team as he enjoyed in his last season at Arsenal; he was regarded as a utility player at Milan as he was during his first few years at Arsenal. Nevertheless, injuries to other players and his consistent good form helped him to cement a starting place at San Siro. With Milan failing to find a stable defence and a lack of a fit, consistent, and reliable right back, Gianluca Zambrotta was switched to the left flank to help Flamini develop as a tenacious right back. After stating that his preferred position is in the midfield, Milan have since re-deployed him as a defensive midfielder.

Flamini saw limited playing time towards the end of the 2009–10 season due to the great form of club captain Massimo Ambrosini. In the following season, Flamini became an important asset of the team that would win the 18th scudetto, playing many games as starter, and scoring two goals, against Bari and Bologna, respectively.

International career

Flamini accepted his first call up to France by coach Raymond Domenech for a friendly against Argentina at the Stade de France on 7 February 2007 after Jérémy Toulalan was ruled out due to injury. He later made his international debut in a friendly against Morocco on 16 November 2007 as a substitute.^[8]

Career statistics

Updated to games played 3 April 2010.^[9]

Club	Season	Domestic League		Domestic Cup1		European Competition2		Other Tournaments3		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Marseille	2003–04	17	0	–	–	9	0	–	–	23	0
	Total	17	0	–	–	9	0	–	–	23	0
Arsenal	2004–05	21	1	7	0	4	0	–	–	32	1
	2005–06	31	0	5	0	12	0	1	0	49	0
	2006–07	20	3	6	0	6	1	–	–	32	4
	2007–08	30	3	2	0	8	0	–	–	40	3
	Total	102	7	20	0	30	1	1	0	153	8
Milan	2008–09	29	0	1	0	7	0	-	-	37	0
	2009–10	25	0	2	1	5	0	-	-	32	1
	2010–11	22	2	2	0	5	0	-	-	29	2
	Total	76	2	4	1	17	0	0	0	98	3
Career Total		195	9	23	1	47	1	1	0	276	11

¹Domestics Cups for Arsenal years include both FA Cup and League Cup
²European competitions include the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup
³Other tournaments include the FA Community Shield

Honours

Arsenal

Winner

• FA Cup: 2004–05
• FA Community Shield: 2004

Runner-up

• UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
• FA Premier League: 2004–05
• League Cup: 2007
• FA Community Shield: 2005

Milan

• Serie A 2011
• Supercoppa Italiana: (1): 2011

References

1. ^ "Young Gunner Flamini agrees to join Milan". Independent (UK). http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/young-gunner-flamini-agrees--to-join-milan-1360892.html. Retrieved 28 April 2008. 
2. ^ "Flamini seals switch to AC Milan". BBC. 5 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7383314.stm. Retrieved 5 May 2008. 
3. ^ Benvenuto Mathieu!, acmilan.com (Italian)
4. ^ "Flamini out for three weeks". AFP. 10 April 2008. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=738435.html. Retrieved 15 May 2008. 
5. ^ "Mathieu Flamini interview". BBC Sport. 23 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/8010235.stm. Retrieved 23 April 2009. 
6. ^ "Flamini seals switch to AC Milan". BBC News. 5 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7383314.stm. Retrieved 12 May 2010. 
7. ^ [1]
8. ^ France 2–1 Maroc, fff.fr, 16 November 2007, accessed 17 November 2007.
9. ^ History, soccernet.espn.go.com, accessed 22 September 2007.

External links

• Profile at 4thegame.com
• Profile at premierleague.com
• Profile at sporting-heroes.net
• Mathieu Flamini career stats at Soccerbase
• Flamini joins AC Milan

Persondata
Name	Flamini, Mathieu
Alternative names	Flamini, Mathieu
Short description	Professional footballer
Date of birth	1984-03-07
Place of birth	Marseille, France
Date of death
Place of death