Khalid Boulahrouz

1.1. Birth and Background

Khalid Boulahrouz was born on December 28, 1981, in Maassluis, Netherlands. He comes from a family of Moroccan descent, with connections to Morocco, and has eight siblings. During his formative years, Boulahrouz spent his youth playing for several clubs, including Excelsior Maassluis, DSOV, the Ajax youth system, Haarlem, and AZ. A significant event in his early life occurred when he was sixteen years old: his father died, which led to him taking on increased responsibility for his family.

1.2. Family and Major Personal Events

In December 2006, Khalid Boulahrouz married Sabia Thele. During the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, while he was in Switzerland preparing for the quarter-final match against Russia, his wife Sabia gave birth to their prematurely born daughter, Anissa. Tragically, Anissa died in a hospital in Lausanne. Despite this profound personal loss, Boulahrouz made the courageous decision to play in the match against Russia just a few days later, a gesture of resilience that saw the Dutch team wear black armbands in memory of his daughter. The couple later had a second daughter, Amaya (born March 2010), and a son, Daamin (born January 30, 2011). However, in January 2013, Boulahrouz and Sabia announced their separation and subsequently divorced. Following his divorce from Sabia, Khalid Boulahrouz began a relationship with Yasmin Verheijen, who was crowned Miss Netherlands in 2014.

2.1. RKC Waalwijk

Boulahrouz began his professional career in the Dutch Eredivisie with RKC Waalwijk. He made his debut on March 9, 2002, as a substitute in a 2-0 loss against Heerenveen. His time at Waalwijk proved to be a turning point, as coach Martin Jol recognized his potential and provided him with the confidence and playing time he needed to develop as a professional footballer.

2.2. Hamburger SV

After playing for two seasons with RKC Waalwijk, Boulahrouz transferred to Hamburg to play in the German Bundesliga at the start of the 2004-05 season. It was during his tenure at Hamburg that he earned his renowned nickname "Khalid der Kannibale" (Khalid der Kannibale_{Khalid the Cannibal}^German), attributed to his fierce defensive style and ability to "eat up" opposition players. His aggressive approach was evident in his disciplinary record, as he accumulated 16 yellow cards and three red cards in two seasons with the club. He was also a crucial part of Hamburg's defense during the 2005-06 Bundesliga season, which conceded the fewest goals in the league, with only 30 goals in 34 games. He formed a formidable center-back partnership with Daniel Van Buyten, where Boulahrouz's hard-marking and physicality complemented Van Buyten's style, contributing significantly to Hamburg's strong defensive record and their ascent to a top-three finish in the league.

2.3. Chelsea

On August 18, 2006, Chelsea reached an agreement with Hamburg for Boulahrouz's transfer, with the fee reported to be around 8.50 M GBP (approximately 12.00 M EUR). Following Chelsea's opening game of the 2006-07 season, manager José Mourinho confirmed the signing, emphasizing Boulahrouz's versatility, stating that "in a short squad and in a country where you can have only 16 players for a match, it's important to have cover for many positions." On August 21, 2006, Chelsea officially completed his signing, and he made his Premier League debut six days later against Blackburn Rovers. He was notably given the number 9 shirt, an unconventional choice for a defender, typically associated with strikers. This was simply because it was one of the few unallocated numbers at the time of his signing.

Boulahrouz started his Chelsea career promisingly, featuring in high-profile matches against Liverpool and Barcelona. However, his prominence gradually diminished. He suffered a lengthy absence due to a knee injury, followed by a shoulder injury sustained during an FA Cup tie against Norwich City. As the season progressed, he fell out of favor, with John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho becoming the primary defensive pairing. When Carvalho was injured, Mourinho opted to partner Terry with Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien, further limiting Boulahrouz's opportunities. In a notable incident, during a match against Arsenal on May 6, 2007, his judgment error led to a penalty kick and a red card, resulting in a 1-1 draw and inadvertently aiding Manchester United in winning the league title.

2.4. VfB Stuttgart

On July 21, 2008, Boulahrouz made a permanent move to VfB Stuttgart for a transfer fee of approximately 5.00 M EUR, marking his return to the Bundesliga after a three-season absence. He faced initial difficulties during his first three seasons with the club. However, at the beginning of the 2011-12 Bundesliga season, Boulahrouz established himself as a regular starter. On September 17, 2011, the 29-year-old defender earned his 100th cap in the German top flight during a match against SC Freiburg. Two weeks later, on September 30, 2011, he scored his first goal for Stuttgart-only his second in the Bundesliga-in a 2-0 victory over 1. FC Kaiserslautern, with the goal coming in the 69th minute. Despite his improved form, VfB Stuttgart announced in May 2012 that his expiring contract would not be extended.

2.5. Sporting CP

On July 18, 2012, Boulahrouz signed a two-year contract with Portuguese club Sporting CP as a free agent. He made 11 league appearances for the club during his brief tenure. His contract was subsequently terminated on September 3, 2013, ending his spell in Portugal.

2.6. Brøndby IF

On October 7, 2013, Boulahrouz signed a contract with Brøndby IF in Denmark, which was set to run until the summer of 2014. This transfer was confirmed after several weeks of negotiations. He made 13 league appearances for Brøndby IF during that season. However, his time at Brøndby was affected by frequent injuries, which ultimately contributed to the decision not to discuss a new contract, leading to his departure.

2.7. Feyenoord and Retirement

On July 14, 2014, it was officially announced that Khalid Boulahrouz had signed a one-year contract with Feyenoord on a free transfer. He joined the club as one of the replacements for defenders Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, and Bruno Martins Indi, who had departed after their impressive performances for the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Boulahrouz played his final season with Feyenoord. On February 11, 2016, more than half a year after his contract with Feyenoord expired, Khalid Boulahrouz officially announced his retirement from professional football.

3.1. 2006 FIFA World Cup

Boulahrouz was a notable participant in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, especially during the highly contentious Round of 16 match against Portugal, famously dubbed the "Battle of Nuremberg." Early in the match, he received his first yellow card in the seventh minute after a forceful tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo's right thigh, which eventually forced the Portuguese player to be substituted due to injury. Later in the second half, Boulahrouz was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for an elbow challenge on Luís Figo. The referee for this match, Valentin Ivanov, issued a record-breaking total of 16 yellow cards and four red cards, making it the most disciplinary-heavy match in World Cup history.

3.2. UEFA Euro 2008

Boulahrouz initially missed out on selection for the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2008. However, following an injury to Liverpool's Ryan Babel, he was reinstated into the 23-man squad. He was chosen to start in all of the group stage matches. A significant personal tragedy struck during the tournament when his prematurely born daughter died. Despite this profound loss, Boulahrouz displayed immense resilience and decided to play in the quarter-final match against Russia a few days later, with the Dutch team wearing black armbands in memory of his daughter.

3.3. 2010 FIFA World Cup

Boulahrouz was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On May 27, 2010, coach Bert van Marwijk confirmed Boulahrouz's inclusion in the final 23-man squad. He started in the Netherlands' final group match on June 24, a 2-1 victory over Cameroon, filling in for Gregory van der Wiel. He also featured in the semi-final match against Uruguay, contributing to the Netherlands' impressive run to the final of the tournament, where they finished as runners-up.

6.1. Club

Notes:

• National cup appearances include the KNVB Cup, DFB-Pokal, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, and Taça de Portugal.
• League cup appearances include the Football League Cup and Taça da Liga.
• Continental appearances include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Intertoto Cup.
• The 2005-06 Hamburger SV continental appearances include 6 in the UEFA Cup and 6 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
• Sevilla's domestic cup appearances include 1 in the Spanish Super Cup.
• Feyenoord's 2014-15 continental appearances include 5 in the UEFA Europa League and 1 in the UEFA Champions League.

6.2. International