Rachid Bouaouzan


Rachid Bouaouzan is a Dutch-Moroccan retired footballer.

Club career

Sparta and The Kokmeijer case

Bouaouzan was born in Rotterdam to a Moroccan parents. He started out his football at SVV/SMC before moving to Sparta Rotterdam, where he started his professional career. He made his debut in professional football, being part of the Sparta Rotterdam squad in the 2003–04 season. He played for his local club for 4 seasons.
In his second season, while playing in the Eerste Divisie, Bouaouzan reached the Dutch news headlines due to a heavy foul on Niels Kokmeijer, his opponent playing for Go Ahead Eagles on December 17, 2004. Kokmeijer's leg was broken badly and he was subsequently forced to retire from professional football. Sparta Rotterdam suspended Bouaouzan for the rest of the season, which was more than the 10 match ban the KNVB awarded him. Besides that he was taken to court by the Dutch government for battery, a unique moment in Dutch football history. Bouaouzan was sentenced to a conditional six months in jail. In April 2008 the highest Dutch court confirmed this. Furthermore, this led him facing bankruptcy after the court ordered him to pay compensation to Kokmeijer. Bouaouzan later reflected on his action, saying that he never injured anyone consciously.
At the end of the season Sparta Rotterdam qualified for the play-offs where Bouaouzan returned on the pitch. In the last and final play-off match Bouaouzan scored Sparta's winning goal over Helmond Sport, thus securing them a spot in the Eredivisie for 2005–06 season.
In the 2005–06 season, Bouaouzan’s first appearance in Eredivisie came on 21 August 2005, starting the whole game, in a 3–1 loss against Feyenoord. His performance at the club prompted the club to negotiate a new contract with him. Despite this, he scored his first goal of the season on 25 February 2006, in a 3–2 win over Willem II. At the end of the 2005–06 season, making the total of 29 appearances and scoring once, his future was uncertain, as Bouaouzan was linked a move away from the club. Eventually, he ended the transfer speculation when he signed a two–year contract in May 2006.
In the 2006–07 season, Bouaouzan started the season badly, due to his own injury concerns and the club’s poor start to the season. Despite this, the club managed to regain overcome the results and it wasn’t until on 30 December 2006 when he scored, in a 3–0 win over Twente. Halfway through the season, the club was in talks with Bouaouzan over a contract that would keep him until 2010. After being sidelined on two occasions towards the end of the 2006–07 season, he then scored again on 22 April 2007, in a 5–2 loss against Ajax. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Bouaouzan went on to make a total of 28 appearances and scoring 2 times.
Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Bouaouzan was expected to be in the first team under the new management of Gert Aandewiel. Although he made two appearances for Sparta Rotterdam at the start of the season, he continued to be linked a move away from the club.

Wigan Athletic

After agreeing a move, it was announced on 30 August 2007 that Rachid signed a three-year contract with Wigan Athletic. The transfer fee was rumoured to be in the region of £300,000. It was revealed that Rachid was on the verge of moving to Feyenoord, having passed a medical before joining Wigan Athletic instead.
Although he stated he doesn’t see himself playing again in his second season at the club, Rachid later made his first and only appearance for the club when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup tie with Notts County on 26 August 2008. After three years at Wigan Athletic, his contract with the club expired on 30 June 2010.

N.E.C. Nijmegen (loan)

Because Bouaouzan was not able to get into the Wigan squad during the 2007/08 season, he went on a one-year loan deal to the Dutch Eredivisie side N.E.C. on 29 August 2008 to gain first team experience.
Bouaouzan made his NEC Nijmegen debut on 13 September 2008, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Twente. Then, on 25 September 2008, he assisted three times during the match, in a 5–0 win over Be Quick 1887. After suffering from a hamstring injury, he was first choice for manager Mario Been and was able to play in Nijmegen's UEFA Cup campaign. Bouaouzan then played against his former club, Sparta Rotterdam, where he won a penalty, leading Youssef El Akchaoui successfully convert the penalty kick, in a 2–0 win on 2 November 2008. After the match, he said the reception he received from his former club, Sparta Rotterdam, as “disappointing.” It wasn’t until on 13 December 2008 when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–1 win over Willem II.
During the season, Bouaouzan was banned to the reserve squad three times for disciplinary reasons and motivational problems. In April 2009, after another incident, he was sent back to Wigan. Despite this, Bouaouzan went on to make a total of 33 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

Helsingborgs IF (loan)

He failed to play a single game on his return to Wigan, and so on 1 April 2010 Bouaouzan joined Swedish club Helsingborgs IF on loan for three months.
After appearing as an unused substitute bench for three matches since joining the club, Bouaouzan made his Helsingborgs IF debut on 29 April 2010, coming on as a substitute, in a 1–0 win over AIK. He then set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Gefle on 10 May 2010. He appeared five times for the side before suffering an injury that ended his loan spell at Helsingborgs IF.

Helsingborgs IF

On 23 September 2010, Bouaouzan rejoined Helsingborgs IF, initially signing a short term deal with the club. Prior to his move, he went on trial at his former club, Sparta Rotterdam.
Bouaouzan's first game after signing for the club on a permanent basis came on 27 September 2010, in a 3–2 win over AIK. He then set up a goal for the second time this season, in a 3–0 win over Åtvidabergs on 24 October 2010. He’s also played in the final of Svenska Cupen Final, where he played in the first half before being substituted, in a 1–0 win over Hammarby on 13 November 2010. At the end of the 2010 season, making the total of 13 appearances, he signed a three–year contract, keeping him until 2013.
In the 2011 season, Bouaouzan started the season well, appearing in the first team, where the club made a good start to the season, including a win against Malmö FF in Svenska Supercupen. Throughout May, he played a role for the side when he set up four goals against BK Häcken, Gefle, Landskrona and Trelleborgs. After being sidelined an injury in late–June, he then set up two goals in two matches between 18 July 2011 and 23 July 2011 against Kalmar and Malmö. However, his return was soon short–lived when he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for four weeks. After returning to the first team from injury, Bouaouzan then scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win over GAIS on 25 September 2011 to help the club win the league for the first time since 1999. A month later, on 29 October 2011, Bouaouzan scored again in the semi-final of Svenska Cupen, in a 3–1 win over Örebro. In the final of Svenska Cupen, Bouaouzan then set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Kalmar FF to win the Cup for the second time in a row. At the end of the 2011 season, he went on to make a total of 25 appearances and scoring 2 times in all competitions.
In the 2012 season, Bouaouzan started the season well when he scored twice in a 2–0 win over AIK in the Svenska Supercupen. Despite suffering from a knee injury in the pre–season tour, he, nevertheless, appeared in the first team despite competing with Daniel Nordmark. After suffering an injury in late–April, he made his return from injury on 2 May 2012, coming on as a substitute, in a 0–0 draw against AIK. Since returning from injury, Bouaouzan regained his first place and played in an attacking role. It wasn’t until on 12 August 2012 when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 7–2 win over Kalmar FF. He then scored again on 28 October 2012, in a 3–1 win over GAIS. After missing the remaining last two league matches, Bouaouzan returned to a match on 6 December 2012, in a 3–1 win over Twente. At the end of the 2012 season, he went on to make a total of 32 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2013 season, Bouaouzan remained at the club despite the transfer speculation occurred earlier this year. However, he found himself on the substitute bench, with David Accam preferred to his position instead. Bouaouzan made his first appearance of the season on 15 April 2013, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Mjällby. He made another appearance before suffering a hip injury that kept him out for three months. After returning to training in September, Bouaouzan made his return from injury on 25 September 2013, in a 3–0 loss against Malmö FF. By the time of his departure, Bouaouzan made four appearances this season.
Despite keen on staying at the club for another season, Bouaouzan, however, was dismissed by the club in October 2013 after another act of indiscipline. Upon learning his release, Bouaouzan said he was keen on playing for another club in Sweden.

International career

Bouaouzan joined the Moroccan national team in their preparation on October 2006 in Netherlands. He has played for the Dutch U21-team, but remains eligible to play for both senior national teams.

Career Statistics

Honours

Club

;Helsingborgs IF