Nicolas Anelka
French forward who won the Premier League Golden Boot and Champions League, known for his nomadic career.
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. As a player, he regularly featured in his country's national team, often scoring at crucial moments. Known for his ability to both score and assist goals, he has been described as a classy and quick player, with good aerial ability, technique, shooting, and movement off the ball, and was capable of playing both as a main striker and as a second striker.
- Club Tenure (First)
- July 2000–January 2002
- Transfer Fee
- £22 million
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain as a youth player at age 16. He moved to Arsenal in February 1997 for £500,000, winning the 1997–98 Premier League and FA Cup double. He became a first team regular and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award the following season. He moved to Real Madrid for £22.3 million in 1999, winning the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He returned to PSG in a £20 million deal in July 2000. After regular first team football in Paris, he moved on loan to Liverpool in January 2002 before joining Manchester City for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03 season. He later played for Fenerbahçe, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Shanghai Shenhua, Juventus, West Bromwich Albion, and Mumbai City. At Chelsea, he won one Premier League title and two FA Cup trophies, and played in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League final where he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout. In 2009, he won the Premier League Golden Boot. He played 69 times for France, winning UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was excluded from the 2010 World Cup for comments directed at coach Raymond Domenech.
In Their Own Story
The atmosphere at Parc des Princes shifted dramatically after the 5–1 loss to Sedan in December 2000. Philippe Bergeroo was replaced by Luis Fernández, who immediately clashed with key figures. Anelka found himself in conflict with the new manager, mirroring his earlier struggles at Real Madrid with Vicente del Bosque. While PSG navigated a chaotic domestic campaign ending in ninth place, their European journey saw them finish bottom of their second Champions League group stage behind heavyweights like Bayern Munich and Milan. The club had qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup as a consolation, but Anelka's focus shifted elsewhere. By January 2002, despite being a regular starter, he moved on loan to Liverpool before eventually joining Manchester City, ending his second tenure in Paris.
Reader's Guide
Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain as a youth player at age 16. He returned to PSG in July 2000 in a £20 million deal from Real Madrid. He had regular first team football in Paris before moving on loan to Liverpool in January 2002.
Did You Know?
- Anelka converted to Islam in 2004, taking the name Abdul-Salam Bilal.
- He acted in the 2002 film Le Boulet as a footballer named Nicolas.
- He performed the quenelle gesture while playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2013, leading to a five-match ban.
- He is the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary Anelka: Misunderstood.
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