By Youssef El-Arabi Joins APOEL Nicosia at 37
Youssef El-Arabi, the indomitable 37-year-old “Atlas Lion,” has found a new home. After parting ways with Olympiakos following a five-year tenure, where he experienced collective success (including a triumph in the Europa Conference League) but a frustrating personal season (scoring 6 goals in just 492 minutes across 25 appearances), the Moroccan international has signed a two-year contract with APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus. The club, current champions of Cyprus, announced El-Arabi’s arrival on Sunday.
Rejuvenating Challenge
APOEL Nicosia is set to compete in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. For El-Arabi, originally from Caen, this marks his sixth professional club and country. The Blue and Yellow club aims to dominate the championship again while offering a fulfilling environment for their new striker.
Our new Number 9@elarabiyoussef #monoAPOEL #APOELFC #EMPE30R pic.twitter.com/AroFC5sbT1
— APOEL FC (@apoelfcofficial) July 13, 2024
A Prolific and Well-Traveled Career
El-Arabi’s journey began tumultuously. Rejected by Stade Malherbe de Caen at the tender age of 15, he played for lesser-known clubs (SC Hérouville, USON Mondeville) and even featured in the French U21 futsal team before making a return to SM Caen at 21 in 2008. He left a mark in Ligue 2 (11 goals) and Ligue 1 (17 goals) before a surprising move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia at just 24 years old.
Following a year in Saudi Arabia, El-Arabi moved to Granada in Spain’s La Liga for a four-season stint. This was followed by a three-season spell in Qatar with Lekhwiya and Al-Duhail SC. He then joined Olympiakos in Greece, where he enjoyed four seasons, securing three Greek championships, two top-scorer awards, and a Europa Conference League title in 2024. Having netted over 300 career goals, El-Arabi now looks to continue his prolific scoring in Cyprus.
