Otman Bakkal

Otman Bakkal (born 27 February 1985) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.^[2]

Otman Bakkal

Bakkal with Dynamo Moscow in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-02-27) 27 February 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Eindhoven, Netherlands
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1996–2003	PSV
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2012	PSV	118	(25)
2004–2005	→ Den Bosch (loan)	6	(0)
2005–2006	→ Eindhoven (loan)	33	(8)
2006–2007	→ Twente (loan)	31	(3)
2011–2012	→ Feyenoord (loan)	29	(9)
2012–2013	Dynamo Moscow	4	(0)
2013–2014	Feyenoord	8	(0)
Total		229	(45)
International career
2006–2007	Netherlands U21	13	(3)
2009	Netherlands[1]	1	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

He began his career at PSV, and was loaned to Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Twente and Feyenoord. After making a permanent move to Dynamo Moscow in the summer of 2012, he returned to Feyenoord one year later.^[3] A youth international for the Netherlands, he gained one cap for the senior team in 2009.

Club career

Bakkal in 2007.

Bakkal made his senior debut for PSV during the 2003–04 season in a 3–0 UEFA Cup win over Auxerre. Three days later, on 28 March 2004, he made his league debut and the first senior start of his career in a 3–1 loss against Willem II. He signed a new three-year deal with PSV in May 2004.^[4]

Over the next three seasons, Bakkal would not get any playing time at PSV. Instead, he was loaned out to Den Bosch, Eindhoven and Twente.^[5][6][7]

Following the 2006–07 season, Bakkal re-joined PSV and saw regular first-team action. In November 2010, he was bitten in the shoulder by Luis Suárez during a 0–0 draw against Ajax. That incident caused Suárez to be suspended for seven games.^[8]

During the 2010–11 season, Bakkal was loaned to Feyenoord, having lost any expectation of regular playing time with PSV.^[9] He displayed impressive form and drew the interest of Premier League side Swansea City.^[10] Instead, he joined Russian club Dynamo Moscow for the 2012–13 season.^[11]

A year after leaving the Netherlands for Russia, Bakkal returned to the Eredivisie to sign for former loan club Feyenoord, signing a one-year contract running until 30 June 2014.^[12] At the end of the 2013–14 season, his contract was subsequently allowed to expire.^[13]

In March 2016, Bakkal announced he was not looking for a new club anymore after two years as a free agent, effectively retiring from football.^[14]

International career

Bakkal played at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[15] He made his debut for the senior national side in 2009, after coming on as a substitute for Rafael van der Vaart in a friendly match against Paraguay.^[11] He played the final six minutes of the game, and it would remain his only cap, giving him the shortest career in the Netherlands national team ever.^[16]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[17]

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
PSV	2003–04	Eredivisie	2	0	0	0	1[b]	0	—		3	0
	2007–08	Eredivisie	31	8	0	0	9[c]	1	1[d]	0	41	9
	2008–09	Eredivisie	28	5	0	0	6[e]	0	—		34	5
	2009–10	Eredivisie	31	11	3	0	12[f]	1	—		46	12
	2010–11	Eredivisie	25	1	3	0	11[f]	0	—		39	1
	2011–12	Eredivisie	1	0	—		0	0	—		1	0
	Total		118	25	6	0	39	2	1	0	164	27
Den Bosch (loan)	2004–05	Eredivisie	6	0	0	0	—		—		6	0
Eindhoven (loan)	2005–06	Eerste Divisie	33	8	3	3	—		—		36	11
Twente (loan)	2006–07	Eredivisie	31	3	2	1	4[g]	0	1[h]	0	36	11
Feyenoord (loan)	2011–12	Eredivisie	29	9	2	1	—		—		31	10
Dynamo Moscow	2012–13	Russian Premier League	4	0	0	0	1[f]	0	—		5	0
Feyenoord	2013–14	Eredivisie	8	0	1	1	—		—		9	1
Career total			229	45	14	6	44	2	2	0	289	53

1. Includes KNVB Cup
2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
3. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances and one goal in UEFA Cup
4. Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
5. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
7. Two appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup, two appearances in UEFA Cup
8. Appearance in Eredivisie European play-offs