Youssouf HADJI

Discovered whilst playing for Nancy in the French Second Division, Youssouf Hadji made his mark in Ligue 1 with Bastia, where Rennes signed him from in 2005. This versatile player came to help strengthen a squad which was committed to four competitions, less than ten years after Stade Rennais had tried to sign his illustrious older brother Mustapha. Sometimes selected as an attacking midfielder, sometimes as a winger to give Monterrubio a rest, the Moroccan was inconsistent, with workmanlike performances without gloss mixed with the odd sparking display (brace against Auxerre, and a goal against Osasuna.) Manager Bölöni preferred the young Gourcuff to Hadji in the starting line-up. With the promise of a place in the starting-line from Dréossi in 2006/2007, he was again disappointing, failing to find the net in any of his 15 appearances. As of the Autumn, he was relegated to the role of benchwarmer, and returned to the club that developed him during the winter of 2007. After the breakdown in negotiations with Erding, Rennes re-signed Hadji in August 2011. A year and 8 goals later, he left for Al-Arabi in Qatar.