Sofian Kiyine

Sofian Kiyine

Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-10-02) 2 October 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth	Verviers, Belgium
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	OH Leuven
Number	13
Youth career
	JMG Academy Lier
0000–2015	Standard Liège
2015–2016	Chievo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2019	Chievo	30	(0)
2017–2018	→ Salernitana (loan)	23	(2)
2019–2022	Lazio	0	(0)
2019–2020	→ Salernitana (loan)	34	(10)
2021	→ Salernitana (loan)	13	(0)
2021–2022	→ Venezia (loan)	26	(1)
2022–	OH Leuven	27	(2)
International career‡
2017	Morocco U20	4	(3)
2018	Morocco U23	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 October 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:16, 1 September 2020 (UTC)

Sofian Kiyine (born 2 October 1997) is a Belgian born professional footballer who has represented the Morocco U20 and Morocco U23 national teams at international level. As of April 2023 ^[update] , he is suspended by his club, OH Leuven of the Belgian First Division A, after an incident in which he drove his car at high speed through the wall of a sports hall. ^[1]

Club career

Kiyine played for JMG Academy Lier, Standard Liège and Chievo in his youth. ^[2] He made his professional debut in the Serie A for Chievo on 8 January 2017 in a game against Atalanta. ^[3]

On 17 July 2019, he signed for Lazio and on the same day was sent on loan to Salernitana for the 2019–20 season. ^{[4] [5]} On 28 January 2021, he returned to Salernitana on another loan. ^[6] On 30 August 2021, he signed on loan for Venezia, after that season Lazio sold him to OH Leuven where he signed a four-year deal until 2026. ^[7]

International career

Kiyine represented the Morocco U20 national team at the 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie, scoring the side's only goal in the final wherein they won the competition. ^{[8] [9]}

He is also eligible to represent Belgium and Italy, the latter because of his mother. ^[10]

Personal life

In late March 2023, Kiyine suffered non life-threatening injuries after he crashed his car violently while speeding at approximately 200 km/h. ^[11] His vehicle jumped the sloped center of a roundabout, flew 50m through the air and through the upper wall of a sports hall, where it landed on the floor inside the building. ^[12] No one else was injured in the crash. He was subsequently suspended by his club. ^[11] At the end of the season, the club announced that he would be re-integrated into the squad, and that both player and club would take part in road safety programmes. ^[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 8 May 2022 ^[14]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chievo	2016–17	Serie A	7	0	1	0	—	—	8	0
	2018–19	Serie A	23	0	2	0	—	—	25	0
	Total		30	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	33	0
Salernitana	2017–18	Serie B	23	2	0	0	—	—	23	2
	2019–20	Serie B	34	10	2	1	—	—	36	11
	2020–21	Serie B	13	0	0	0	—	—	13	0
	Total		60	12	2	1	0	0	0	0	72	13
Venezia	2021–22	Serie A	25	1	2	0	—	—	27	1
Career total			125	13	7	1	0	0	0	0	132	14

Honours

Morocco

• Jeux de la Francophonie gold medalist: 2017

References

1. "Club relieves player that smashed his car into a sports hall of his duties for "an indefinite period"". vrtnws. VRT. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
2. "Un jeune Verviétois va recevoir sa chance en Serie A!" [A young Verviétois will receive his chance in Serie A!]. Footnews.be (in French). 26 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
3. "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 8 January 2017.
4. "UFFICIALE: Lazio, arrivano Kiyine e Ndrecka dal Chievo Verona" . Retrieved 18 July 2019.
5. "UFFICIALE: Salernitana, presi Kiyine, Lombardi e Giannetti" . Retrieved 18 July 2019.
6. "SOFIAN KIYINE TORNA IN GRANATA" (in Italian). Salernitana. 28 January 2021.
7. "Sofian Kiyine naar OH Leuven".
8. "Jeux de la Francophonie Complete Program" (PDF). Jeux de la Francophonie. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
9. "Vidéo. Jeux de la Francophonie: en finale, les U20 misent sur Sofian Kiyine". 30 July 2017.
10. S.p.A., Società Editrice Athesis. ""Grazie Chievo, mi hai cambiato la vita"". L'Arena.it (in Italian). Retrieved 3 August 2018.
11. "Exit from the road at 200 km / h in Belgium and landing in a gymnasium: the suspended footballer". Time News. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
12. Victor, Tom (31 March 2023). "Footballer crashed car through wall of sports hall and rushed to hospital". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
13. "Après l'accident de Sofian Kiyine, l'OHL veut sensibiliser à la sécurité routière". RTL info (in French). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
14. "Sofian Kiyine". Soccerway.com.

External links

• Sofian Kiyine at WorldFootball.net