Bilal El Najjarine

For the Australian rugby league player, see Bilal Najjarin (rugby league).

In this Lebanese name, the father's name is Mohamad Saada and the family name is Cheikh El Najjarine.

Bilal Mohamad Saadi Cheikh El Najjarine (Arabic: بِلَال مُحَمَّد سَعْدِيّ شَيْخ النَّجَّارَيْن; born 8 February 1981), or simply Bilal El Najjarine, is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Bilal El Najjarine

El Najjarine with Lebanon in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Bilal Mohamad Saadi Cheikh El Najjarine[1][2]
Date of birth	(1981-02-08) 8 February 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Tripoli, Lebanon[1]
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2011	Nejmeh
2011	Bankstown City Lions	3	(0)
2011–2012	Nejmeh	17	(6)
2012–2013	Churchill Brothers	15	(1)
2013	Dibba Al-Fujairah	11	(1)
2013–2015	Al Dhafra	46	(1)
2015–2016	Dibba Al-Fujairah	17	(0)
2016	Nejmeh	2	(0)
International career
2004–2015	Lebanon	48	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

At club level he most notably played for Nejmeh, also playing in India and the United Arab Emirates. He represented Lebanon internationally between 2004 and 2015.

Club career

El Najjarine joined Nejmeh on 18 August 2003.^[3] After eight years, he moved to NSW Premier League side Bankstown City Lions in June 2011, making his debut on 19 June in a 1–0 win over Rockdale City Suns.^[4] He played three league games in total.^[5][6]

In 2012, El Najjarine moved to Indian I-League side Churchill Brothers on a one-year contract.^[7][8] He made his debut on 6 October 2012, in their 2–0 defeat to Dempo. He appeared in fifteen league matches and scored a goal during the 2012–13 I-League season, as the club clinched its second league title under the guidance of manager Mariano Dias.^[9][10][11]

Career statistics

International

Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each El Najjarine goal.

List of international goals scored by Bilal El Najjarine

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	9 September 2013	Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Qatar	0–1	1–1	Friendly	[12]

Honours

Nejmeh

• Lebanese Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09
• Lebanese FA Cup: 2015–16; runner-up: 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12
• Lebanese Elite Cup: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2016
• Lebanese Super Cup: 2002, 2004, 2009, 2016
• AFC Cup runner-up: 2005

Churchill Brothers

• I-League: 2012–13

Individual

• Lebanese Premier League Best Player: 2011–12^[13]
• Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season: 2008–09,^[14] 2009–10,^[15] 2011–12^[16]

See also

• List of Lebanon international footballers

References

1. "Bilal El Najjarine". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
2. "بلال محمد سعدي شيخ النجارين". uaemadar.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
3. "First Team List 2006/2007". Nejmeh SC. 6 January 2007. Archived from the original on 6 January 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
4. "Bankstown City grab bragging rights with defeat of Rockdale City". Football NSW. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
5. "Ten man Bonnyrigg deny Bankstown win". Football NSW. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
6. "Bankstown scrapes past Wolves in seven-goal thriller". Football NSW. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
7. "Mariano Dias appointed head coach for Churchill Brothers". dnaindia.com. Daily News & Analysis India. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
8. Srivastava, Ayush (24 January 2013). "Lebanese defender Bilal Najjarin leaves Churchill Brothers". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
9. "I-league title for second time". The Times of India. May 2013. Archived from the original (Webpage) on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
10. "I-League 2012–13". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
11. Noronha, Anselm (21 September 2013). "Churchill Brothers SC 0-1 Salgaocar FC: Defending champions suffer early blow". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
12. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Qatar vs. Lebanon (1:1)". www.national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
13. "...مهرجان كرة المنار يختار نجارين". www.sport.almanar.com.lb. Retrieved 13 May 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
14. مهرجان المنار... والكأس بين العهد والساحل. al-akhbar (in Arabic). 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
15. حسن معتوق أفضل لاعب في مهرجان المنار. al-akhbar (in Arabic). 22 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
16. بلال نجارين أفضل لاعب في مهرجان "كرة المنار". malaeeb.com (in Arabic). 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2019.

External links

• Bilal El Najjarine at FA Lebanon
• Bilal El Najjarine at RSSSF
• Bilal El Najjarine at National-Football-Teams.com
• Bilal El Najjarine at Global Sports Archive