A graduate of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Alphonse Areola is a French professional footballer who is currently the goalkeeper for the French football club. In the early days of his career, PSG players were loaned out to several French clubs like Villarreal, Bastia and Lens.
During his days at Villarreal, he broke the club going 615 minutes without conceding a goal. Alphonse Areola was part of the France Under-20 squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Brief biography
Areola was born in Paris, France on November 27, February 1993. The names of her parents are unknown, as well as her educational background. Alphonse has always loved football and he started playing when he was six years old.
His brothers and sisters
There is hardly any information online about the French player’s family, his parents and his personal life. Some online sources, however, reveal that he has a sister named Gratia Claire Areola. There are no further details about her and whether she is his only sibling or if he has other people.
Career League
At the age of six, little Alphonse Areola, who started his career at the sports club Entente Petits Anges where he spent seven years before signing a contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Following the advice of several Parisian coaches, at the age of fifteen, he enrolled at the Clairefontaine football center to develop his skills. After a year spent at the center, Areola returns to PSG and signs a three-year contract.
Upon signing the contract, he was enrolled in the club’s academy and after progressing in training, Alphonse made his first appearance as a senior in May 2013. He came on in the 48th minute of the game against Brest , replacing first-choice goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. The match ended in a 3-1 victory. His first start for the club came the following weekend in a game against Lorient which also ended in a 3–1 win.
For the next three seasons, Areola began to take loans. He was first loaned to RC Lens, which was then managed by former PSG manager Antoine Kombouaré. He made 35 appearances in total this season and at the end of the season he won the Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year trophy, as well as the Eurosport Newcomer of the Year trophy after beating N’Golo Kante and Gaetan Bussmann.. Areola also earned a spot on Team of the Season.
Alphonse Areola had his chance in Ligue 1 in the 2014-2015 seasons signed by Bastia coach Claude Makelele. He made his appearance with the team in August 2014 in a match against Marseille, which ended in a 3-3 draw. He has made 39 appearances for the club this season with 13 clean sheets.
His next loan spell was at La Liga side Villarreal, where he replaced the club’s regular goalkeeper, Sergio Asenjo, who suffered a long-term injury the previous season. His debut came on the opening matchday of the season against Real Betis which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Areola’s reputation improved further as Villarreal held 15 draws in 37 appearances and conceded just 26 goals in the entire season as the club ended the season taking fourth place in the league. He also broke the club record by playing 615 minutes without conceding a single goal.
Alphonse Areola has returned to PSG for the 2016-17 season and has remained till date. After returning in September 2016, he made his debut in a game against English club Arsenal which ended in a 1-1 draw. The following season, he won his second Trophée des Champions medal after a game against Monaco that ended in a 2-1 victory that allowed PSG to win their fifth consecutive title.
International career
Alphonse Areola has also represented the France national team at different levels and in several tournaments. He was part of the France Under-20 squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
The last match for Uruguay had ended goalless after extra time, he saved two kicks against Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Emiliano Velázquez to lead France to their first U-20 World Cup triumph.
He was also part of the squad that represented the nation at the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, UEFA European Under-19 Championship and European Youth Championship. 2015 UEFA Under 21.
He received his first invitation to join the senior team in 2015 and played in the friendlies against Armenia and Denmark in preparation for the organization of the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Although Areola didn’t end up making the squad, he received three separate invites to play in friendlies and World Cup qualifiers. He is one of the 23 French players for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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Height, Weight and Other Facts About Alphonse Areola
The French international is quite tall, he is 1.95m tall and weighs 88kg. His other body stats, however, are not known.
Alphonse Areola is a married man. He has been married to Marrion Areola since December 26, 2016 and they have two daughters. Their first child, Ayleen, was born in 2015 while the second, Aymma-Lyse, arrived in 2017.