Introduction
Some of you may not remember, but exactly 14 years ago the football world witnessed one of the strangest transfers in history when Real Madrid unveiled their new signing, Julien Faubert. On January 31, 2009, the then 26-year-old Frenchman donned the jersey of the Los Blancos for the first time, which he would only wear twice more with a total duration of 54 minutes in official matches.
Faubert arrived on loan until the end of the season from West Ham for €1.5 million. No one could believe this transfer. Even Julien himself, who at first thought that Real’s interest in him was some tasteless joke.
“I got a call from a guy from Real Madrid. I was not very kind to him. I thought someone was playing a trick on me. I had just found out that the negotiations with Lyon and Newcastle had failed and I was not in a good mood,” Faubert recalled.
After his €9m transfer from Bordeaux to West ham in 2007, the Frenchman suffered an injury that kept him off the field for most of his debut season. The team managed to avoid relegation but their manager Alan Curbishley was replaced by Gianfranco Zola in the following season and despite making 24 appearances in the first half of the 2008/2009 season, Faubert did not receive much appreciation from the Italian coach.
Faubert is included in the transfer list, but after the failure of negotiations with Lyon and Newcastle, the situation looks hopeless. “I couldn’t see a way out. I thought I would stay at West Ham and continue to suffer.’ Until the surprise call from Madrid came.
Surprise Transfer to Real Madrid
The incredible transfer happened thanks to three people – his agent Yvan Le Mee, Real Madrid senior coach Juande Ramos and sporting director of Tottenham Damien Comolli. The Real boss is desperate for a right winger to increase competition in the position where Arjen Robben then plays. Now it may sound funny to you, but the idea of the bosses at Real back then was exactly like that. Ramos questions Comolli on whether there is a player in England with the profile worthy of the Santiago Bernabeu, and the Spurs sporting director directs him to city rivals West Ham and Faubert.
However, the Frenchman is not Real’s first choice. The priority then is Atnonio Valencia, but from Wigan they ask him for too high a price – 35 million euros. Thus, Ramos gave up the Ecuadorian, who at the end of the season moved to Manchester United for less than 20 million euros, and decided to go with Faubert.
The midfielder, who has been used both on the right wing and as a right-back, has been impressed by the level of work at the Los Blancos. “You immediately understand that this is one of the biggest teams because everything is arranged there and you only have to think about football. I arrived in Madrid on January 31st, and on February 2nd the club had already taken care of everything – I had an apartment, my children were enrolled in school, they provided me with a car. Everything!”
If Real Madrid had checked his career more thoroughly perhaps they would not have resorted to this choice.
Brief Stint as Zidane’s Heir
Two and a half years earlier, Faubert played his only match for the French national team – a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 21 minutes on the field, he not only managed to score but also brought “Les Bleus” a 2:1 victory with a goal in added time.
Although Faubert was given the honor of inheriting Zinedine Zidane number 10 jersey after the soccer legend’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final, he was never invited to play for France again by then coach Raymond Domenech or any of his successors. This fact is made even stranger by the circumstances surrounding Faubert’s brief stint as Zidane’s heir apparent during a match against Bosnia.
Despite the honor of wearing Zidane’s iconic number 10 jersey this achievement failed to improve Faubert’s career prospects and instead served as just one peculiar detail in his biography. It is interesting to note that Faubert and Zidane both began their soccer journeys at the Cannes academy but their paths diverged greatly thereafter. Unfortunately, Faubert never received another call-up to play for the French national team and since his match against Bosnia was not recognized as an official game, he later had the opportunity to represent Martinique, where he scored five goals in ten matches.
Falling Asleep on the Bench
Unfortunately for him the story with the French national team repeated itself at Real Madrid. Faubert played only 54 minutes with the white team taking part in two matches. After the end of the season his contract was not extended and the midfielder was returned to West Ham.
“I learned a lot even though I didn’t play much,” insists Faubert. – I learned to hunger for victories. Around me were world champions, footballers who won the Champions League. But they kept asking for more and more.”
Apart from his failure Faubert will also be remembered in Madrid for his “falling asleep” on the bench during a match with Villarreal.
“When I spoke to the owner, he told me to be very careful when I play, when I speak and with the way I carry myself. I’m told there are 10-15 cameras watching what’s happening on the bench alone. I just closed my eyes for half a second. They caught me and said I was asleep! But I don’t sleep on the bench, I prefer the bed.”
ВИДЕО КАК СПИReturn to West Ham and Later Career Moves
Following his unsuccessful stint at Real Madrid, Faubert rejoined West Ham and remained there until 2012. He then transferred to Turkey’s Elazigspor, before eventually returning to Bordeaux where he had previously won the League Cup in 2007 during his first spell. It was during his second stint at Bordeaux that Faubert achieved the pinnacle of his career, winning the 2013 French Cup, which marked the second and final major trophy of his soccer career.
The Frenchman stayed in Bordeaux until the summer of 2015 after which he was without a team for half a year. He found a new home in the Scottish Kilmarnock and had to swallow the transition from the 80 000 Santiago Bernabeu to the Rugby Park with a capacity of just under 18 000. But he did it and helped the team in the battle for survival in the elite division. After that he was a free agent again but not a word was allowed to be said about his return to France. No team there was going to repeat Real’s mistake, and Faubert seemed to be forgotten by everyone in his homeland. “There was no way I could go back to France. Maybe if the right offer had come along… But no. France was not my priority, there they doubted my physical qualities. I enjoyed my time in Scotland, I played in almost every game. I was named Man of the Match against Celtic, which shows respect (Kilmarnock lost 0-1 at home in that game).
When we tried to contact some of the French teams, they would say: “Faubert? Who is he?” I wasn’t 17. It was disrespectful. So I decided to stay abroad rather than return to the country I love. I couldn’t take it anymore. People have the wrong idea about me. They have built an image for themselves that totally does not correspond to reality.” Faubert indeed did not return to France and instead he played one season for Finnish Inter Turku then spent half a year in Indonesia.
Nowhere did Faubert leave a significant mark. Even in four and a half years as a West Ham player, he played just 69 Premier League games. He made 144 appearances for Bordeaux in Ligue 1, but was allowed to leave as a free agent during his second spell with the team. And he will forever be known as the player who “fell asleep” on the Real Madrid bench and played so little that he was paid 28 000 euros for every minute on the field.
Now after his football days are behind him Faubert will always write in his biography that he was once, even briefly, a player for the great Real Madrid: “I didn’t care about the articles in the press. I was much more respected in England than in France. Instead of being happy that there is a Frenchman playing for Real Madrid, my countrymen criticized me. Whatever happens, I will always have Real Madrid on my CV.”
If nothing else, Faubert can brag that he has seen everything in football – from France to Martinique and from the Bernabeu through Rugby Park all the way to Indonesia.