Alphonse Areola, a goalie for Paris Saint-Germain, is a French professional footballer. He was a PSG academy graduate who spent the first several years of his career on loan with Lens, Bastia, and Villarreal.
Areola was a member of the France national team at every level of youth, as well as the 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning side.
Best Known For:
The areola is best known for breaking the club record for the longest amount of time without surrendering a goal, which was 620 minutes.
When France won their first U20 FIFA World Cup, he put on a tremendous performance.
Goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain in the French professional football league.
Early Years of Alphonse Areola
Alphonse Areola was born in Paris, France, on February 27, 1993. Pisces is his zodiac sign. Areola’s nationality is French, and he belongs to the African ethnicity. Gratia Claire Areola, Areola’s younger sister, grew up with him. At the age of six, Alphonse Areola started playing football with Pettis Anges. He is a PSG academy graduate who spent his early career with the club.
The career of Alphonse Areola
Areola joined the Clairefontaine football center at the age of 15 to continue his development. Areola returned to PSG the next year and signed his first professional contract, a three-year deal, in July 2009. PSG made Areola’s senior debut against Brest. He came on as a substitute for the club’s first-choice goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu in the 48th minute. Areola was loaned to RC Lens of Ligue 2 for the 2013-14 season, where he won the Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year Award and was named to the Team of the Season. In addition, he was named Eurosport’s Revelation of the Year, beating out N’Golo Kante and Gaetan Bussmann.PSG then loaned Areola to Bastia for the 2014-15 season on July 26, 2014.
During the season, Areola had 13 clean sheets. Villarreal, a La Liga team, announced Areola’s loan signing on June 17, 2015. Areola made his Villarreal debut against Real Betis on the first day of the season. Areola preserved 15 clean sheets in 37 games in his debut season, conceding only 26 goals, and Villareal finished fourth in La Liga. He also set a new club record of 620 minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing Diego Lopez’s previous mark of 615 minutes without allowing a goal.
PSG is back in action (2016)
Areola returns to PSG for the 2016-17 Ligue 1 season after a successful spell in Spain. Areola made his PSG debut against Arsenal on September 13, 2016, after returning to the club. It was also his Champions League debut. Areola had a strong start to the season, but after a slump in form, he was demoted to second-string goalkeeper behind Kevin Trapp. When PSG won the domestic triple in 2017-18, Areola and Trapp took turns playing.
After PSG signed experienced goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from Juventus, Areola was reduced to a rotational duty.
The International Career of Alphonse Areola
From U16 to U21, Areola has represented France at every level of youth sport. Due to his parents’ Filipino ancestry, he is also eligible to play for the Phillippines national team. Even the team manager personally invited him to consider playing for the national team.
When France won the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup for the first time, Areola put on a tremendous performance.
Areola became the first player since Argentina’s Hector Zelada in 1986 to win the World Cup while having never played for his country. On September 6, 2018, he made his international debut against Germany in the UEFA Nations League, keeping a clean sheet and receiving the man of the match.
Personal Life of Alphonse Areola
Marrion Areola, who is of Filipino and Lebanese descent, is Alphonse Areola’s lifelong girlfriend. On December 26, 2016, the pair married. They have two daughters, Ayleen, who was born in 2015, and Aymma-Lyse, who was born on January 2, 2017. Areola enjoys singing as much as playing football. Ronaldinho is his favorite footballer.
Areola, Alphonse’s Net Worth
Areola has received accolades from football pundits in every match he has played. He currently receives a $2.4 million annual pay. His current market value is $11.78 million, and he has a net worth of $5.3 million. He made money for Lens, Bastia, and Villarreal in addition to PSG.
What If I Told You…
While at Villarreal, Areola set a new club record by going 620 minutes without surrendering a goal, breaking the previous mark of 615 minutes set by Diego Lopez. N’Golo Kante and Gaetan Bussmann were beaten to the Eurosport Revelation of the Year award by Areola.